Helmet poll

[Sportster Sam]

I've never been persuaded by the "let those who ride decide" argument. There's more to it, much more, than dictating safety and/or "peace of mind", whatever that means. The main argument I've heard from the anti-helmet crowd is that they have insurance so there will be no cost to society if they crash...and that's an overly simplistic argument. Not everybody who crashes is sufficiently insured, and in this day and age some are still not insured at all. Moreover, even if you do have insurance society still suffers by way of higher insurance rates, medical and hospitalization fees, and highway taxes that are passed on to all of us because of underinsured and uninsured riders. And finally, let's not forget about your next of kin, who in most cases would rather have you around than that big death benefit you might have left them. Just ask my wife, who is an RN and has seen first hand the effect of permanent brain injury or death on the families of riders.

I'm totally convinced of the merits of wearing a helmet as I had a pretty serious crash in 1989 that I would not have survived had I been going lidless. Nebraska has toyed with the idea of repealing the helmet law almost every year since I moved here in 1989. Fortunately, and despite the best efforts of ABATE, it hasn't happened yet.

[Bill2]

Originally Posted by Sportster Sam

I've never been persuaded by the "let those who ride decide" argument. There's more to it, much more, than dictating safety and/or "peace of mind", whatever that means. The main argument I've heard from the anti-helmet crowd is that they have insurance so there will be no cost to society if they crash...and that's an overly simplistic argument. Not everybody who crashes is sufficiently insured, and in this day and age some are still not insured at all. Moreover, even if you do have insurance society still suffers by way of higher insurance rates, medical and hospitalization fees, and highway taxes that are passed on to all of us because of underinsured and uninsured riders. And finally, let's not forget about your next of kin, who in most cases would rather have you around than that big death benefit you might have left them. Just ask my wife, who is an RN and has seen first hand the effect of permanent brain injury or death on the families of riders.

I'm totally convinced of the merits of wearing a helmet as I had a pretty serious crash in 1989 that I would not have survived had I been going lidless. Nebraska has toyed with the idea of repealing the helmet law almost every year since I moved here in 1989. Fortunately, and despite the best efforts of ABATE, it hasn't happened yet.

Damn sam your worried about the cost of what a underinsured rider might cost all of us? Man what about the 20 million illegal aleins thats costing the schools, hospitals,ect? Hell i had four total my truck out and ran four different ways. They sure did'nt stay around and fix my $14,000 lost. Kinda sounds like worring about a slice of bread when the hole bakery is about to taken! BTW i wear a ff helmet on long trips and a nice 1/2 helmet just cruising local. Oh yea good choice on the model bike you have there.

[danonator]

Always fullface (although it flips up if I want it to a stops, etc..).

I have gone through swarms of bees and various stuff.. it has always protected me.

[rjg883c]

Originally Posted by Bill2

Damn sam your worried about the cost of what a underinsured rider might cost all of us? Man what about the 20 million illegal aleins thats costing the schools, hospitals,ect? Hell i had four total my truck out and ran four different ways. They sure did'nt stay around and fix my $14,000 lost. Kinda sounds like worring about a slice of bread when the hole bakery is about to taken! BTW i wear a ff helmet on long trips and a nice 1/2 helmet just cruising local. Oh yea good choice on the model bike you have there.

Bill,

You make a good point. And as I have a B.A. in political science, I am also far more concerned about the future of our country then helmet laws or use. But that concern is for another forum. As far as helmet laws and motorcycles go, you can't begin to understand the results of a head injury until after you have one. And then it is too late. Check out my other posts on the subject.

But being a selfish person, my main concern is the effect injuries to helmetless riders may have on me. And that is this: most of you are street riders but do you remember ATCs? Those were off road 3 wheelers with big balloon tires. They don't sell them anymore because there were too many injuries.

It wouldn't take too much for society to turn against motorcycles also. Even if they weren't outlawed, we could see more insurance requirements, a special tax on motorcycle registrations, etc. Don't forget that years ago motorcycle riders were mainly 'outlaws' or kids going to school. Today is is Joe and Susie average. With home mortgages and familiies that depend on them.

I'm sure everyone reading this is a well qualified, and good, rider but don't think that all riders are. There were 4 motorcycle accidents in Las Vegas last week, as least 4 that made the papers. And three of them resulted in the death of the rider. Two were Jap sportbikes and two were Harleys. A 53 year old women on a big twin and I'm not sure of the other one.

As nothing to the contrary was mentioned I assume they were all wearing helmets. But helmet use is probably the reason that even more motorcycle accidents don't make the news.

Ron

[alejandro]

ff when its cold and 1/2 when its is warm...dot always...i have a huge head, no neck and ain't the best looking guy in the world...last thing i need is to be brain dead from smacking the ground thanks to some big mini-van driving mom on her cell phone...we have a choice here...and the choice is with a lid for me...

[Sportster Sam]

Originally Posted by Bill2

Damn sam your worried about the cost of what a underinsured rider might cost all of us? Man what about the 20 million illegal aleins thats costing the schools, hospitals,ect?

I wasn't "worried" about the cost of underinsured riders so much as I was trying to point out why I don't buy into the argument that those who choose to ride without helmets aren't hurting anybody but themselves. As for illegal aliens, aside from the fact that it's a different subject that's best discussed on a different forum, it's not really a very valid comparison IMHO.

[jeeps1957]

Y'all still don't get it. YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO DICTATE SOMETHING THAT AFFECT MY SAFETY. Period. I am firmly and completely convinced that in a serious bike wreck,if theres a head trauma, the helmet may lessen said trauma. I am also convinced that you are much more likely to have this wreck if you are wearing a crash helmet, particularly the full face kind. You need to be able to see and hear. I have a hell of a hearing loss going from twenty years of working on the flight deck of Aircraft Carriers. I want to hear what's around me. But don't dictate to me what I should do. I'm retired Navy and whatever happens to me health wise I'm covered. I won't be a burden on anyone should I wreck and be laid up for a long time. And the effects this may have on my next of kin is none of anyones' affair. It's mine. And as far as what society thinks of motorcyclists as a whole, that's y'alls problem. I don't care. I treat folks with respect, on or off the bike. I ride very conservatively, and have been doing so for 34 years. I get a kick out of folks riding crotch rockets, usually with full face helmets, often shorts and a tee shirt, riding like total idiots, splitting lanes, riding on the verge of out of control most of the time. Is that the image you want society to have of biker? Maybe they're wearing helmets, but is that really all that matters? People are going to judge us on a lot more things than whether we have a helmet on.

It absolutely is right of those who ride to decide. I think there's folks out there who will never get it. Have you heard of personal responsibility?

[Sportster Sam]

It's YOU who doesn't get it. Government can and does have the right to dictate that which affects safety. It's been doing so for years. That is why we have seat belt laws. That is why the federal government mandates certain safety and occupant protection devices in motor vehicles.

[rjg883c]

Originally Posted by jeeps1957

Y'all still don't get it. YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO DICTATE SOMETHING THAT AFFECT MY SAFETY. Period. I am firmly and completely convinced that in a serious bike wreck,if theres a head trauma, the helmet may lessen said trauma. I am also convinced that you are much more likely to have this wreck if you are wearing a crash helmet, particularly the full face kind. You need to be able to see and hear. I have a hell of a hearing loss going from twenty years of working on the flight deck of Aircraft Carriers. I want to hear what's around me. But don't dictate to me what I should do. I'm retired Navy and whatever happens to me health wise I'm covered. I won't be a burden on anyone should I wreck and be laid up for a long time. And the effects this may have on my next of kin is none of anyones' affair. It's mine. And as far as what society thinks of motorcyclists as a whole, that's y'alls problem. I don't care. I treat folks with respect, on or off the bike. I ride very conservatively, and have been doing so for 34 years. I get a kick out of folks riding crotch rockets, usually with full face helmets, often shorts and a tee shirt, riding like total idiots, splitting lanes, riding on the verge of out of control most of the time. Is that the image you want society to have of biker? Maybe they're wearing helmets, but is that really all that matters? People are going to judge us on a lot more things than whether we have a helmet on.

It absolutely is right of those who ride to decide. I think there's folks out there who will never get it. Have you heard of personal responsibility?

Jeeps,
What society thinks of motorcycles is all our problem. If you don't understand the role that our government plays, to some degree, in almost every aspect of our lives, you must have been wearing blinders in your years in the Navy. You may not agree with, or accept, the notion that we should be concerned with the way society views motorcycles, but that doesn't make it so.

Ron

[Darkcityscape]

In the UK we have to wear a helmet. if you don't the police stops you and you can't ride, as simple as that.
JEEPS makes a good point about bikers on sports bikes wearing a FF and riding like idiots, endangering us all. ALEJANDRO makes another good point about minivan or other drivers on their cell phones endangering us all. We have no control over them though. What we do have control over is how we ourselves behave and drive.