Do you always wear a helmet?

[JohnM]

Its the law, and we all know the gubmint knows whats best for us.

 

[Bikewhore]

Full coverage Shoei at all times. Virgina requires helmets -- but would wear it 100% of time regardless. Ocassionally put it on after a few too many cocktails on the back porch as well.... Jay

same here...then again, I too live in the republik of Virginia

 

[Overfly]

I live in Arizona, no helmet law. I wear a helmet on every ride as well as other protective gear (armored jacket, armored pants or Draggin' Jeans and gloves). Always have, always will. I want at least some level of protection, even though I understand it's far from total protection.

Having said that I defend the right of anyone to not wear a helmet. I feel that a helmet is a personal choice that only affects that particular rider/s of that motorcycle. Therefore, I do not like to see the Gov't try to force itself on riders and tell them what is safe and what is not in reagards to a personal choice. Extend this approach out and eventually the Gov't could outlaw motorcycles because they don't have seatbelts and air bags.

I understand, to some extent, regulations regarding equipment that affect other drivers on the road (headlights, turn signals, etc.). But a helmet, as I said before, only affects the rider/s of that motorcycle and therefore should be the choice of that rider/s.

I realize this approach is very debatable, but that is how I see it.

 

[dcarver]

Having said that I defend the right of anyone to not wear a helmet. I feel that a helmet is a personal choice that only affects that particular rider/s of that motorcycle. Therefore, I do not like to see the Gov't try to force itself on riders and tell them what is safe and what is not in reagards to a personal choice. Extend this approach out and eventually the Gov't could outlaw motorcycles because they don't have seatbelts and air bags.

+1

Sometimes, at low speed rides, in spectacular scenery, little traffic, the lid is off when allowed by law. Otherwise, no. And when I do I feel both the feeling of extrordinary freedom AND vulnerability.

 

[C&C]

No helmet law where I live but wear one always. It has worked for me twice; nuff said in my opinion.

 

[thegunslinger]

Nope! :cownoy:

 

[brazos parker]

Always...well, at least, always when I ride.

Dress for the crash...not the ride.

 

[Groo]

Always...

 

[sparky3008]

I believe we live in a free country and as such don't think the gov't should be "protecting" us from ourselves.

I believe in pro choice meaning again we live in a free country and as such should have the right to make our own decisions.

Don't believe the gov't should be able to make us put on our seat belts.

With that said I wear a helmet all the time and full gear.

I choose not to wear a seat belt.

I eat what the hell I want which happens to be no milk and free range meat.

When is the gov't going to start telling us what we have to eat???

 

[Toecutter]

I believe we live in a free country and as such don't think the gov't should be "protecting" us from ourselves. Don't believe the gov't should be able to make us put on our seat belts.

+1, as long as you don't become a burden to the other taxpayers when you become a veg while exercising your freedoms.

 

[sparky3008]

I believe we live in a free country and as such don't think the gov't should be "protecting" us from ourselves. Don't believe the gov't should be able to make us put on our seat belts.

+1, as long as you don't become a burden to the other taxpayers when you become a veg while exercising your freedoms.

That is such political crap.

I have the same insurance as everyone else. I pay my bills. You are better off worrying about all the people that never worked a day and are getting all the gov't help. All the prisoners we keep feeding and housing every year. All the wasted millitary money we spend on things like Star Wars.

Read any thing written about the psychological affect putting a seat belt on has on people. They statistically think they are safer and drive more reckless. Look at all the people that buy the SUV's and think they are safer and cause more and more accidents...

Again I said I wear them because I do believe that their benefits outway their cons. Some accidents have been shown that the helmet snapped the riders neck with the chin guard. But, if I go down and slide down the road and my head is bouncing the helmet will do me good. Now as far as your burdening society. Many people with a helmet on lived and became a burden that without it would have died and rid you of your so called burden.

Toecutter I would think you would know this.

My mom being a cop has told me stories of seat belt cutting people completely in half=dead. Yea, going through the windshield probably would have killed them also but ya never know. It goes both ways... Again should be my choice.

 

[afterburn]

Sparky:

2 people in the hospital as a veggie:

1 - A biker that did everything reasonable to protect himself, like wearing his gear, ride defensive, etc.

2 - A biker that's an idiot and does not of that and caused himself to become a veggie

Who'd you rather pay for?

People have the God given right to be an idiot, but not at the expense of others. Americans always have their mouth full of 'freedom', but sometimes you forget what that means. Freedom is not saying or doing anything you damn well please, regardless. Freedom means being able to think, say or do what you want WITHOUT limiting others to do the same thing.

If you pay your insurance and what not and do everything reasonable to prevent getting hurt, you have every right to be taken care of for as long as you need it.

If you however act with complete disrespect for your own vulnerability and basically being a total idiot, or you are not paying insurance and you end up in the same situation, we live in a society that will not just let you die at the side of the road. It will take the bill and pay for it. However, if society has to pay for your stupidity or unwillingness to pay for your own help, society also has the right to demand certain actions or measures to limit the financial burdens put on society. And those measures can be helmet laws or seatbelt laws. And that is not limiting personal freedom of someone not wanting to wear a helmet, that is preventing a limitation of personal freedom for the one that does.

 

[Bounce]

No. Only when I ride.

+1

 

[sparky3008]

However, if society has to pay for your stupidity or unwillingness to pay for your own help, society also has the right to demand certain actions or measures to limit the financial burdens put on society.

Why is it that we require more of someone riding a motorcycle than we do of someone that has 4 kids, no job, 4 different fathers, collects all kinds of government help but they can continue to have as many kids as they want.

Fair is fair and I think they expect more of me as a motorcyclist that has a job, insurance, etc. than they do of many others.

Homeless people have nothing imposed on them and they get help and pay nothing towards society.

My point is people seem to think that society has the right to subject all of these laws on motorcyclist yet they impose almost nothing on many other members of our society....

 

[afterburn]

Well, no one said life is fair. Those things you mention are wrongs, but just because those wrongs excist, does that mean it should throw the right aside?

 

[sparky3008]

You might want to spend some time researching helmets. There is no scientific data firmly suggesting they are giving our society the gains that you seem to think they are.

As mentioned before with the helmet on a fall that might have killed now made them a veg.

Without a helmet perhaps more died and actually saved the taxpayers more money.

Scientific research has been arguing this for years and will continue and in the meantime I am "FORCED" to wear one.

 

[afterburn]

You have got to be kidding me! You are about this || close to saying helmets are dangerous. It is a well proven and documented FACT that helmets reduce injuries and save lives. That does not mean it will save your a$$ in every situation, but the chance of it saving your life and/or prevent serious injury is infinately better than without a helmet. If you get off at 80mph and you hit a tree, lamppost or an armco, no helmet is going to save your life, but neither is no helmet. But if you bounce and slide around without hitting solid objects at speed, a helmet will likely save you in 99.999% of the time and allow you to walk away from it relatively unmarked.

On the other hand, you say you wear your helmet regardless, so I am really preaching to the converted here. Makes me wonder though, why you would use such stupid arguments against it and know the sense of it all at the same time.

 

[Toecutter]

Makes me wonder though, why you would use such stupid arguments against it and know the sense of it all at the same time.

Argument for argument's sake? Here, let's toss this one out there...The ocean is wet.

 

[afterburn]

Sometimes, at low speed rides, in spectacular scenery, little traffic, the lid is off when allowed by law. Otherwise, no. And when I do I feel both the feeling of extrordinary freedom AND vulnerability.

Besides feeling vulnerable, have you thought about why bicyclists wear helmets more and more these days? Cause 5mph can be enough to splatter your brains all over the pavement. Why take the risk?

 

[sparky3008]

No you have to be kidding me!

My point is Statistics have never proven that with helmets on they have reduced the burden on Society that toecutter was talking about. My point was that Helmets may very well let more people live as a veg that would have otherwise died and taken the burden off of society so to answer your smart ass comment no I am not kidding you. Helmets in certain conditions have been shown to kill. Full face helmets at slow speeds have been linked to snapping the spine that an open faced helmet would have probably just broken the jaw. I have read hours and hours of statistics on helmets for years on this topic. I have seen both sides. I would advise before making your comments you do the same and not just think they are the greatest thing since sliced bread.