Motorcycle helmet/no helmet

[wildblue 4]

Wanted to split this out of the other thread:

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Hey Hook, stop laughing out laoud about helments causing "neck" injuries, that pisses me off

My older brother was killed in late 82 when he ran his hog off the freeway in Baton Rouge, went into a tatally grassy area where he and the bike flipped over and around several times.

He laid in a hospital bed for a day in a coma and died from massive bleeding in his brain stem that couldn't be fixed. I think that you could refer to that as his neck area.

He did not have a broken bone or scratch on his body.

So, his fucking helmet killed him along with the high speed M/C crash.

As for those of you that think that people are "stupid" for not wearing a helmet, FUCKOFF!!! Of course, nothing personal......
the futures uncertain and the end is always near..................

I'm sorry for the tragic loss of your brother, I don't want you to take this personal in any way, just using your post.
Does anyone have an proof of a helemt killing someone? In the case above, isn't it likely that he would have been dead instantly if he didn't have a helmet? Or is it one of those freak things that happens - like when someone isn't wearing their seatbelt and gets thrown clear of a horrific wreck.

Personally, I think wearing a helmet is a good idea - just like wearing your seatbelt is a good idea. However, I hate helmet laws - I think it should be a choice. As long as you completely understand the added danger you're taking on by not wearing one. I encourage everyone I ride with to wear a helmet, especially new riders. But if you don't want to, then don't. I don't always wear mine - I do 99% of the time though. I look at it like my Cypres - hope I never use it, but it has the potential to save my life.

it's like incest - you're substituting convenience for quality

[Conundrum 1]

I agree it should be a choice absolutely, just like seat belts, but to not wear one is not smart.

[kelel01 1]

Are seat belts not mandatory there? Here, if you're A) In the front seat, or B) Under 18 and in any seat, you're required to wear one.

Kelly

[wildblue 4]

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I agree it should be a choice absolutely, just like seat belts, but to not wear one is not smart.

You're required by law to wear a seatbelt though. Only a few states require you to wear a helmet. In Ohio, you're required to wear one for the first year of riding - which I think is about the only way to have a "good" helmet law. Of course, it's next to impossible to enforce.

it's like incest - you're substituting convenience for quality

[sunshine 2]

Your avatar is stupid.

Anyhoo. So it's required to wear the helmet for the first year. During that time does the passenger also have to wear one?

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[Conundrum 1]

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Are seat belts not mandatory there? Here, if you're A) In the front seat, or B) Under 18 and in any seat, you're required to wear one.

Kelly

No, we do have a seatbelt and helmet law here.

[unformed 0]

First of all, some background info, I do ride a motorcycle, no I don't wear a helmet. I've tried wearing one, but I don't like it. As a matter of fact, I don't wear a seatbelt either. I do have a Cypress however.

That said, I do believe -should- wear helmets, seatbelts, etc. It's not exactly intelligent to go around not wearing one, especially given all of the old, retarded, blind people in my state (Florida). Regardless, I do believe it should still be a choice, as long as the risks are understood.

People call me retarded all the time; I know I've been lucky in my life, and I should probably be dead many times over. Oh well, shit happens; I ride for the pure enjoyment of it, and helmet retracts from that enjoyment. I do have the best insurance my company offers, so I won't be a burden to society if I do get injured.

As long as the risks are understood, and all responsibility lies on oneself, I don't think it should matter what anybody does.

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[wildblue 4]

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Your avatar is stupid.

Anyhoo. So it's required to wear the helmet for the first year. During that time does the passenger also have to wear one?

You're stupid, Supah Greg is awesome.

The way the law is written, 'novice' rider ( < 1 year) and riders up to age 18 are required to wear a helmet. Passengers of riders that fit that description are also required to wear a helmet. Passengers under 18, regardless of the rider, are required to wear a helmet.

it's like incest - you're substituting convenience for quality

[AggieDave 6]

I wear a helmet, as does my fiance when she's on the back of the bike.

Should helmets be manditory? Well, I don't think so, I think it should be your choice.

If helmets are manditory, then where does it stop? Will it eventually get to the point where I have to wear full leathers and a fullface to ride my motorcycle to school? I'd passout from heat exhaustion before I made it 1/2 way there, in this Texas heat.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[CanuckInUSA 0]

There's several motorcycle threads going around now here on DZ.COM.

There are two types of motorcyclists. Those who have crashed and those who have YET to crash. Some guy in another thread tried to tell me that he was one of those who is better than all of this and thus will go through his entire life without crashing and this just reminds me of all those superior (new) canopy pilots out there who can handle quick downsizing because they are better than every one else. Hey if you ride a motorcycle, sooner or later something bad is going to happen. It may not be life ending bad, but rest assured something will happen. Ever see a watermelon hit the ground and split in two? That's your head. If you (not necessarily directed at wildblue) are okay with this risk, then go for it. I know on the motorcycle crash I was involved in (as well as a moutainbiking crash) I went down so fast that I couldn't control it and I hit my head on the ground and took a nice chunk out of my helmet. Without the helmet I would have either died or been severly brain injured. But because of it, all I suffered was an elbow injury and some other bruises.

I do not believe helmet laws should be mandatory. But wearing a helmet is the smart thing to do.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[vid666 0]

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Hey Hook, stop laughing out laoud about helments causing "neck" injuries, that pisses me off

My older brother was killed in late 82 when he ran his hog off the freeway in Baton Rouge, went into a tatally grassy area where he and the bike flipped over and around several times.

He laid in a hospital bed for a day in a coma and died from massive bleeding in his brain stem that couldn't be fixed. I think that you could refer to that as his neck area.



So, his fucking helmet killed him along with the high speed M/C crash.

that statement is plain ignorant. maybe he didn't have any injuries BECAUSE he was wearing a helmet.. This is as good as saying "my friend died because his reserve entangled with his main", the fucking main killed him. Fuckoff and don't use mains.

[stevebabin 0]

Like Skydiving, I'm going with the best odds...

Sure you can find an obscure example of a helmet causing a neck injury, or a seatbelt preventing extraction from a burning vehicle, but odds are that these safety devices are a LOT more likely to prevent injury than cause it.
I will look at it critically and go with the best odds. If someone chooses not to use these things, I wonder about their decision making skills....

Ask any E.R. Nurse/Doctor if you should wear a helmet......Law or not.

Blues,
Steve

"Science, logic and reason will fly you to the moon. Religion will fly you into buildings."
"Because figuring things out is always better than making shit up."

[Sebazz1 2]

I have no problem with folks choosing not to wear a helmet but after a recent first hand experience having a little something on your head can come in handy. So I myself choose to wear at least somthing hard on my head be it full or just a half helmet but something. Free to choose is what I say... It's not my decision to say if it is stupid or not or less safe or not.

[JoeyRamone 0]

It is a matter of choice, this is America....I think....

[wildblue 4]

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It is a matter of choice, this is America....I think....

I couldn't agree more. I think wearing a helmet is a good idea, but people shouldn't be forced to - except for novice and underage riders/passengers. Just like having an AAD is a good idea, but shouldn't be mandatory - except for students.

it's like incest - you're substituting convenience for quality

[wmw999 2,169]

My brother's been known to say that people who don't wear helmets on motorcycles shouldn't be allowed to... That whole Darwin thing.

That said, the rationale for helmets is really only the medical costs borne by society one. Because yes, you do have the right to do risky things. And a bike isn't quite as large and dangerous a weapon as a car is, so making sure that it's always in control isn't quite as much of a public protection thing as it might be otherwise.

But I do wish people would wear helmets.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[stevebabin 0]

Yes, in America we have the right to make poor choices...

"Science, logic and reason will fly you to the moon. Religion will fly you into buildings."
"Because figuring things out is always better than making shit up."

[hookitt 0]

to MC208B: I'm sorry to hear about your brother, that sucks. However I don't agree in any way the helmet killed him. It still sucks that he died. I have brothers too.

I'm positive helmets are a good thing. The only time they wouldn't be is if a grappling hook (or something else) snagged it.

Not wearing a helmet is up to you. You don't have to like my opinion, I have lots of them and most I can back up as to why I feel that way. It's ok if you don't agree.

I've put my head on the ground at a high velocity before. I can back up my thoughts on helmets. So can my brother. He didn't have to come identify my body. The person who watched the entire event was blown away I got up at all. I don't remember much of the day but I remember my handle bars slapping the tank. From that point, I remember bits and pieces of the day but my first real conscious thought was .... I'm getting a CAT scan... The next real conscious thought was resisting the urge to punch the guy who was scrubbing the only piece of road rash I had.

About 14 hours I was back... hurt like hell, could think again, but was knocked silly. My helmet was pretty hammered. Six stitches applied to a cut on my chin and a concussion. Not bad for a 70 mile an hour high side get off.

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[mattjw916 2]

I guarantee that I would not be posting right now if I was not wearing a helmet when I crashed about six years ago.

If anyone really thinks that a helmet will somehow cause "neck injuries" during a wreck that would not have otherwise occured they are really deluding themselves. The results of any number of scientific studies that have been conducted with regard to this argument discounts that theory rather handily.

A helmet can keep a minor accident from becoming a fatality such as in the case of Indian Larry. It is a statistical fact.

Do I think they should be mandatory though... nope... I do think it is foolish to ride without one even though on occasion I run down to the store without one on.

Personally I think if you have a $50 head, buy a $50 helmet... if you don't value your life as much or think a helmet makes you feel less "free" then don't wear one. I'll stick with my $350 Shoei roadracing helmet so at least if I wreck they will be able to have an open casket at the funeral.

NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

[gjhdiver 0]

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I'm positive helmets are a good thing. The only time they wouldn't be is if a grappling hook (or something else) snagged it.

I don't regard it as that simple really. I've been building and riding for 30 years now, and if I had the choice, I'd use a helmet in the city and for my commute, but not use it on the weekends for the long rides in the back country and the freeways. Your risks are way lower in those circumstances for the type of cruising that I do. Most motorcyle accidents occur at intersections. You virtually never see a bike down on a freeway, and if you do, it's never a cruiser type.

If you're going to ride a sportbike, wear a helmet. If you want to plod along in the country on a 60 year old Knucklehead, a do rag is all I require.

I just wish that the state would allow me to make that decision with proof of adequate medical coverage, like some others do.

[Dumpster 0]

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Yes, in America we have the right to make poor choices...

Yes indeed! - Let those who ride, decide!

I wear seatbelts. I ride without a helmet. I've gone down twice, low speed, and was fortunate to come out with nothing more than a broken toe and some road rash. I know I may not always be that fortunate.

When I jump, I mostly wear a full-face when doing RW and go without when doing hop-n-pops. I like to wear a frap hat when doing coach jumps, so I have a place for my dytter and the student can see my facial expressions.
I have a cypress, and no RSL. (I don't subscribe to the "if you have a cypress you don't need an RSL" school of thought.)

So I guess you could say I sort of straddle that "fence" so to speak?

Easy Does It

[PhillyKev 0]

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I agree it should be a choice absolutely, just like seat belts, but to not wear one is not smart.

Skydiving is stupid. It's an unnecessary risk.

By the way...I already put this in Speaker's Corner.

[cvfd1399 0]

I live in Baton Rouge, and I also ride a Harley. As far as the law goes it SHOULD have been put to a vote BY the PEOPLE. I always wear mine, but the stupid Democrat Bitch running this state BLANCO has her own personal agenda, and is doing nothing but what she wants to do. The reason she fought for this law is that her nextdoor neighbor lost her son due to a motorcycle accident where he was not wearing a helmet. She also reversed the law that was fought for by the previous Republican Govenor Mike Foster. I think it is already enough risk that we have to ride around a bunch of dumb ass drivers, that a helmet may help or hurt a crash. The other day I was riding and a woman crossed the line into my lane on a 4 way hwy. I watched her the whole time and knew she was gonna do it. After she swerved back in her lane, and realised I was there I sped up to give her the usual mean look, and noticed the reason she swerved was that she was driving with her knees while eating a BOWL OF CEREAL! I swear if i had a TOW or a JAVALIN missle with me she would have been a blown up. One you rid elong enough, you get some sort of esp , and can tell which driver is about to do something stupid right before they do it. You get a funny feeling when someone swerves in your lane and never notices you after you reccognized them as a hazard correctly ahead of time and realize if you did not get away from them t could have been worse a few seconds earlier.

[FrogNog 1]

The air force has some documented helmet-caused deaths. The issue they documented is referred to as "hangman's noose" effect.

I think helmets are like airbags. Plain and simple, airbags kill (i.e. are directly responsible for the fatal wound delivered to) some people. But the reason this is OK is they save more people than they kill.

Yeah, it sucks when someone wasn't going to die, but their safety equipment killed them. But if for each of them, ten other people are saved from death by their safety equipment, then that's a tradeoff in the right direction.

-=-=-=-=-
Pull.

[unformed 0]

Yeah, some people really are retarded. I had one dumb bitch try to pass me in my lane. I turned my head to the left and there's a window six inches from my face; Man I was about to fucking kill her right then.

Thinking about, it's always been women who have come close to killing me. As much as I'm afraid of trucks (size and them possibly not being to see me) they're usually the best. They know they can't see much and many of them probably ride also. It's the old women that can barely see and don't bother setting turn signals or looking behind and the soccer moms too busy to look at anything which are death causers.

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