*GRAPHIC/GORE WARNING!* Why you should always wear a helmet

[Pop N Wood]

I would agree with either one of these statements if it didn't affect my pockets any. Because of people not wearing helmets and higher death/serious injurytolls there are more than likely going to be higher insurance premiums, and less insurance companies offering bike insurance.

 

OK just to be difficult,

 

1) You are never going to make motorcycles safe, helmets or not. If you are that worried about getting hurt, stay home. The only safe way would be to ban motorcycles themselves.

2) Don't be so quick to assume helmets always make a positive difference. At speeds above 35 mph, statistically speaking, the only difference a helmet makes is an open casket vs. a closed casket funeral. Do a little research on the topic and you will find the answer is not so black and white.

4) If this guy got his head run over by that truck, then all a helmet would have done is contain the mess. Also from those picture how can you tell if he had a helmet on or not? Maybe it is lying 50 feet down the road and was knocked off when he hit.

5) The “it affects my pocket book†argument is constantly being refuted and in my opinion is not really valid for quite a number of reasons.

6) Does PETEW's avatar really show a picture of someone riding a wheelie on a public road? Not exactly the epitome of responsible riding, is it? Oh wait, he does have a helmet so I guess it is safe after all.

7) You are forgetting the #1 economic benefit of motorcycles, helmet or not: Organ donors. Or donorcycles as the emergency room guys call them. Admittedly callous, but it is simple gamesmanship to try and tally up the cost of motorcycle accidents and not offset this by the economic benefit.

[Guest kc6wfs]

That looks like the wreck I saw a few weeks back.

Just as Gory....

 

 

Dave

[Chaparral2f]

When I was growing up In western PA, the biggest fear I had riding my bike was riding into a pot hole and never being able to find my way back out,

 

Pop N Wood is saying what I meant to say, he is however much more articulate. Thanks Pop! BTW, I have a friend who is a quadrapheligic thanks to the helmet that broke his neck. I have been in several close calls because the skid lid impares your hearing, and periferal vision. As for the "Harley lovers" thing, this this on for size: I've been riding Harleys since I was 15, I am now 60 so I was riding when Harleys were a lifestyle, not a fashion statement. Before the introduction of the japanese bikes, every kid with a couple of hundred bucks wasn't out there skewing the accident stats. So maybe we shoould just ban Jap bikes, because they make my insurance go up? I think not. SorryI am a little incoherant, but I feel really strongly about the choice to wear helmets.

[auxilary]

There are just as many harley riders without gear as there are crotch rocket riders without gear. In fact, some of the gear harley guys wear is relatively questionable, as it's more of a fashion statement than protection. Leather chaps without ass covers aren't going to save the meat in a lowside.

 

I agree with Chaparral, it's a basic freedom to do what you want. If someone wants to ride without a helmet and wind up like the tard I posted the pics of, let them. We have too much liberal control, imo. If I want to drive without a seatbelt, I should have every right to without being financially punished. As I've said, I've never ridden without a helmet or jacket, except when testing my bike around the block, and that was in a gated community at 5-10 mph with NO possibility of traffic. I've ridden to/from work in middle of June, when it was 105* outside, and you bet your ass I was wearing boots, protective pants, and a thick riding jacket with gloves. I brought a spare shirt with me because one got soaked with sweat.

 

Pop N Wood: now you're just picking for technicalities, by pointing out petew's avatar. How do you know the road wasn't blocked off by the police on both ends, monitored, and the pic wasn't taken for MotorCycle magazine? (Which, I believe it was, since I think I have that issue lying around somewhere.) You've never done a donut or a burnout in public?

[PETEW]

OK just to be difficult,

 

1) You are never going to make motorcycles safe, helmets or not. If you are that worried about getting hurt, stay home. The only safe way would be to ban motorcycles themselves.

2) Don't be so quick to assume helmets always make a positive difference. At speeds above 35 mph, statistically speaking, the only difference a helmet makes is an open casket vs. a closed casket funeral. Do a little research on the topic and you will find the answer is not so black and white.

4) If this guy got his head run over by that truck, then all a helmet would have done is contain the mess. Also from those picture how can you tell if he had a helmet on or not? Maybe it is lying 50 feet down the road and was knocked off when he hit.

5) The “it affects my pocket book†argument is constantly being refuted and in my opinion is not really valid for quite a number of reasons.

6) Does PETEW's avatar really show a picture of someone riding a wheelie on a public road? Not exactly the epitome of responsible riding, is it? Oh wait, he does have a helmet so I guess it is safe after all.

7) You are forgetting the #1 economic benefit of motorcycles, helmet or not: Organ donors. Or donorcycles as the emergency room guys call them. Admittedly callous, but it is simple gamesmanship to try and tally up the cost of motorcycle accidents and not offset this by the economic benefit.

 

1. I never said that motorcycles were a safe means of transportation, but why should you increase the risk. It's like saying I know I will get sunburned to a crisp in the Arizona sun but I choose not to wear sunblock. DUMB!

 

2. I would love to see that statistic. I did a highside on the track at 80-100mph and I seem to be ok. It couldn't have been because of the helmet I was wearing. If it was my head it would have shattered instead of the helmet.

 

3. missing

 

4.Never said he was or wasn't. My statement was that if you don't wear a helmet your looking to be a meat popsicle one day.

 

5.You say it isn't valid but how. How do insurance companies rate anything? By # of accidents, cost, and severity. Sounds to me like no helmets could cause increases. Also Health insurance is looking to bail on paying bike crash claims. Not my words, the AMA's. Why because meatheads don't want to wear helmets. Sorry can't have it both ways but the AMA seems to want to have thier cake and eat it too. If you read Cycle World they had an article similar to this just recently.

 

6.Again I never said I was the poster child for saftey. But anytime your on a bike and don't wear saftey gear you looking for some serious scaring minimum. I chew out stunt guys all the time that don't wear gear. Just because you do something risky doesn't mean you have to increase that risk by not putting something as simple as a helmet on.

 

7.Riding bikes is risky. I know that, I have eaten the pavement. But I weighed the risks and my enjoyment and decided it is worth it to me. But when I go out, summer, spring, or fall, I go out with gloves, leather jacket, helmet, and boots that cover my ankles. Does that mean I won't get hurt or killed? Hell no, but I least I'm increasing my odds.

 

I know we could argue about this all day. And I going to bow out of this. I think everyone here knows my point of view. I am just dissapointed in PA and the AMA fighting for something that really is dumb to me. Some people need to be told what to do; thats why mowers have "do not stick hands or feet under while running" on them. Face it, people are stupid. I hope all of you are smart enough to wear the proper gear while riding. I would hate to hear someone got hurt by not doing so.

 

Auxilary

Thanks for sticking up for me, but that is me doing the wheelie. What can I say I do dumb things. But I wear the gear. But I look cool though.

[Pop N Wood]

Just one very informative site from a 10-minute google search

 

http://www.geocities.com/rt_66.geo/helmet.html

 

The problem I have with helmets is that so many people state categorically that helmets absolutely-positively-no-question-what-so ever enhance safety. Reading through some of the links above show that the issue is far from a black and white one. Yet some people, especially people passing laws, seem to think the answer is obvious.

 

In some cases helmets help (like disfiguring road rash), in many others it is completely unclear whether they helped or hurt. Dale Earnhardt died of a broken neck, not head trauma. Could the extra weight of a helmet have been the deciding factor in that one particular accident? Who knows?

 

BTW, looking at this poor sap above, it looks like he landed face first on the concrete so hard that the entire top of his head came off and threw his brains out, what, 4 or 5 feet? I find it hard to believe a helmet would have saved him in this instance.

[Guest ON3GO]

well im not gonna get into this really.. i dont have pictures and fact and etc for what im about to say but i can say i still i have my friend with me today in this world.

 

my friend has been riding sport bikes his sense he was 16 and now is 24.

he crashed once big time.. going 45 in a 45.. a woman turns out right in front of him and he goes flying over his bike and over her car and head 1st goes right into a car that was going around 40 or some mph.

his helmet was cracked, his leg was broken, as was ribs and his back.

doctors said he was pretty much dead but he made it, and even though he was in BAD BAD shape even with his helmet. it still saved his left.. if he almost died with it on, then he WOULD be dead without it.

 

he has wrecked a few other times, all were pretty bad, and has walked away because of his gear.

he swears by helmets and jackets and etc, and he works at a bike shop as a Master Tech and also does stunts on his bikes.

 

ppl can state that they dont do crap but i have seen it 1st hand that they do.

my 2 cents.

 

mike

[auxilary]

Dale Earnhardt died of a broken neck, not head trauma. Could the extra weight of a helmet have been the deciding factor in that one particular accident? Who knows?

I do. Because he didn't wear the required neckbrace which probably would've saved him.