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Helmet Law Repeal Stats

31263 Views 185 Replies 73 Participants Last post by Hades, Dec 14, 2001

SugarMrPoon

Discussion Starter · Feb 8, 2001

just wear a helmet.

61 - 80 of 186 Posts

hamatsu

· #61 · Feb 9, 2001

Re: Insurance companies love people like you

How long do you think it will be before a lobbyist for the insurance industry tries to get legislation passed that will increase premiums for people involved in dangerous sports ? Or maybe have clauses written into the policies that exclude coverage for these ? Ever read any clauses in life insurance that excludes "acts of war" for payment ?

You're fooling yourself if you think that insurance companies aren't already looking into these sorts of things. It will cost you somewhere down the road either in premuim dollars for policies or emergency care. Besides if the first guy sliced off his legs and spilled his vital organs all over the embankment that would mean that his **** would be gone too. Who would WANT to live after that anyway ?

Iman01

· #62 · Feb 9, 2001

Re: Why we need helmet laws

You argue that it will save lives if we all wear helmets. OK.

What I don't understand is how you fail to grasp that it would also be safer if we all drove SUVs. To accept in one hand that it is ok for "the people" to take my rights away to make it safer for "the people." Then in the other hand you think they will stop after they have completed their first battle. It would be a safe world, with less fatalities if we didn't drive motorcycles.

That is a bogus arguement. You are right, the politicians could make far crazier laws ie. outlaw motorcycles all together. That is no reason to lie down and let them take all of our other rights.

"That's why states cannot force welfare mothers to be sterilized. " Why not? They are a minority, just like motorcycle riders. It would save me a lot of money if we didn't allow them to have sex. It would save me a lot of money if motorcycleists wore helmets. It would save me a lot of money if motorcycles were banned.

Ration cards. That is another good idea. Those damn fat people clog up the ambulances. It would be socially convenient for me if we ignored fat people so that my son Johnny can get an ambulance ride when he falls off his bicycle.

IT IS NOT GOOD TO LOSE RIGHTS. I WILL NEVER TRADE RIGHTS FOR MONEY!!! I HAVE THE RIGHT TO HURT MY SELF. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SHOOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT.

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hamatsu

· #63 · Feb 9, 2001

Re: Wow

Man, that must have been one hell of a firecracker ! More like it was probably an M80 round. I think the shotgun blast theory sounds feasible though. I don't know about you but I've consumed both alcohol and drugs and never wanted to reshape my face like that ! Looks like a potential Darwin award to that guy.

hamatsu

· #64 · Feb 9, 2001

Re: Hey, me too GSparky !!

When I was younger...like in May of last year, I had a deer commit suicide in front of me at 60 mph. I live in Florida but this happened in North Georgia. At the time I had on an Arai Quantum f and full Vanson leathers with Aplinestar boots. You know what ? I smacked the ground so hard that I was unconscious for the 5 or 6 seconds that myself, the deer (4 point buck) and my 98 TLS were sliding down the road. Next thing I knew, I was standing up and looking for my bike and the deer. The deer, of course, to make sure that I didn't have to chase him and kill him with my bare hands.

Obviously the bike was toast. I had 2 broken ribs and a broken shoulder blade. But here's the best part. I didn't have a single scratch on me and was very alert when I stood up again. My insurance took care of the entire write-off and even reimbursed me for the cost of the helmet. Had I not been wearing one, I wouldn't be typing this right now. I never ride without leathers now, no matter how hot it is, cause a little sweat sure beats skin grafts any day. As for the helmet, that pretty much goes without saying, it saved my head.

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Iman01

· #65 · Feb 9, 2001

Thanks Dan. IF I had to pay for this site I'd want the staff to provide pertinent info. like this. Maybe they should offer Dan a job.

rickd

· #66 · Feb 9, 2001

I love it - the social burden theory raises it's ugly head again. Here's a thought though - far and away the most common injury in automobile collisions is head injury. The vast majority of the cars on the road offer no protection for the head at all. If we really wanted to save a lot of insurance dollars, we'd be pushing for helmet laws for automobiles.

Automobile collisions claim somewhere around 50,000 lives annually. You only have to save 1% of them to have a bigger impact (measured in the all-important insuracne company expendature, of course) than saving even 25% of all motorcycleists.

CYCLE_MONKEY

· #67 · Feb 9, 2001

Re: GRRRRR....

Actually, YOURS is the assinine argument. Are we all supposed to drive around in armored Brinks trucks or bullet/bomb/impact-resistant limo's instead of motorcycles just so that when some bozo hits us, we won't cost HIM too much money? You must be joking.

CYCLE_MONKEY

· #68 · Feb 9, 2001

Re: A few words from some prominent people.....

You're totally missing the point. Benjamin means liberties in general. Any and all being just as important.

BBD_Racing

· #69 · Feb 9, 2001

Hey, RickD, great anti-Social Burden Theory argument.

There is another point which nobody has mentioned. Do you know anyone who was doted upon by their parents? Someone who never had to do anything for themself and did not bear the responsibility for their actions? They were less functional than others around them, right?

This holds true in a macro sense. The more the gov't thinks for the people, the more the people will forget how to think for themselves. That is part of what Franklin and Adams were addressing.

I work for NASA Houston. We have a huge campus with dozens of buildings and 25,000 people (some would say Rocket Scientists). We also have a massive Safety program which includes crosswalks everywhere and the requirement that cars must stop whenever anyone is approaching a crosswalk. sounds nice - keeps people from being hit by cars.

Not true. What it has done is train this highly educated workforce to just blindly walk into the street without the slightest look if there is a car coming. People still get hit. THIS NICE LITTLE RULE HAS DUMBED DOWN A HIGHLY EDUCATED WORKFORCE TO THE POINT THAT THEY NO LONGER REMEMBER TO LOOK BEFORE CROSSING THE STREET. We will sooN have more rules and stricter enforcement to save people from their laziness.

This is a microcosm of society as a whole. This nannyism begets more incompetance and the need for more nannyism.

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VFour

· #70 · Feb 9, 2001

Luckily, I live in a state that has resisted repealing its helmet despite lobbying from a large group of air-cooled V-twin riders. If the law had not been in effect last June, I may not have worn a helmet the evening that I lost the front and crashed. My favorite Shoei took a hell of a beating...leaving me unconscious but alive. I have subsequently sent photos of the battered lid, that resides my the front door as a reminder, to my state legislators with my deepest thanks.

TBones

· #71 · Feb 9, 2001

Re: Hey, me too GSparky !!

Well? Did you find the deer?? Good post. I too would be dead (or almost certainly so) THREE different times if I did not wear protective gear while riding. It's a very sobering experience to look at a totally caved-in helmet that you just took your head out of. (These were back in my motocross days, not on a street bike or on the street, luckily enough.)

It's a given that wearing a helmet is the safest choice. A no-brainer (pardon the kinda ironic pun there...). I'd never ride without one. However, should society force people to be safe? If you take that further, why not full body armor, or maybe no bike riding at all? I know that's going a bit far, but still. I think people have the right to be stupid, as long as it doesn't cost society extra. I guess there's the crux of the issue.

-Tom

blip

· #72 · Feb 9, 2001

tuba --

If memory serves, that same report shows the deaths per 100,000 caged miles going down.

Regardless, that biker deaths per mile are going up saddens me, I've had too many friends die, and statistically, many of those that're are going to get it are MO readers!

Abe_Froman

· #73 · Feb 9, 2001

Nope, can't do that....

It would be ridiculous to drive around a huge, armored brinks truck with only one passenger! Think about the horrible mileage, large amounts of pollution, and intimidation of lesser motorists that would occurr!!! For the love of God, man, THINK ABOUT THE CHILDREN!!!!!

ducatirdr

· #74 · Feb 9, 2001

Anyone want to comment on Britain's ban on dark face shields. Now what if that was passed in your state? Not only did they ban them from the street but are prosecuting store owners for selling them. Just to save fools from riding with them on at night. When does it end.

TBones

· #75 · Feb 9, 2001

Why the heck can't the just write you a ticket if you're caught wearing one at night? Geez.

-Tom

ZRXRy

· #76 · Feb 9, 2001

Helmets are meant to protect your skull and brain from injury when your head hits the ground, or possibly glancing blows off of other objects, found in many motorcycle accidents. Anybody remember Gary Busey? Anyway, if your helmeted head smacks squarely into something solid at 30 or 40 mph, your brain will be a mushy pulp. Me? I'll wear a helmet every time, helmet law or not. I don't ride off road without one either, although I could. I have ridden a 3-wheeler without one, and I probably shouldn't have.

Abe_Froman

· #77 · Feb 9, 2001

Thanks Dan!

I didn't have the willpower to apply myself and actually go check the statistics, but these kind of stories always leave me feeling that some extremely relevant information was left out. As always, the proponets of further regulation never let the facts get in the way of their agenda. No stone is unturned, no nook..... uncrannied in the mission to manipulate, distort, omit, and outright lie about information pursuant to the issue at hand.

I for one believe that it is grossly irresponsible to ride without a helmet. I am considering telling a few of my buddies, guys who occasionally insist on going for helmetless rides, to not bother picking me up when that is the case. I don't want to be there to see their brains splattered all over the road. I will plead with them as their friend not to do it, however, I will never ask the government to point a gun at them and tell them to put on their helmet.

ZRXRy

· #78 · Feb 9, 2001

Re: GRRRRR....

Actually, socialized medicine, as we have in Canada is a prime argument for imposing on personal freedom, as in seatbelts, helmets, liquor and cigarette taxes and drug prohibition. Since society as a whole picks up the tab for the care of the injured, society as a whole has an interest in your activities. Of course, others will then point out that people do all sorts of stupid things that endanger their lives, but most of them don't involve public roads, and so are unregulated. ie heli-skiing, rock climbing, white water rafting, skydiving, sedentary lifestyles, bad diet, etc etc. It is interesting to note, however, that most people involved in other adventure sports seem to be aware of the true extent of the dangers involved, and use the safety gear available.

stevegrab

· #79 · Feb 9, 2001

A few things to consider.

1) Most (I believe even all states) have laws regarding seat belt usage, and child seats. Are these also bad ideas? Should we repeal these laws too? (Surprisingly Ohio repealed its helmet law about the same time the passed the seatbelt law.)

2) I think if we want to allow people to ride without a helmet, they should pay a premium on their insurance, above any general premium we may all be paying for riding a motorcycle. I think that is better than allowing them to not wear one, and having the rates go up for everybody. (I don't have any evidence that this happens, if anybody does I would be interested to see it.)

3) I don't particularly care for lots of the laws that exist, but I realize they are there for the general good and safety of all of us. I think the speed limits are too low in some places. So you know what I do, I drive faster and expect to pay the consequences if I get caught.

If you don't want to wear a seatbelt, don't. Your choice. If you get pulled over, you can be sighted for it.

This may all sound extreme. I'm not generally in favor of govermnent interference. Not even with helmet laws, but the way in which people argue against them is just stupid.

For the one guy who said something about "Do you force people who ride in your car to wear a seatbelt, who gets the ticket, etc. Hey, its my car, if somebody wants to ride with me, they wear a seatbelt. Same goes for riding motorcycles. I refuse to ride with anybody that doesn't wear a helmet. My choice.

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ZRXRy

· #80 · Feb 9, 2001

Excellent! One of those moments when the snappy answer occurs to you when you need it, not half an hour later. I love it!

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