Helmet Laws

[Myra]

I live in Missouri, and it's my understanding that the government here is thinking of repealing the helmet law for motorcyclists. Apparently a good number of bikers think this is a good idea. They want the freedom to "choose" not to wear the helmet. Now, a radio DJ here stated that when a biker doesn't wear a helmet, the only person he/she hurting is themself when they get in the accident. Very, very not true.

This past Monday, there was a motorcycle accident. The passenger was thrown from the bike and killed, and the driver of the bike is looking at jailtime for involuntary manslaughter because neither of them were wearing helmets and he tested as under the influence of alcohol. The passenger was a friend of mine. She was 34, and had a brand-new grandson at home who would never know how sweet, beautiful, bubbly and generous his grandma was. I went to the visitation on Thursday, and had to park two blocks away. That's how loved this woman was.

Then last night, Husband and I are heading home on the local highway, and we see a motorcyclist lose control of his bike and go down. A white van stopped in front of him and flashed lights on the accident so others wouldn't hit him. We pulled over also, as Husband is a medical assistant and has first aid experience. He ran to make sure the driver wasn't moved while I called 911. He had no pulse and blood was coming from his ears. The ambulance arrived in no time, and they got him secured and his pulse back, but it didn't look good. He also wasn't wearing a helmet.

My point is this: whether you legally have to or not, wear a helmet. Monday night, my friend's mom and her kids got a horrible phone call. And late last night, someone got a call telling them their son, brother, father, or friend was in a bad accident and it didn't look good. So yes, the only people physically hurt may have been those on the bike, but countless others were harmed by that news.

This is one girl's opinion, but when you argue against helmets and seatbelts, to me it just sounds stupid. "What do you care if I get hurt? It's my choice."

Don't get me wrong, I love motorcycles. I love the sound of a Harley revving up. But THINK AHEAD before you go out driving!

I don't know if others agree with me, but that's what I think. I'll get off my soapbox now.

[Ryu]

not only is the person affected but what if you're involved in an accident with someone not wearing a helmet and they die, even if its their fault you're going to feel awful when it possibly could have been prevented with a helmet

[AFPheonix]

I prefer a full face when I'm riding, I don't like road grit and bugs splatting into my face. I also think riders need to wear safe clothing like leathers, proper footwear and headgear while they're riding.

However, the reality is that a helmet is going to have a negligible affect on your safety on a bike on accidents over 30 mph. Yeah, it might keep your face from getting sanded off on the pavement, but that hardly matters if you break your neck.

[KaeZoo]

I am entirely in favor of motorcyclists wearing helmets. I am not in favor of laws requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets.

An essential element of personal freedom is the right to make bad choices for ourselves.

[rahmota]

I have to agree that I am against mandatory helmet laws. The right of being an adult is to be able to make a mistake and screw up royally if you make the wrong decision. Yes this is cruel, yes people will be hurt by that but that is an acceptable risk to live in a free and adult society. A person must be responsible for their own lives and no one else can force that person to do so without becoming a nanny.

That having been said I also see it as an incredibly stupid idea not to take at least a bit of precautions. Yeah layign a bike at 60 is not going to be good for the health. Its not as likely to be survivable (I do know a couple bikers who did that and lived.) but any bit of protection is still a good idea on the off chance that it does some good.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I prefer a full face when I'm riding, I don't like road grit and bugs splatting into my face. I also think riders need to wear safe clothing like leathers, proper footwear and headgear while they're riding.

I concur.

I will also say that I think that helmet laws shouldn't be repealed. I had a prat in a car slam me off my bike a few years back. I fell back, slammed the back of my head into the road and slid up said road, bike on top of me. Now, had I not been wearing a helmet, the road would have been nicely decorated with my grey matter. Plus, the fact that I was wearing leathers meant that I got away with just 2 broken ribs and a broken hand; I would have been nastily grazed had I not been wearing them.

[Boozy]

I'm kind of a libertarian when it comes to laws that protect people only from themselves, such as helmet laws and seatbelt laws. Personal freedom should reign when it comes to things that don't hurt other people.
But on the other hand, kids as young as 16 can get their motorcycle licenses here in Ontario. And I remember what I was like when I was 16. I thought I was immortal. Helmet laws can protect kids from themselves so they can live long enough to look back and say to themselves, "Man, I was really stupid when I was young."
Of course, helmet laws just for young people is age discriminatory. And really, doesn't "Stupid" cross all age boundaries? Do we as a society have a duty to protect stupid people from themselves?
I'm really on the fence about this one. So unlike me.

[Greenday]

I definately think everyone riding a motorcycle should be wearing a helmet. But I still think it's their choice. If you dumb enough to ride without a helmet, I'm not going to stop you from weeding yourself out of the genepool.

[Lace Neil Singer]

But what of the person who hit them? Sometimes, it's not always the driver of the car's fault, but they could still be slapped with a dangerous driving charge if the cretin they hit dies. At least if he's protecting his empty cranium with a helmet, there's less chance of that. Plus, someone's got to scrape all his useless brain matter off the road... ever think of that? Won't someone please think of the road cleaners?

[Boozy]

I know you were being tongue-in-cheek about the road cleaner thing, but that's still a good point, Lace.
Years ago, a kid I went to high school with got hit on his motorcycle. He was wearing a helmet, but apparently it didn't meet safety standards, and he didn't have it fastened properly in any case. He didn't stop at a stop sign and was hit and killed by a woman with three kids in her car.
I really felt terrible about my classmate, of course - but my first thought was: Those poor kids had to witness a death. And their poor mother is going to be blaming herself. How awful for everybody involved.
So there are of course other victims, even in single fatality tragedies.

[protege]

I had the unfortunate experience of seeing some kid on a sportbike nearly kill himself 2 years ago. Right in front of my grandmother's farmhouse, there's a straightaway for about a half-mile. It's not uncommon for people to speed through there, only to either wreck, or have to slam on the brakes.

Anyway, I'd just gotten up from a nap on the porch chaise, and was about to go back inside. This motorcycle was approaching--loud, and fast. About halfway past the house, I hear "oh FUCK!" then something going "crunch" and as I turn around, the kid flying across the highway Not sure what he hit, but he got fucked up.

Turned out, one of his brakes somehow seized, he lost control, went across the road, and slammed into a drainage culvert. The impact tossed him off...missing a speed limit sign and my barbed-wire fence by inches

I ran inside, grabbed the phone, and called 911. Since I wasn't sure what was on the highway, I told the kid (who was lucky to be alive, and was wearing a helmet) just to sit on the shoulder--help was coming. I also didn't want a bigger accident, so I flagged down the neighbors to help direct traffic, until the cops, ambulance, and fire people got there.

That kid got off lucky. He just had a broken shoulder, a concussion, cuts and bruises. If he hadn't been wearing a helmet, I'm sure he'd have been killed. Oh, and the cops did cite him for speeding and failure to control his vehicle. Sadly, that wasn't the only accident that weekend--at least one other rider was killed.

With all that said, I don't have much sympathy for those who choose not to wear the proper safety gear. If you don't want to wear it, fine. However, don't bitch when you get hurt.

[digilight]

Back when I was a freshman in highschool I was a ag/FFA nerd (ok laugh get it out of your system : ) We were coming back from a class trip to a off campus project. There was 4 or 5 of us in the back of the truck (it had a camper shell on it) as we were slowing down to turn into the ag area of campus a motorcycle hit us. The guys head went partway thru the door, he also had his girlfriend on the back of the bike. Surprisingly they both lived although he was really fucked up. Unfortunatly I can still remember how torn up he was, covered in blood. At 15 years old that can really mess someone up. I can't ride a motorcycel, refuse to try, although I love the looks of a sweet chopper.

And my other point. Who gets stuck with the bill when one of these jagoffs doesn't were a helmet and goes splat. You have the cost of the cops, ambulance, other emergency responders, medical bills, etc. If the person isn't insured then there is a huge chance that we get stuck with their bills as tax payers.

[MadMike]

And my other point. Who gets stuck with the bill when one of these jagoffs doesn't were a helmet and goes splat. You have the cost of the cops, ambulance, other emergency responders, medical bills, etc. If the person isn't insured then there is a huge chance that we get stuck with their bills as tax payers.

But this also happens if someone decides to go rock-climbing, skydiving, or any other dangerous activity. Should we also ban those?

If you really want to stretch it, people who smoke, drink, or eat too much junk food can also drive up medical costs, so maybe we should also ban tobacco, alcohol, and any food that's not healthy. Oh, and make it illegal to have sex with more than one person or out of marriage as well.

Sorry, these busybody laws that "protect us from ourselves" are a sore point with me.

[rahmota]

Well you know what we need to do Madmike, We need to outlaw anything that isnt made out of NERF! Living in NERF world we would always be safe and wam and fuzzy....

Yeah the nanny state where a person cannot take a risk and do something that might be dangerous would be boring, stagnant and way too constrictive.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Wearing a crash helmet isn't boring or restrictive; if you think that way, maybe you should stick to a pushbike. Mine is seriously cool, tho it's a bit battered since I've had it four years; I need another one.