Helmet Laws

[ArenaBoy]

Helmets are a lifesaver no matter what you're doing when it comes to things involving bikes. I have a friend who is a mountain biker and he loves every second of it, always wears a helmet too. One day, him and his brothers went to a trail that they've loved, one of them went on ahead and realized that some of the terrain on the trail changed. He went back to warn them but was too late and my friend messed up and landed on his head. The result: He had to wear a halo for a while, the doctors actually said had he not wore his helmet he would've been dead.

[DesignFox]

While I think it would be tremendously stupid not to wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle (my dad used to be an EMT, I have heard horror stories about motorcycle accidents) I don't see why it should be made law to ensure everyone wears one.

I, for one, do not believe in protecting people from their own stupidity. If you wanna clear your bad blood out of the gene pool, then I'll gladly cheer you on.

One of the biggest things we all bitch about on CS is having to be responsible for the stupidity of others. (warning labels on everything, signs, people who sue when they hurt themselves..) I think having mandatory helmet laws fits right in with that- taking away personal responsibility.

And not for nothing, if someone is going to be a major idiot, they'll do it whether or not it's legal.

I do agree that if the rider is not wearing a helmet, there should be some sort of protection for other motorists- if the biker is at fault in the accident. If some schmuck is not paying attention and hits a cyclist, either way it's their fault. But if the cyclist causes the accident and isn't wearing a helmet, then the motorist shouldn't be held responsible for that... if you all catch my meaning.

[TNT]

I feel the same way about helmet laws that I feel about legalizing drugs... how we can justify all the safety laws involving cars (windshields, seatbelts, airbags, etc.) while exempting motorcycles from even the most minimal standards? (How can we legalize heroin while regulating zit cream?)

[KaeZoo]

I feel the same way about helmet laws that I feel about legalizing drugs... how we can justify all the safety laws involving cars (windshields, seatbelts, airbags, etc.) while exempting motorcycles from even the most minimal standards? (How can we legalize heroin while regulating zit cream?)

And how do you feel about legalizing drugs?

I think you can draw a distinction between requiring manufacturers to equip the products that they sell with safety features, and forcing private citizens to make use of safety devices whether they want to or not.

In some states, automobile drivers are required to use seat belts but motorcycle riders aren't required to wear helmets. The main reason for this is that motorcycle rider groups are more effective lobbyists than motorist groups. It seems to me that a motorcycle rider has already made a decision to trade some personal safety for the pleasure he gets from his riding experience; the decision not to wear a helmet while riding is just a more extreme version of that first idea. You can't logically allow the first choice and deny the second.

Regulated or not, nobody goes to jail for using zit cream. You can justify the idea of legalizing drugs pretty easily: you just argue that the effects of making drugs illegal are worse than the effects of making them legal. I'm in favor of legalizing all drugs, and I'm in favor of legalizing helmet-less motorcycle riding; it's actually easier for me to present an effective argument for the first than for the second (although the drug legalization arguments would have to go into a different thread).

Full disclosure: I have never ridden a motorcycle, or used an illegal drug.