“Only two of those killed were wearing helmets” is a meaningless statistic unless you have further information.
Did they die of head injuries? Did they have other fatal injuries that would (or did) cause their death?
According to the Center’s for Disease Control and the Brain Injury Association of America, if you subtract the 16,000 Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI’s) of motorcyclists from the 289,000 total TBI’s incurred from all motor vehicle accidents, that leaves us with 276,000 TBI’s. It’s obvious we might be ignoring the bigger issue – car drivers (over 200,000 TBI’s) need helmets, too!
Did you know, according to the CDC and BIAA, over 595,000 people fall down and suffer a TBI, every year? Compare that to the 16,000 coming from motorcyclists, and I’d say you’re plying your scare tactics on the wrong segment of the population!
So Krash Test Dumby, your point would be that helmets should not be required of motorcycle drivers? I don’t think the statistic on the number killed who were wearing helmets was meaningless. Had 8 or 10 of them been wearing helmets, would you still think it was a meaningless statistic?
Yes, it would be nice to know how many of those killed died of head injuries, but as we know, articles in IJ rarely include much in the way of details.
Did I say, anywhere in my post, “don’t wear a helmet?” Nope, didn’t think so.
Even if 100% were, or were not wearing helmets it would be a meaningless statistic without knowing what they died from. Fact is, in 2008 there were 4,995 MC fatalities, and the NHTSA said 59% were wearing helmets. So, what killed them? Massive internal injuries? Broken necks? What about the 41% that weren’t wearing a helmet? Were their injuries preventable if they’d had a helmet? (The NHTSA says less than 40%).
But if you’re SERIOUSLY worried about preventing TBI’s, stick helmets on every head, all the time! If you’ve gone to the CDC or BIAA website, you’d know that there are 1.7 million head injuries every year, costing us $60 billion in health care. Sixteen-thousand head injuries on motorcycles is minuscule compared to the real problem.
If helmets prevent TBI’s on motorcycles doing 65 MPH, won’t they help those 595,000 people who fall down? Sixty-billion dollars is a lot of money, and think of the lives and long-term disabilities we could save!
Enjoy watching America’s Funniest Home Videos some night. And while you’re watching, count the number of people who hit their head. They need protection, too!
Wearing a helmet is a simple, easy way to ward off potential life threatening injuries. No, I don’t have any statistics to back it up. Only that thing… hmmm, now what’s it called??? Oh yeah. COMMON SENSE!
And I love other statistic you provide. 595,000 people fall down and suffer a TBI every year. Yes, let’s compare the millions upon millions upon millions of people in the world who fall down to the much smaller sect of people who ride motorcyles and draw a comparison.
Joe, You are right, common sense should tell you that wearing a 5 pound weight on your head might also cause injury. If we put them on auto drivers do think whiplash injuries might go up? If you want to compare statistical apples to apples go to the Florida DMV site. There you will find that both injury per registration and fatality per registration have declined every year since they gave the freedom to choose to their citizens.
Funny how quickly car drivers can rationalize away the fact that 200,000 of you suffer head injuries every year, but *YOU* don’t need helmets! Thatta be oranges, and we don’t worry ’bout no oranges.
595,000 TBI from people falling down – but they be tangerines – they don’t need helmets! Why, that would be most inconvenient! A helmet might muss their hair!
8,000 TBI’s from pedestrians, every year. Not to worry – them’s watermelons. We can’t bother pedestrians with helmets.
But let’s put helmets on bikers – that’d be apples, and we’z worries ’bout apples. Oh my! 16,000 head injuries – we MUST do SOMETHING about this!
cv
No “apples to oranges” about it: TBI is a TBI. Helmets for every driver, pedestrian, and everyone not laying down… or get off my bike, close your hypocritical, rationalizing word-trap and let me ride!
This is typical and, not surprising… Car street racing has diminished, greatly, in the Philadelphia region, including Delaware, and motorcycle jackasses have increased exponentially.
Drive over the Walt Whitman bridge on a Sunday afternoon, as I do every weekend coming back from the NJ Shore, you can see a bunch of, clearly, ignorant bike riders drag racing off to the left by the SIGNATURE private jet terminal. They drag race there every time we’ve landed at that terminal, too… It is disappointing, though not surprising, to see these statistics.
Not saying they deserved the death, but I am less remorseful due to the fact 98% of them drive like they want to get hurt and end up in a Hoveround, thus I don’t really care about them getting hurt. To each his own, but come on, you people are fools…
I know a guy who was in a motorcycle accident (no helmet) and suffered a moderate head injury but was OK. He had to stay in the hospital for a few weeks to recover from the injury and was told by the doctors and nurses that he had to wear a helmet in the hospital while he was recovering to avoid any further injury. He hated helmets (obviously) and decided one day that he would not wear the helmet. Well….he ended up taking a fall while going for a walk in the hospital and he hit his head….and now he cannot talk, walk or communicate….he is basically in a vegitative state. Helmets are a good idea for any rider!
“Only two of those killed were wearing helmets” is a meaningless statistic unless you have further information.
Did they die of head injuries? Did they have other fatal injuries that would (or did) cause their death?
According to the Center’s for Disease Control and the Brain Injury Association of America, if you subtract the 16,000 Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI’s) of motorcyclists from the 289,000 total TBI’s incurred from all motor vehicle accidents, that leaves us with 276,000 TBI’s. It’s obvious we might be ignoring the bigger issue – car drivers (over 200,000 TBI’s) need helmets, too!
Did you know, according to the CDC and BIAA, over 595,000 people fall down and suffer a TBI, every year? Compare that to the 16,000 coming from motorcyclists, and I’d say you’re plying your scare tactics on the wrong segment of the population!
So Krash Test Dumby, your point would be that helmets should not be required of motorcycle drivers? I don’t think the statistic on the number killed who were wearing helmets was meaningless. Had 8 or 10 of them been wearing helmets, would you still think it was a meaningless statistic?
Yes, it would be nice to know how many of those killed died of head injuries, but as we know, articles in IJ rarely include much in the way of details.
I think it’s nuts to ride without a helmet.
Did I say, anywhere in my post, “don’t wear a helmet?” Nope, didn’t think so.
Even if 100% were, or were not wearing helmets it would be a meaningless statistic without knowing what they died from. Fact is, in 2008 there were 4,995 MC fatalities, and the NHTSA said 59% were wearing helmets. So, what killed them? Massive internal injuries? Broken necks? What about the 41% that weren’t wearing a helmet? Were their injuries preventable if they’d had a helmet? (The NHTSA says less than 40%).
But if you’re SERIOUSLY worried about preventing TBI’s, stick helmets on every head, all the time! If you’ve gone to the CDC or BIAA website, you’d know that there are 1.7 million head injuries every year, costing us $60 billion in health care. Sixteen-thousand head injuries on motorcycles is minuscule compared to the real problem.
If helmets prevent TBI’s on motorcycles doing 65 MPH, won’t they help those 595,000 people who fall down? Sixty-billion dollars is a lot of money, and think of the lives and long-term disabilities we could save!
Enjoy watching America’s Funniest Home Videos some night. And while you’re watching, count the number of people who hit their head. They need protection, too!
Wearing a helmet is a simple, easy way to ward off potential life threatening injuries. No, I don’t have any statistics to back it up. Only that thing… hmmm, now what’s it called??? Oh yeah. COMMON SENSE!
And I love other statistic you provide. 595,000 people fall down and suffer a TBI every year. Yes, let’s compare the millions upon millions upon millions of people in the world who fall down to the much smaller sect of people who ride motorcyles and draw a comparison.
Joe, You are right, common sense should tell you that wearing a 5 pound weight on your head might also cause injury. If we put them on auto drivers do think whiplash injuries might go up? If you want to compare statistical apples to apples go to the Florida DMV site. There you will find that both injury per registration and fatality per registration have declined every year since they gave the freedom to choose to their citizens.
Funny how quickly car drivers can rationalize away the fact that 200,000 of you suffer head injuries every year, but *YOU* don’t need helmets! Thatta be oranges, and we don’t worry ’bout no oranges.
595,000 TBI from people falling down – but they be tangerines – they don’t need helmets! Why, that would be most inconvenient! A helmet might muss their hair!
8,000 TBI’s from pedestrians, every year. Not to worry – them’s watermelons. We can’t bother pedestrians with helmets.
But let’s put helmets on bikers – that’d be apples, and we’z worries ’bout apples. Oh my! 16,000 head injuries – we MUST do SOMETHING about this!
cv
No “apples to oranges” about it: TBI is a TBI. Helmets for every driver, pedestrian, and everyone not laying down… or get off my bike, close your hypocritical, rationalizing word-trap and let me ride!
I wonder if it has anything to do with people texting & on the phone? That’s why I don’t want a motorcycle anymore. NOBODY is attentive these days.
It sure is hard to ride & text or phone these days.
This is typical and, not surprising… Car street racing has diminished, greatly, in the Philadelphia region, including Delaware, and motorcycle jackasses have increased exponentially.
Drive over the Walt Whitman bridge on a Sunday afternoon, as I do every weekend coming back from the NJ Shore, you can see a bunch of, clearly, ignorant bike riders drag racing off to the left by the SIGNATURE private jet terminal. They drag race there every time we’ve landed at that terminal, too… It is disappointing, though not surprising, to see these statistics.
Not saying they deserved the death, but I am less remorseful due to the fact 98% of them drive like they want to get hurt and end up in a Hoveround, thus I don’t really care about them getting hurt. To each his own, but come on, you people are fools…
I know a guy who was in a motorcycle accident (no helmet) and suffered a moderate head injury but was OK. He had to stay in the hospital for a few weeks to recover from the injury and was told by the doctors and nurses that he had to wear a helmet in the hospital while he was recovering to avoid any further injury. He hated helmets (obviously) and decided one day that he would not wear the helmet. Well….he ended up taking a fall while going for a walk in the hospital and he hit his head….and now he cannot talk, walk or communicate….he is basically in a vegitative state. Helmets are a good idea for any rider!