\”Per mile traveled in 2002, a motorcy-
clist is approximately 27 times more
likely to die in a crash than some-
one riding in an automobile.
■ Head injury is a leading cause of
death in motorcycle crashes.
■ An unhelmeted motorcyclist is 40
percent more likely to suffer a fatal
head injury and 15 percent more
likely to suffer a nonfatal injury
than a helmeted motorcyclist when
involved in a crash.
■ NHTSA estimates that motorcycle
helmets reduce the likelihood of a
crash fatality by 37 percent.
■ The Crash Outcome Data Evaluation
System (CODES) study found that
motorcycle helmets are 67 percent
effective in preventing brain inju-
ries and that unhelmeted motorcy-
clists involved in crashes were three
times more likely to suffer brain
injuries than those wearing helmets.
■ From 1984 through 2002, NHTSA
estimates that helmets saved the
lives of 13,774 motorcyclists. If all
motorcycle operators and passen-
gers had worn helmets during
that period, NHTSA estimates that
9,508 additional lives would have
been saved.\”
the vast majority of the first 30 sites i saw were pro-helmet use. I visited research institute websites, a university (georgetown) website, and newspaper websites..ALL stated that helmets are necessary.
I saw a total of 3 websites that were helmet opposition sites. For one of them the link did not even work. The other two were run by individuals not research groups. They\’re only real argument was that helmets are to be a choice not a government intervention.
The research websites stated statistics from their very own studies. The 2 personal websites used simple \”Its my body!\” type arguments.
As I am already biased, the numerous reputable hits in the decidedly pro-helmut column has kept my opinion right where it is. But i realize this was only a small sample of all the data out there. I will keep my eyes open to new data ok?
It\’s a noble idea to force people to protect themselves but should we allow the government to take away another one of our freedoms? Why can\’t people be free to decide for themselves? It\’s tragic when someone loses their life when it could have easily been saved by simply wearing a helmet but isn\’t it their choice? Some other potentially deadly behavior includes smoking, drinking, and swimming in the ocean. Should we allow the government to outlaw smoking and drinking because it may harm us? Should we require scuba divers to carry shark repellant? I believe that no matter how noble the cause you cannot collectively impose your will onto others who have the right to live without constraint as long as they do not endanger others.
I don\’t care if someone wears a helmet or not, but I don\’t want to pay for any losses they have that most likely would have been avoided by wearing one. Even if the accident is my fault, if injuries would likely have been avoided by wearing a helmet, they should have to bear those costs themselves.
\”I believe that no matter how noble the cause you cannot collectively impose your will onto others who have the right to live without constraint as long as they do not endanger others.\”
A pretty succinct argument for gay marriage and assisted suicide. How does that shoe feel, now that it\’s on the other foot?
If a person has a right to use or not to use safety equipment then why wear seat belts? Why should we not have the right to decline air-bags in cars. Why follow the speed limit and the other rules of the road.
As is the case in most laws they are there to protect the MAJORITY or us. If a few decide they have the right to die by not wearing a helmit then please do it as you drive straight into a brick wall at about 50.
Think about the impact a serious injury will have to you any loved ones you may have.
Why do the statistics not include the increased number of riders in 2006 vs 1997. The sale of motorcycles has risen drastically. I really don\’t think the statistics can be accurate as far as % goes unless you take that into account. I for one do wear a helmet when I ride, however, I also believe that is an individual choice and should not be mandated by the government.
I would not be here today if I had not been wearing my Bell helmet when my head collided with the windshield of a car that hit me head-on in 1974. The helmet shattered, but my skull survived. Helmets today are light, comfortable, and stylish. The only reason for not wearing one is arrogant pride. Showing-off is not worth the risk of dying. I would not ride even my bicycle without wearing a helmet. I would not ride a motorcycle without a face shield either.
Your opposition to helmets confuses me. Is there a reason why you or anyone else hate helmets? I don\’t ride motorcycles so please excuse my ignorance.
Duffman poses a very good question – why does one choose *not* to wear a helmet?
I sincerely desire to know. The reasons people do chose to wear helmets are obvious, such as Gary\’s case.
I\’m not concerned with the \’choice\’ or \’freedom\’ argument. I would like to know the reasons a person declines a helmet because I honestly want to try to see this from their point of view.
If you\’re anti-helmet (again, this doesn\’t have to do with choice/freedom… I\’d like to hear from people who simply do NOT want to wear a helmet) and willing to share your thoughts or opinions, I would appreciate it very much.
As someone else said, the study does not account for the increased riders. In history, when a state has no helmet law, there are more riders. Put a helmet law into the state and ridership goes down, and so do deaths. I ride a motorcyle, and I used to wear a helmet. I don\’t anymore. It\’s so great to ride free. And from the research I\’ve done, it may not be any more dangerous at all. Yes, surprising, but check it out. Go to google, and type \”helmet law\”. You will find fairly convincing evidence that shows that if you evaluate things based upon the number of riders, and not just deaths in a state, that there may not be any difference in helmet vs no helmet. In some cases, helmets can kill you by breaking your neck or be the cause of the accident because you can\’t see or hear as well. Other times, you can end up with a neck or spinal injury because the force of the crash is transferred to the spine. I\’d rather die than have a spinal injury, and I\’m not afraid to die. Also, spinal injuries cost much more than deaths. But this is not the whole story. Please do the google search and have an open mind. It is not as simple as this article makes it out to be. It cannot compare to seatbelts. Check it out. You will be surprised. That is why there is not a helmet law in every state, because there is just not enough of an argument or proof that it makes sense. And there are organizations that fight for no helmets because of this.
That shoe fits perfect. Why would I care if homosexuals \”marry\”? That breed will die off anyway because they can\’t procreate and of course we all know it\’s not a lifestyle choice – you’re born homosexual, right? And you can also kill yourself or have someone kill you if you wish. Again, why would I care?
I choose to ride without a helmet because: It is so much more fun and free. If you wonder why, go ride a motorcycle without a helmet, then put one on, you will see. Or, take a full face helmet and get on a bicyle. Two completely different experiences. It is so different to me that I would not ride my motorcycle as much if I had to wear a helmet. The other reason I don\’t wear one is that from all the things I\’ve read, it is not much safer. The only studies I\’ve seen that say it is safer do not account for decreased ridership when the helmet law goes into effect. Therefore, they are only proving that a helmet law causes less riders, not that a helmet saves more lives. I think a great way to die would be on my bike. I\’d rather that than break my neck or be paralyzed or serious injury. In addition, I haven\’t seen a study that shows that it costs more to deal with non-helmeted riders vs helmeted riders. Again, all of the studies evalute deaths in a helmet law state vs a non-helmet law state. The study should study a helmeted rider vs a non-helmeted rider. But the real bottom line reason I don\’t wear a helmet is that they suck. They are uncomfortable, they remove you from the elements, they are hot, they are much less free, they block your sight and decrease your hearing, both of which are extremely important to a motorcyclist.
We care b/c your accidents raise our costs as well. A human head is like a melon. It doesn\’t take that much to cause a serious malady. If it hits the ground at anything more than a knock then you will need medical attention which often costs thousands of dollars. If the rider would have chosen to wear a helmet in such an incident the cost would be virtually nil.
total deaths is alarming but if having to wear helmets decreases riders than so be it. If you can\’t ride resposibly then don\’t ride at all.
I have not ever been on the bike without a helmet. I may try it some day if I\’m ever in a helmet-choice state, so I\’ll have some basis for comparison, as you suggested.
I wear a bucket-style helmet. It probably isn\’t as protective as a full helmet and face shield. However, I do like the fact that I can feel the wind on my neck and I can hear better with the bucket than I can with the full helmet.
Helmets aren\’t the only things that save lives… Loud pipes, bright lights and riding in groups… anything that draws other drivers\’ attention to your presence. (Some of my neighbors hate my loud bike and that\’s just plain too bad. I think it sounds great and every time that rumble turns someone\’s head, I\’m assured that the person driving that car knows I\’m there and hopefully will take caution when changing lanes.) But are loud bikes and group riders law? Nope. In fact, if your bike is too loud, you could be in violation of noise-pollution ordinances in some areas.
Maybe helmets should remain a choice… Looks like there are valid arguments for both sides and perhaps some of these studies are flawed in their execution.
Have you googled \”helmet law\”? I don\’t think you had time to do that and read for an hour on the subject. Your statements and questions are ignorant of the facts, and I don\’t mean to insult you when I say that. You just need to read up on the subject.
Yup – I have loud pipes too and it works well. I also have studied much on how to be a safe motorcylist and what to look out for, where to ride in the lanes, where and how most accidents happen. I\’m a very safe and defensive driver, and I\’m helmetless.
I will read up on helmet laws. thanks for your information. as i said before, I\’m not a motorcycle rider and I haven\’t had your experiences. If what I find changes my mind I will post about what I read here..probably tomorrow.
You might be a very good motorcyclist but being a defensive driver doesn\’t protect you from other bad drivers. A helmet likely will.
In any case I will do some search engine sleuthing. take care brad.
I am a new rider. I recently completed the MSC safety course. One of the first things they did was pass out organ donor cards a those riders who choose not to wear a helmet. We are a \”choice\” state. I have never ridden without the helmet and likely never will. It is not about ignorance or intelligence. It is a choice, and the choice should remain. The majority of accidents resulting in death or serious injury are not the fault of the biker, but drivers of 4-wheel vehicles. Bravo for financial responsiblity laws.
\”That breed will die off anyway because they can\’t procreate…Again, why would I care?\”
Wow, you almost had me convinced with your pure libertarian argument. Glad you believe in not legislating against gays, even if your concern is limited to not caring. BTW, gays don\’t die off because there are always a percentage born that way, it\’s a genectic variation.
\”A pretty succinct argument for gay marriage and assisted suicide. How does that shoe feel, now that it\’s on the other foot?\”
As for Mr. Shoe on the Other Foot\’s comment, never assume that there is a wellspring of ignorance, bigotry and intolerance in others to draw upon.
The question is; do you want the government to decide what is best for you and then pass laws to force you to do it? Or, do you want to be free to decide for yourself? Even if you choose to engage in risky behavior shouldn’t it always be your choice as long as you don’t endanger or infringe upon the rights of other? You may support a helmet law but were does legislation in the name of public safety stop…no smoking laws, prohibition, government issued condoms in schools, needle exchange programs…
Let\’s see…the government subsidized tobacco until a year or two ago…that probably kills 200,000 a year. There are around 150,000 medical error deaths a year,
how many deaths and injuries caused by alcohol?, just read where 8 out 10 homicides are drug related. Won\’t even mention spending Billions on a dishonest war that has brought poppy production back to highest levels ever. Yeah, we need to jump motorcyle riders who want to ride and feel the wind. Where\’s our priority?
There are already things being done to address what you are commenting about..except perhaps the war part..
My issue in this series of posts has been with the safety of not wearing a helmet. I\’m no expert and I believe I have been clear on that. Even if I did ride motorcycles I probably would consider not wearing my helmet sometimes. But I would never do so while believing that it is SAFER to not wear a helmet. Brad I will continue looking for information regarding the matter but at this point I can\’t imagine how wearing a helmet could be safer. Even if wearing a helmet might get you paralyzed in a small percentage on crashes in every single one of such cases the life of the injured was probably saved.
This argument is akin to the argument against airbags. In rare instances airbags in an impact actually suffocated or injured smaller individuals or children. Does that mean we should reject use of airbags and go back to the way it was before? No I don\’t think so.
Even if I did not wear a helmet while riding I would never kid myself into thinking that I am doing it under the guise of safety.
If a safety precaution causes injury in a small percentage of accidents does that mean that we should shun it if the other option is death?
My cop friend told me whenever their is a serious motorcycle wreck that the clean up is fairly easy. If the brain matter is spread across the highway the fire department is called to wash the disgusting stuff off the highway.
I don\’t want to wear my seatbelt either. 5 tickets later they\’ve convinced me it\’s a good thing for my pocketbook. But, I hate the law!
I reviewed the report by Dr. Jeffrey Coben, Dr. Claudia A. Steiner and Ted Miller concerning the use of motorcycle helmet laws.
This report was funded by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). In this report, it is another study benefiting the pro-helmet tactics used for NHTSA and state Hospital agencies complaining about more helmet legislation laws.
This report is a referenced from government related reports only, nothing from any non-relevant agency that has nothing to do with government or state agencies to write a non partisan report to the public. Being it is written by AHRQ, was expected for them to write negative things about helmet free States, oh course.
So as a result of this, your legislation will again lobby again to proposed helmet legislation thanks to AHRQ. Nothing in this report shows anything about motorcycle registrations between Helmet law States from Non-Helmet law States, as we know that Helmet Law States have less ridership versing fee Helmet States which have higher rider ships due to freedom of choice issues. When a helmet law gets repealed, the registrations greatly increase as this alarms the Government agencies to complain about accidents. Nothing is said about more motorcyclists, just there is a problem and they flood this in the capital halls to get the helmet law back. It is a crooked business how these agencies work for one another to get motorcyclists off the streets since insurance companies hate motorcyclists as these reports are funds by the insurance industry.
If you would like to complain on this report, you can link here and post to them you do not appreciate the report: http://www.ahrq.gov/info/customer.htm
or
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Office of Communications and Knowledge Transfer
540 Gaither Road, Suite 2000
Rockville, MD 20850.
Exactly! It is always a choice, and lines are being drawn all the time. When you ask \”Even if you choose to engage in risky behavior shouldn\’t it always be your choice as long as you don\’t endanger or infringe upon the rights of other?\”…the real answer is \”it depends.\” Only a pure libertarian would argue against all laws or regulations to protect people from bad choices. But the question you pose turns on the definition of \”danger or infringe.\”
Where does it stop? There used to be no no-smoking laws, but that was back when tobacco companies were saying smoking was harmless, when they knew better.
Prohibition proved not to work, plus it spawned a criminal sector of the economy and undermined the legitimate authority of the government. Condoms in schools and needle-exchange programs are great ideas, cutting down on unwanted pregnancies & AIDS.
Perhaps where to draw the line rests on the seriousness of the damage that can be caused by not regulating. Mandating motorcycle helmets, yes; passing a law requiring skateboarders to wear shoes, no.
People of America, WAKE UP!!
Check out the following website:
\”http://usff.com/hdldhome.html\”
If you ride a motorcycle, which I do, you\’ll be in \”shock and awe\” at what these people have to say. On the left side of the page, there\’s a list of different sections of the site. Check out the \”Helmet Hoax\” section. What an eye-opener!!! I did!
If you want to know all about how we\’ve been lied to all these many years, just read the section about how motorcycle helmets are(n\’t) tested!!!! You\’ll stop believing everyting the government bureaucrats want to shove down our throats! Helmets are NOT safe!! They actually can KILL!!!
Hemit laws are just that, but where are the law makers that made us wear our seat belts. But STILL allow a teanager to text message his frinds while doing seventy miles an hour on the freeway. If we are going to attack motorcyclist, then lets not forget others who invade our safety.
I am so glad to see someone conduct a study about the helmet law. I am a nurse and we see the differenct in someone wearing a helmet and those who choose not to. I am addressing our Senator in a letter about this issue currently.
Has any one noticed that it’s the bone heads that don’t ride that want you to wear a helmet. It’s these same bone heads that fail to examine the numbers for them selves. If you crash a motorcycle you are going to get hurt, true, but the majority of motor cycle deaths have helmets. If a biker’s brains are all over the pavement what makes one so sure a helmet would have made a difference in the first place. When I ride with no helmet I am more alert and less likely to take risk and ride much slower.
First hit for me:
\”Per mile traveled in 2002, a motorcy-
clist is approximately 27 times more
likely to die in a crash than some-
one riding in an automobile.
■ Head injury is a leading cause of
death in motorcycle crashes.
■ An unhelmeted motorcyclist is 40
percent more likely to suffer a fatal
head injury and 15 percent more
likely to suffer a nonfatal injury
than a helmeted motorcyclist when
involved in a crash.
■ NHTSA estimates that motorcycle
helmets reduce the likelihood of a
crash fatality by 37 percent.
■ The Crash Outcome Data Evaluation
System (CODES) study found that
motorcycle helmets are 67 percent
effective in preventing brain inju-
ries and that unhelmeted motorcy-
clists involved in crashes were three
times more likely to suffer brain
injuries than those wearing helmets.
■ From 1984 through 2002, NHTSA
estimates that helmets saved the
lives of 13,774 motorcyclists. If all
motorcycle operators and passen-
gers had worn helmets during
that period, NHTSA estimates that
9,508 additional lives would have
been saved.\”
the vast majority of the first 30 sites i saw were pro-helmet use. I visited research institute websites, a university (georgetown) website, and newspaper websites..ALL stated that helmets are necessary.
I saw a total of 3 websites that were helmet opposition sites. For one of them the link did not even work. The other two were run by individuals not research groups. They\’re only real argument was that helmets are to be a choice not a government intervention.
The research websites stated statistics from their very own studies. The 2 personal websites used simple \”Its my body!\” type arguments.
As I am already biased, the numerous reputable hits in the decidedly pro-helmut column has kept my opinion right where it is. But i realize this was only a small sample of all the data out there. I will keep my eyes open to new data ok?
It\’s a noble idea to force people to protect themselves but should we allow the government to take away another one of our freedoms? Why can\’t people be free to decide for themselves? It\’s tragic when someone loses their life when it could have easily been saved by simply wearing a helmet but isn\’t it their choice? Some other potentially deadly behavior includes smoking, drinking, and swimming in the ocean. Should we allow the government to outlaw smoking and drinking because it may harm us? Should we require scuba divers to carry shark repellant? I believe that no matter how noble the cause you cannot collectively impose your will onto others who have the right to live without constraint as long as they do not endanger others.
I don\’t mind if you don\’t wear a helmet when you ride. I just don\’t want to pay your medical and disability bills when you are injured.
I don\’t care if someone wears a helmet or not, but I don\’t want to pay for any losses they have that most likely would have been avoided by wearing one. Even if the accident is my fault, if injuries would likely have been avoided by wearing a helmet, they should have to bear those costs themselves.
\”I believe that no matter how noble the cause you cannot collectively impose your will onto others who have the right to live without constraint as long as they do not endanger others.\”
A pretty succinct argument for gay marriage and assisted suicide. How does that shoe feel, now that it\’s on the other foot?
If a person has a right to use or not to use safety equipment then why wear seat belts? Why should we not have the right to decline air-bags in cars. Why follow the speed limit and the other rules of the road.
As is the case in most laws they are there to protect the MAJORITY or us. If a few decide they have the right to die by not wearing a helmit then please do it as you drive straight into a brick wall at about 50.
Think about the impact a serious injury will have to you any loved ones you may have.
Just think first.
Why do the statistics not include the increased number of riders in 2006 vs 1997. The sale of motorcycles has risen drastically. I really don\’t think the statistics can be accurate as far as % goes unless you take that into account. I for one do wear a helmet when I ride, however, I also believe that is an individual choice and should not be mandated by the government.
I would not be here today if I had not been wearing my Bell helmet when my head collided with the windshield of a car that hit me head-on in 1974. The helmet shattered, but my skull survived. Helmets today are light, comfortable, and stylish. The only reason for not wearing one is arrogant pride. Showing-off is not worth the risk of dying. I would not ride even my bicycle without wearing a helmet. I would not ride a motorcycle without a face shield either.
Your opposition to helmets confuses me. Is there a reason why you or anyone else hate helmets? I don\’t ride motorcycles so please excuse my ignorance.
Duffman poses a very good question – why does one choose *not* to wear a helmet?
I sincerely desire to know. The reasons people do chose to wear helmets are obvious, such as Gary\’s case.
I\’m not concerned with the \’choice\’ or \’freedom\’ argument. I would like to know the reasons a person declines a helmet because I honestly want to try to see this from their point of view.
If you\’re anti-helmet (again, this doesn\’t have to do with choice/freedom… I\’d like to hear from people who simply do NOT want to wear a helmet) and willing to share your thoughts or opinions, I would appreciate it very much.
Thank you.
As someone else said, the study does not account for the increased riders. In history, when a state has no helmet law, there are more riders. Put a helmet law into the state and ridership goes down, and so do deaths. I ride a motorcyle, and I used to wear a helmet. I don\’t anymore. It\’s so great to ride free. And from the research I\’ve done, it may not be any more dangerous at all. Yes, surprising, but check it out. Go to google, and type \”helmet law\”. You will find fairly convincing evidence that shows that if you evaluate things based upon the number of riders, and not just deaths in a state, that there may not be any difference in helmet vs no helmet. In some cases, helmets can kill you by breaking your neck or be the cause of the accident because you can\’t see or hear as well. Other times, you can end up with a neck or spinal injury because the force of the crash is transferred to the spine. I\’d rather die than have a spinal injury, and I\’m not afraid to die. Also, spinal injuries cost much more than deaths. But this is not the whole story. Please do the google search and have an open mind. It is not as simple as this article makes it out to be. It cannot compare to seatbelts. Check it out. You will be surprised. That is why there is not a helmet law in every state, because there is just not enough of an argument or proof that it makes sense. And there are organizations that fight for no helmets because of this.
That shoe fits perfect. Why would I care if homosexuals \”marry\”? That breed will die off anyway because they can\’t procreate and of course we all know it\’s not a lifestyle choice – you’re born homosexual, right? And you can also kill yourself or have someone kill you if you wish. Again, why would I care?
I choose to ride without a helmet because: It is so much more fun and free. If you wonder why, go ride a motorcycle without a helmet, then put one on, you will see. Or, take a full face helmet and get on a bicyle. Two completely different experiences. It is so different to me that I would not ride my motorcycle as much if I had to wear a helmet. The other reason I don\’t wear one is that from all the things I\’ve read, it is not much safer. The only studies I\’ve seen that say it is safer do not account for decreased ridership when the helmet law goes into effect. Therefore, they are only proving that a helmet law causes less riders, not that a helmet saves more lives. I think a great way to die would be on my bike. I\’d rather that than break my neck or be paralyzed or serious injury. In addition, I haven\’t seen a study that shows that it costs more to deal with non-helmeted riders vs helmeted riders. Again, all of the studies evalute deaths in a helmet law state vs a non-helmet law state. The study should study a helmeted rider vs a non-helmeted rider. But the real bottom line reason I don\’t wear a helmet is that they suck. They are uncomfortable, they remove you from the elements, they are hot, they are much less free, they block your sight and decrease your hearing, both of which are extremely important to a motorcyclist.
Just curious: what other activities do you participate in where you wear safety gear & why?
You would rather die than have a hot head?
We care b/c your accidents raise our costs as well. A human head is like a melon. It doesn\’t take that much to cause a serious malady. If it hits the ground at anything more than a knock then you will need medical attention which often costs thousands of dollars. If the rider would have chosen to wear a helmet in such an incident the cost would be virtually nil.
total deaths is alarming but if having to wear helmets decreases riders than so be it. If you can\’t ride resposibly then don\’t ride at all.
Thanks for answering my question, Brad.
I have not ever been on the bike without a helmet. I may try it some day if I\’m ever in a helmet-choice state, so I\’ll have some basis for comparison, as you suggested.
I wear a bucket-style helmet. It probably isn\’t as protective as a full helmet and face shield. However, I do like the fact that I can feel the wind on my neck and I can hear better with the bucket than I can with the full helmet.
Helmets aren\’t the only things that save lives… Loud pipes, bright lights and riding in groups… anything that draws other drivers\’ attention to your presence. (Some of my neighbors hate my loud bike and that\’s just plain too bad. I think it sounds great and every time that rumble turns someone\’s head, I\’m assured that the person driving that car knows I\’m there and hopefully will take caution when changing lanes.) But are loud bikes and group riders law? Nope. In fact, if your bike is too loud, you could be in violation of noise-pollution ordinances in some areas.
Maybe helmets should remain a choice… Looks like there are valid arguments for both sides and perhaps some of these studies are flawed in their execution.
Duffman,
Have you googled \”helmet law\”? I don\’t think you had time to do that and read for an hour on the subject. Your statements and questions are ignorant of the facts, and I don\’t mean to insult you when I say that. You just need to read up on the subject.
Yup – I have loud pipes too and it works well. I also have studied much on how to be a safe motorcylist and what to look out for, where to ride in the lanes, where and how most accidents happen. I\’m a very safe and defensive driver, and I\’m helmetless.
I will read up on helmet laws. thanks for your information. as i said before, I\’m not a motorcycle rider and I haven\’t had your experiences. If what I find changes my mind I will post about what I read here..probably tomorrow.
You might be a very good motorcyclist but being a defensive driver doesn\’t protect you from other bad drivers. A helmet likely will.
In any case I will do some search engine sleuthing. take care brad.
I am a new rider. I recently completed the MSC safety course. One of the first things they did was pass out organ donor cards a those riders who choose not to wear a helmet. We are a \”choice\” state. I have never ridden without the helmet and likely never will. It is not about ignorance or intelligence. It is a choice, and the choice should remain. The majority of accidents resulting in death or serious injury are not the fault of the biker, but drivers of 4-wheel vehicles. Bravo for financial responsiblity laws.
\”That breed will die off anyway because they can\’t procreate…Again, why would I care?\”
Wow, you almost had me convinced with your pure libertarian argument. Glad you believe in not legislating against gays, even if your concern is limited to not caring. BTW, gays don\’t die off because there are always a percentage born that way, it\’s a genectic variation.
\”A pretty succinct argument for gay marriage and assisted suicide. How does that shoe feel, now that it\’s on the other foot?\”
As for Mr. Shoe on the Other Foot\’s comment, never assume that there is a wellspring of ignorance, bigotry and intolerance in others to draw upon.
The question is; do you want the government to decide what is best for you and then pass laws to force you to do it? Or, do you want to be free to decide for yourself? Even if you choose to engage in risky behavior shouldn’t it always be your choice as long as you don’t endanger or infringe upon the rights of other? You may support a helmet law but were does legislation in the name of public safety stop…no smoking laws, prohibition, government issued condoms in schools, needle exchange programs…
They shulda passed out those organ doner cards to all you guys, thats a joke, you are ALL at extreme risk weather you wear a helmet or not
The problem with your argument is that you are not the only person that is adversely affected.
That\’s where government has been stepping in. If it has a negative effect on other people the government will consider stepping in.
Let\’s see…the government subsidized tobacco until a year or two ago…that probably kills 200,000 a year. There are around 150,000 medical error deaths a year,
how many deaths and injuries caused by alcohol?, just read where 8 out 10 homicides are drug related. Won\’t even mention spending Billions on a dishonest war that has brought poppy production back to highest levels ever. Yeah, we need to jump motorcyle riders who want to ride and feel the wind. Where\’s our priority?
There are already things being done to address what you are commenting about..except perhaps the war part..
My issue in this series of posts has been with the safety of not wearing a helmet. I\’m no expert and I believe I have been clear on that. Even if I did ride motorcycles I probably would consider not wearing my helmet sometimes. But I would never do so while believing that it is SAFER to not wear a helmet. Brad I will continue looking for information regarding the matter but at this point I can\’t imagine how wearing a helmet could be safer. Even if wearing a helmet might get you paralyzed in a small percentage on crashes in every single one of such cases the life of the injured was probably saved.
This argument is akin to the argument against airbags. In rare instances airbags in an impact actually suffocated or injured smaller individuals or children. Does that mean we should reject use of airbags and go back to the way it was before? No I don\’t think so.
Even if I did not wear a helmet while riding I would never kid myself into thinking that I am doing it under the guise of safety.
If a safety precaution causes injury in a small percentage of accidents does that mean that we should shun it if the other option is death?
My cop friend told me whenever their is a serious motorcycle wreck that the clean up is fairly easy. If the brain matter is spread across the highway the fire department is called to wash the disgusting stuff off the highway.
I don\’t want to wear my seatbelt either. 5 tickets later they\’ve convinced me it\’s a good thing for my pocketbook. But, I hate the law!
To all:
I reviewed the report by Dr. Jeffrey Coben, Dr. Claudia A. Steiner and Ted Miller concerning the use of motorcycle helmet laws.
This report was funded by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). In this report, it is another study benefiting the pro-helmet tactics used for NHTSA and state Hospital agencies complaining about more helmet legislation laws.
This report is a referenced from government related reports only, nothing from any non-relevant agency that has nothing to do with government or state agencies to write a non partisan report to the public. Being it is written by AHRQ, was expected for them to write negative things about helmet free States, oh course.
So as a result of this, your legislation will again lobby again to proposed helmet legislation thanks to AHRQ. Nothing in this report shows anything about motorcycle registrations between Helmet law States from Non-Helmet law States, as we know that Helmet Law States have less ridership versing fee Helmet States which have higher rider ships due to freedom of choice issues. When a helmet law gets repealed, the registrations greatly increase as this alarms the Government agencies to complain about accidents. Nothing is said about more motorcyclists, just there is a problem and they flood this in the capital halls to get the helmet law back. It is a crooked business how these agencies work for one another to get motorcyclists off the streets since insurance companies hate motorcyclists as these reports are funds by the insurance industry.
If you would like to complain on this report, you can link here and post to them you do not appreciate the report: http://www.ahrq.gov/info/customer.htm
or
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Office of Communications and Knowledge Transfer
540 Gaither Road, Suite 2000
Rockville, MD 20850.
If you are in a serious accident not wearing a helmet will kill you.
If you can prove that statement wrong, I\’d like to see your evidence.
Exactly! It is always a choice, and lines are being drawn all the time. When you ask \”Even if you choose to engage in risky behavior shouldn\’t it always be your choice as long as you don\’t endanger or infringe upon the rights of other?\”…the real answer is \”it depends.\” Only a pure libertarian would argue against all laws or regulations to protect people from bad choices. But the question you pose turns on the definition of \”danger or infringe.\”
Where does it stop? There used to be no no-smoking laws, but that was back when tobacco companies were saying smoking was harmless, when they knew better.
Prohibition proved not to work, plus it spawned a criminal sector of the economy and undermined the legitimate authority of the government. Condoms in schools and needle-exchange programs are great ideas, cutting down on unwanted pregnancies & AIDS.
Perhaps where to draw the line rests on the seriousness of the damage that can be caused by not regulating. Mandating motorcycle helmets, yes; passing a law requiring skateboarders to wear shoes, no.
People of America, WAKE UP!!
Check out the following website:
\”http://usff.com/hdldhome.html\”
If you ride a motorcycle, which I do, you\’ll be in \”shock and awe\” at what these people have to say. On the left side of the page, there\’s a list of different sections of the site. Check out the \”Helmet Hoax\” section. What an eye-opener!!! I did!
If you want to know all about how we\’ve been lied to all these many years, just read the section about how motorcycle helmets are(n\’t) tested!!!! You\’ll stop believing everyting the government bureaucrats want to shove down our throats! Helmets are NOT safe!! They actually can KILL!!!
Hemit laws are just that, but where are the law makers that made us wear our seat belts. But STILL allow a teanager to text message his frinds while doing seventy miles an hour on the freeway. If we are going to attack motorcyclist, then lets not forget others who invade our safety.
I am so glad to see someone conduct a study about the helmet law. I am a nurse and we see the differenct in someone wearing a helmet and those who choose not to. I am addressing our Senator in a letter about this issue currently.
How many accidents happen to riders without helmets and no insurance?
Has any one noticed that it’s the bone heads that don’t ride that want you to wear a helmet. It’s these same bone heads that fail to examine the numbers for them selves. If you crash a motorcycle you are going to get hurt, true, but the majority of motor cycle deaths have helmets. If a biker’s brains are all over the pavement what makes one so sure a helmet would have made a difference in the first place. When I ride with no helmet I am more alert and less likely to take risk and ride much slower.