I witnessed something horrific on Thursday and I cannot quit thinking of certain aspects of it. I was on my way to get my son from school, enjoying the beautiful day (we had previously been under tornado watch/SC) and suddenly I see a man frantically waving his arms for me to stop. He runs to my window and asks “do you have a blanket?, there has been a motorcycle accident up ahead”. I peered over his shoulder to see a crumpled white motorcycle a shoe and what looked like an arm coming out from under a car…disbelief, shock, you name it. I left as EMS and firetrucks arrived and went an alternate route to get my son.
WHY is there no helmet law in this state? Why do people choose to ride a powerful vehicle with no protection. I am not saying a helmet would have saved these two people, but why didn’t they choose to give themselves a fighting chance? Is it to feel the wind in your hair? Is it the freedom? The risk? Because they were killed instantly, gone in a matter of seconds.
Friday I had to drive over that same patch of road, where there are skid marks and orange paint with arrows pointing out pieces of what I assume were motorcycle and the victims.
Sorry if this is disjointed, it was a disturbing event, and it just made me wonder about the helmet question??
Margo
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/news/2003/05/08/200305086097.htm
I’ve been riding since I was six. I started out on mini-bikes and started riding actual motorcycles when I was ten. It’s relatively recently in my riding career that there has been a helmet law in California. And yet, I’ve always worn a helmet. Sure, there were a few times when I’d just go around the block, but there was virtually no danger. But when I would ride anywhere, the helmet would go on. Why? Because I value my gulliver. Although they were not required, I made the decision to do the safe thing and wear a helmet. I think that people who ride without helmets are taking a great risk.
But do I think there should be laws that require helmets? No. People are supposed to be intelligent. They should be able to figure out for themselves that helmets should be worn on motorcycles.
A friend of mine calls helmetless bikers “evolution in action.” Having seen a friend in the hospital after a bicycle accident (it took several plastic surgeries before he no longer looked like a package of hamburger meat, and he was wearing a helmet, or he definitely would have been dead), I can’t even contemplate how anyone could get on a motorcycle with no helmet. I won’t even go half a mile on my bike without one.
It’s a matter of risk-assessment. If I still lived in my old neighbourhood (up in the desert), there would be very little risk if I wanted to ride my old Enduro around the block. Speeds were low, there was very little traffic, and the block was only eight houses long. It was about a mile to the corner gas station. 20th Street West was not exceptionally busy at the time (it’s busier now), so I suppose I would have felt safe enough to ride down with a bare head for some gas. (But I can’t recall ever doing that without a helmet.)
On the other hand, I have to ride over 40 miles to work on the crowded 405 and 22 freeways. I suspect my speedometer reads high, but in any case it frequently indicates 80 mph or more. There is no way I would ride that fast and under those conditions without a helmet – preferably a full-face one.
There are people who ride Harleys. Not my style, as I like speed, accelleration and maneuverability. Harleys are more like Cadillacs than Porsches, and are ridden differently from non-cruiser bikes. If someone wants to ride a Harley on a sunny day along a two-lane country road, I see no problem with them not wearing a helmet. Speeds are low and traffic would generally be light. But it’s certainly more risky than riding helmetless. A patch of gravel or oil on a curve can cause the inattentive rider to slide off the side of a mountain or into a tree. The rider needs to think about that.
It comes down to how much risk you are willing to accept. For the type of riding I did and do, I wear a helmet. I don’t need the government to tell me it’s the smart thing to do. Others might be assess risk differently. The key is that they must assess the risk. If they don’t, then your friend is correct in saying that it’s “evolution in action”. Not that I wish harm on stupid people; but people should accept the consequences if they fail to understand the risk.
I can argue this round or flat and, since everybody is arguing round, I am going to argue flat. Why is it the business of the government to tell me what risks I can or cannot take? I thought one of the premises of living in a free country is that people have the freedom to do stupid things because it is not the job of the government to protect us from our own stupidity. It is my body and no one should tell me what to do with it.
Well, I live in Chicago, a densely populated city with some really pothole-filled side streets, so even a ride of a few blocks could be an adventure. Even two-lane country roads can have potholes, bumps, and wandering deer. I guess I’m just more conservative with my risk assessments than some people.
The usual argument is that not all helmetless motorcyclists are killed. They might be permanently crippled. When this happens it is up to society to take care of them, either through higher insurance premiums that everyone must pay or through direct expenditure by the government (which, again, comes from taxpayers). Why should motorcyclists be allowed to exercise their “freedom to be stupid” at the expense of everyone else?
Personally, I agree with you, sailor. I don’t think that the government should require helmets, because I think that motorcyclists should be free to assess the risks and make their own decisions. Yes, insurance companies or Medicare or Social Security will have to shell out some money to support some stupid people who have damaged their brain pans; but I don’t believe that the numbers of people who would be injured in that way is great enough to justify the removal of their freedom of choice. What number would justify it? I don’t know.
Compared to the population, motorcyclists are few in number. I think that only a minority of motorcyclists would routinely ride withoug a helmet. Of those, only a small portion would crash. Fewer still would be killed or injured, as not all crashes result in injuries. Yes, there will be dead and injured motorcyclists; and there will be more of them if there were no helmet laws. But I still think the numbers are relatively small and would not cost society a great deal. So I think that we should “Let those who ride decide.”
Nothing wrong with that. As I said, I wore a helmet by choice long before they were required by law. I also wore seat belts before they were required to be worn. (Admittedly, I didn’t wear them for safety, but because they kept me from sliding around in the seat when I cornered fast – as I was wont to do.)
I think people should wear helmets when riding motorcycles. But I also think they should have the choice.
I’ll chime in too that while I think you are a moron not to wear a helmet … especially on the highway… that should be your choice.
I remember the gouge in my father’s helmet after being rearended on his motorcycle. If that was his head he would certainly have been dead.
My take though is that should you make yourself road pizza and you weren’t wearing a helmet… insurance shouldn’t have to pony up the cash for your treatment.
Well, if that argument is valid then all you have to do is require motorcyclists to have insurance that will take care of the consequences of any accidents. But we don’t do that with any other risky activity, do we? People are free to go skiing, mountain climbing, sailing, driving a car, crossing the street, etc, and we do not require them to be covered by insurance, only, in some cases like driving a car, to have liability insurance. So requiring insurance for helmet-less motorcyclists would be an exception to the rule.
Also, helmet or no helmet, a motorcycle is inherently a lot more dangerous than a car so it would make sense to just prohibit motorcycles entirely rather than diminishing the risk a bit with a helmet.
And, if we are going to admit the government has the power to control our actions when they have consequences for the public, then we should forbid smoking and other many unhealthy things. Not to mention that having an abortion or not is a matter which has definite monetary consequences as the government is expected to pay for schools etc.
Taking all this into account, I cannot see where the government has any right to tell people they should wear helmets.
Wild guess: your friend was wearing an open-face helmet?
They’re only a marginal step up from not wearing one.
I’ve riden without a helmet a few times, usually down my street after push-starting my bike (before I got a new battery for it ;)). It feels… strange. I certainly wouldn’t take it out on the open road without a helmet, ever. I’ll ride in jeans if it’s a little ride in the city, but as soon as I know I’m gonna clear city limits, the full bike gear is on. Leather pants, Gore-tex jacket with protective materials (back protector, elbows, shoulders). Gloves, and a full-face helmet. Lots of reflective patches on all items.
Riding a bike is one of the biggest thrills in the world, but it’s stupid to assume it is safe. It’s not. And to a considerable extent, you don’t control all the dangers that are along your path.
Like a car turning in front of you.
Helmets are mandatory over here. Should the government decide about the risks I can or cannot take? Maybe not, but in this case, it wouldn’t make a difference. Not wearing a helmet on a bike is about ten times as stupid as not wearing a seatbelt in a car.
Exactly Coldfire…the car turned in front of them…so they could have thought they were as safe as could be, but you can’t predict other people. This is a rural road, the posted speed limit is 45, and I typically go about 50 (I don’t care how close you get to my bumper, I will not speed up), this road is full of twists and turns, hills and blind spots (though the wreck happened on a straight, flat area) and I am surprised more accidents don’t happen. I have had people pass me on a hill on a double yellow line.
As for only going a short distance without one, don’t allot of accidents happen 5 miles from home or less? I just don’t understand it I guess, going that fast on two wheels on a hard surface and wearing no protection on your head. I am sorry to ramble, this just upset me so much, those people died and left behind families and friends and maybe they could have been saved. They had helmets with them…but were not wearing them, a decision that might have cost them their lives? Margo
I moved here in January and see a couple of motorcyclists a week. If I am remembering right, exactly THREE of said riders, sine January, had helmets on. There’s no helmet law here.
You would think that even without a law people would think, “Hey, if I’m going 65 MPH, and my head hits the ground, the BEST scenario is that I’ll be dead,” and wear one. But no, they don’t. Idiots. I have been a passenger on a motorcycle a few times and it’s a helluva lot of fun, but I was VERY aware that there wasn’t much between me and the ground.
The “accidents happen close to home” statistic came from the fact that MOST of our driving is close to home. It’s not common for me to go more htan 20 miles from the house, so if I were to be in an accident, it’d be close to home. But things can happen ANYWHERE.
The brilliant state of Louisiana had a helmet law but repealed it last year. (They also passed an open container law that was so idiotic it prohibited even open water bottles, so repealed that, too…now they’ve got a “no glass in the French Quarter” law, which at least makes sense.) They’re talking about reinstating it – but making helmets mandatory only for riders under 18.
Personally, I think if anyone is stupid enough to ride without a helmet, they deserve what they get. But considering the lifetime costs of caring for a seriously brain-injured person – easily in the millions, considering the level of care that’s required – why on earth should my insurance premiums go up or my tax dollars go to pay for the care of people who aren’t bright enough to realize that uncovered-head-meeting-pavement-at-70-mph = brain pizza???
Yes. That’s why I moved!
I think I’ll let sailor answer that one. 
I should clarify that my injured friend was riding a bicycle, not a motorcyle. This was in high school; he wasn’t old enough to get a motorcycle license, in any case. I’ve never seen a non-open-faced bicylce helmet. This was about 1984-85 or so, when hardly anyone wore bike helmets for fear of looking like ageek; the only reason my friend was wearing one was that he was at special risk for head injuries, as he had a shunt implanted at the base of his skull to treat hydrocephalus. He was damn lucky that things tunred out as well as they did; it could have been much, much worse than just severe facial abrasions. (He had gone through the back windshield of a car when the driver stopped suddenly right in front of him. The spot where he was riding is rather awkward; the road stripes move around in that area a lot, and on your right side you have the cement embankment next to the railroad tracks.)
Ah, OK, that does make a difference.
The odd thing is, over here NO ONE wears helmets when riding a bicycle, unless they’re riding a race bike or mountainbike. The everyday riding (there are more bicycles than people here) is done without a helmet. Of course, people are used to cyclists as well, so the real danger may actually not be as high in the US, where a person on a bicycle is an alien in traffic, and where the roads are not suitable for them (over here, there’s tons of bicycle paths and such).
I’ve hit a couple of cars on my bicycle, but never got serious injuries. And I’ve riden a mountainbike for years on end, without a helmet, without seriously harming myself either.
But on a motorbike? No frickin’ way.
I agree 100% about drivers in the U.S. not paying attention to bicyclists. I broke my wrist that way, and that was on a residential street that had been specially designated as a bike route; stupid driver didn’t see me and nearly ran me into a tree. My bike was my primary mode of transportation until I graduated college; I didn’t own a car until I was 26. More people should ride bikes!
I always wear a helmet now, even on bikepaths or for short rides of a few blocks to the grocery store. I wish it weren’t that way, but oh well.
(Hijack: I’ve never been on a motorcycle, but a friend - well, actually a guy I’ve had the major hots for for the past 9 months - has a bunch of motorcycles, and has promised to take me for a ride now that it’s warm again. He’s not an insane risk-taker, which is the only reason I’d even consider it, and he has a spare helmet for me and all, and has promised to be gentle with me. Any tips for a slightly terrified first-timer?)
Sure!
First off, don’t be scared. Unless he gives you warning signals that he’s not, your friend is probably a decent rider if he owns “a bunch of motorcycles”. Ask him to take a bike with a comfy back seat, and not too much power.
Alrighty then, that’s the prep work. On to the real stuff.
Wrap your arms around the rider at all times. Yes, I realise this is a bonus in your scenario. But it applies to guys riding pillion with other guys as well, even if they’re not gay, OK? Hang on to the rider.
When the rider brakes, place one of your hands on the bike’s fuel tank to get some leverage. If you don’t, the rider is supporting your full weight as the bike slows down.
Balance. Balance is the #1 thing on a motorbike. Well, balance and grip. Sit straight up, don’t attempt to “correct” yourself when the bike leans over in the corners: a shifting passenger makes for a very nervous motorbike. Sit still, like a sack of potatoes. If you want to look past the rider in a curve, do so on the inside of the curve, as it minimizes the weight shift.
Wear that helmet, and be sure to wear at LEAST decent jeans, and if possible, leather. Wear boots rather than shoes: most likely, your ankles will be close to the exhausts, and these things get hot.
And relax, it’s gonna be great. 
Show cites of all the motorcyclist that are on state funded life support. In the US please. This argument is so untrue and unproven that those that use it should be ashamed. The number of veggies from motorcycles against the number for cars against the number form bath tubs against the number form bicycles. Those that make those statements are operating on antidotal evidence in their little world, are just passing on incorrect supposition that supports their point of view or are just deliberately using false info and don’t care.
Tell me how insurance rates go up for everybody when all insurance is based on what you do, not what I do. Your insurance only pays for me when you are the one who is responsible. (warning sarcasm) So, you want to restrict my freedom for your connivance and pocket book? Will you require all pedestrians to wear helmets in case you might hit them and they might get a head injury and if your lawyer is good nuff to get you off, taxpayers will have to cover all the heroic measures that will be taken on them? (/warning sarcasm)The motorcycle is not much of a danger to a car comparatively speaking. Liability rates reflect that…
What has been your experience with hospital stays that were uninsured? You go to county ASAP and there are NO heroic measures taken. Show me all these vegetables that everyone is always talking about. Where are they?
Proven fact, helmets save lives. Why are car divers exempt but still have the right to FORCE motorcyclist to wear them? They save live in cars also…
The number one cause of motorcycle accidents out side of sporting events are car drivers.
All mountain climbing should be curtailed. (see story about self amputee, it is scary. That can not be allowed to ever happen again. It is just too much for me to bear ever hearing about again. And Oh My Gawd if I have to see him walking down the street. (::: shudder :: )and what about the children? --(This paragraph contains sarcasm for those impaired.)
All private flying should be outlawed because it is scary. It is safer than driving a car the same seat miles but it is scary to many so it should be outlawed. My Gawd, did you ever see the bodies on TV?
To all of you that say ANYONE who does not wear a helmet as you do is a fool and WRONG, you are the scary ones IMO. You are what needs to be outlawed, IMO.
If the scared could, they would outlaw everything except what is ok in their mind and not think a thing about it.
More head injuries are caused by bicycles in the US than any other thing and their is an almost nation wide requirement for the under aged to hear helmets and still… So, why are they not the ones singled out with so much rhetoric? Why not work on the place that will do the most good? Freedom is so outdated anymore…
Because you are not scared of them? You like to ride a bicycle with out but your fears require YOU to wear a helmet? :: shaking head:: so everyone else is stupid?
If you will pass the helmet law for everyone who moves in mechanical conveyances, then fine, majority rules that safety is above freedom. We ALL wear them.
Those that only want helmets in those activities that they are afraid of or don’t like or use are hypocrites, IMO.
YMMV