Without killing such a lively debate........I choose to ride with full gear.....but i wasnt given the choice and I think we can all agree that its the "freedom" of choice that needs
protecting not protecting people from themselves.

mutt
 
There's no such thing as absolute freedom, except death.

Even in Nevada, which is a pretty dumb place, we have a helmet law. Efforts are under way to repeal it.
 
It's certainly the prerogative of the people to demand of their politicians what they choose. I was just pointing out that some of the innuendo and hyperbole that gets tossed around is hogwash. Public healthcare dollars spent on non helmet wearing motorcyclists isn't a frog's fart worth of the total budgeted dollars. Besides, by definition, if the stats are true and helmets save lives, then it won't be the non-helmet guys taking up public healthcare resources because they'll be dead. It's the helmet wearers that'll be taking up resources because they'll live and will have to have their broken bones, internal bleeding, etc... repaired. ;)

Btw, I did mention I live in a state that doesn't require a helmet, but I choose to wear safety gear (including a helmet) anyway, right? :D
 
Well I'm not sure how many of you worried farther and mothers have gone through this?
My fifteen year old daughter was a staraight A student all the way to now hanging out with kids 18 years old and has got in to doing pot its a night mare we are so worried and do not know how to handle it and she says nothing is wrong with it that its not bad for her, I tell anything that alters your jugment will get her in trouble one day and she thinks I'm being silly, I know a lot would say nothing is wrong with pot and I'm sure a lot of us as done it or tryied it or is still doing it, but when its your own kid its a different story.
Well I could go on because its happing to my young daugter, I'm going crazy to make her see whats it doing to her and skipping class if this was legal I'll have a tougher time to try to make her stop. I think if she wants a motocycle here in Utah I'll be worried sick I think I would move. People always change when something happens like my brother seven Ateries
cloged mager heart attack mager surgery and hes only two years older than me and now he quite drinking and Smoking and now he eats better, I'm sure he wouldn't of did all that, if he would of Known that he would have a massive heart atack.
And I'm sure if you guys out there that do not wear a helmet and knew you would fall I'm sure you would start to wear a helmet.
You hear it all the time if only I would have known I would have bought thouse stocks. Example:)
 
I enjoy browsing for protective gear, and love shops that carry a wide selection.

Arkansas doesn't have a helmet law, and a significant number of riders are on the road with Doo-Rags and the customary vest. Some will have fingerless gloves, but not much more.

I'll admit that accidents in our state tend to represent a mix of motorcycle types and protection status. Some of the incidents could have been less severe (or survivable) if the rider had protection.
 
Here in the great State of Illinois I can ride with nothing more than flip flops and cut off jeans. The only police I have to worry about is the fashion police. Daisey Dukes are so 70's :D:D
 
I don't get too wrapped up over the stats and I don't fall into any false sense of security of thinking I'm good to go just because I wear protective gear. Bottom line, if you crash into another object (cars are the most obvious for us street riders) at any kind of speed, odds are good you're going to die regardless of your gear, or lack thereof. The folks that choose not to wear gear use that as their rationale, and they're correct. Those of us that choose to wear gear believe that there is value in wearing the gear even though it likely doesn't increase our odds a whole lot. And, we can all point to anecdotal evidence to support our point of view on the subject. Here are a couple:

- A 40 year old man was killed on his sport bike a couple of months ago because an SUV turned left right into his path. The biker was in full protective gear and was not speeding. This happened in a 45 mph zone.

- A middle aged man was taken to the hospital a couple of days ago in critical condition and his passenger was pronounced dead at the scene when a van turned left into the path of the biker's Suzuki Boulevard. Both were wearing helmets.

- A good friend of mine, which is a deputy sheriff, and his girlfriend were returning from a day ride about a year ago with a group of bikes (Harley crowd) and a car came from their rear at a high speed in the left lane. There was a sharp lefthand curve ahead and the car was traveling too fast to make the curve and drifted over and clipped my friend's Road King. He went down and him and his girlfriend were both ejected from the bike and bounced down the road like rag dolls (I wasn't there but another friend that was saw the whole thing).

The car never even stopped. My friend wasn't wearing a helmet. He did have a leather coat (typical black leather jacket the Harley dudes wear) and chaps on. He was uninjured other than a bruised shoulder from tumbling down the road. His girlfriend suffered a broken foot and a few scrapes and bruises. She had surgery to repair the break, but other than that was fine. She also was not wearing a helmet.

Guess what, his bike was totaled and he now has a new Street Glide. He still doesn't wear a helmet and neither does his girlfriend. Go figure.

I think it just boils down to what your comfort level is. Personally, I feel vulnerable if I don't have gear on and, yes, I've ridden without a helmet before just to see what all the buzz was about. I was nervous the whole time and the liklihood of me doing it again is slim to none. Also, I've been hit by a car. The car was traveling 65 mph on impact according to the Highway Patrolman's calculations (he measured skid marks). I was wearing protective gear and my head smacked the pavement hard enough that it cracked the helmet and still managed to give me a concussion. I KNOW the gear at least saved me from major head trauma in that particular circumstance. But, I also know I could be killed the next time I ride regardless of what I wear.

We all know the risk and we all deal with it differently and in whatever way makes us be able to enjoy ourselves. For me, that means wearing protective gear. YMMV
 
If you don't wear a helmet, you just shouldn't be eligible for emergency treatment. Don't you think they should leave you free to die in a ditch?

Thats just sad? How can you get there from here. What country do you live in? Mine treats illegal aliens, poor people, rich people, healthy people, sick people. While I prefer people have a green card or not be here illegally, I believe everyone deserves the best medical treatment possible. FYI, I have been down twice neither time with a helmet and walked away although one time I was hurt pretty good and no I am not so scared and frightened now I must wear enclosed protective shielding but I have friends that are and do, no problem we all ride together. News flash there are 2 kinds of bikers, those that have been down and those who are going down, that's the way it is. If you are worried about medical cost, ***** about all the babies, I delivered last time I was on rotation at UTMB in Galveston to illegals towing six kids, they are stacked up in all the hospitals and costing us tax payers big bucks, even still I would never turn one away, but I do support tightening up that border security, building that wall and enforcing our laws. I don't have a problem with proving I have medical coverage so I can ride without a helmet or even a requirement to attend a riders course, unless it is a reason to pull me over to check. Freedom comes with inherent responsibility and yes blanket liablities that's one of the cost. When the goverment mandates even seat belts ( seat belts save lives, I have seen proof time and time again no doubt) and motorcycle helmets, they take away your right to choose, the question is not are those things safer, better, smarter the point is you open the door for more and more government control and less freedoms. Now has a vet, I was willing to lay down my life for the flag and the freedom it represents, hmmm let me check.... yes comparatively I am also willing to shoulder the added fees and taxes so someone has the choice to die or be paralyzed from not wearing a helmet.
 
Having lived in FL most of my life, and having spent several years in the South Florida heat, I still chose to wear a helmet (full face) even though state law said that I had a choice.

I've been down twice and ended upside down in both cases, so I'm pretty jaded in terms of wearing my helmet because I wouldn't be here otherwise but that's what I choose for myself.

That being said, I'm all for freedom(s) as long as you are willing to pay the price for those freedoms. Becoming a greasy spot on the road could well be that price.

Wearing a helmet and all of the protective gear made doesn't ensure that you're going to remain safe and sound. Bad things happen to good people sometimes.

However, if you want to whine about your particular state having a helmet law that you don't agree with, then from my perspective, you have four choices:

(1) petition the state governmet to repeal the law requiring helmets
(2) move to a state that doesn't have a helmet law (FL, SC, TX, IL, etc...)
(3) ride without a helmet and pay the tickets as they are received, or
(4) if neither of those options appeal to you, then shut up and get over it because we're tired of hearing all of the whining!
 
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