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Motorcyclers Without Helmets

Mike

Mike

Member
They repealed the law requiring bikers to wear helmets in Michigan a few months ago. Now that it's gotten very warm out, there are many more of them out there, and very few wear helmets!!

If that's not crazy... Yesterday, I was driving home from work, and 3 of them went flying by me. They had to have been going at least 90, weaving from lane to lane, even going between cars in between lanes!!!

How crazy is that? Who would ride without a helmet?
 
Mike said:
They repealed the law requiring bikers to wear helmets in Michigan a few months ago. Now that it's gotten very warm out, there are many more of them out there, and very few wear helmets!!

If that's not crazy... Yesterday, I was driving home from work, and 3 of them went flying by me. They had to have been going at least 90, weaving from lane to lane, even going between cars in between lanes!!!

How crazy is that? Who would ride without a helmet?
Click to expand...

A lot of people since there have been studies showing that helmets actually increase head and spinal injuries to motorcyclists that wear them. Although if they are stupid enough to drive like that then they deserve any injury that results from their reckless driving.
 
Mike said:
They repealed the law requiring bikers to wear helmets in Michigan a few months ago. Now that it's gotten very warm out, there are many more of them out there, and very few wear helmets!!

If that's not crazy... Yesterday, I was driving home from work, and 3 of them went flying by me. They had to have been going at least 90, weaving from lane to lane, even going between cars in between lanes!!!

How crazy is that? Who would ride without a helmet?
Click to expand...

Me, when I rode. I appreciate your concern, really I do. I don't have a problem with those who wish to wear one but I do have a problem accepting the idea that society needs to force me to do so. I can understand requiring me to provide them for passengers and me requiring minor passengers to wear one but let me take my own risk is all I ask.

There are a lot of things in life that can hurt us. I was brushing my teeth a while back and suffered a back spasm that had me hunched over for a few days. Should I take it upon myself to come up with a means to prevent this from happening and then push to impose laws to force everyone to take the same precaution?

It doesn't matter whether the helmets save lives or not. Many people are killed every day riding or driving in an automobile but we don't ban automobiles. Why is that? My choosing not to wear a helmet does not add risk to anyone else but me.
 
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CalledToServe said:
A lot of people since there have been studies showing that helmets actually increase head and spinal injuries to motorcyclists that wear them. Although if they are stupid enough to drive like that then they deserve any injury that results from their reckless driving.
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I agree but their reckless driving is also putting others in danger and to me that is when it needs to be controlled.
 
the"brain bucket" only will save the head if the accident is bad enough. riding the hog is risky. im for wearing the helmet but at 90mph plus it really doesnt make a difference in that your a going to be thrown off that bike and might break your neck in the process. so it depends on what you want to live with.
 
I never wear a helmet when riding my motorcycle, and outside of competitions I don't wear one riding my horse either. It's kind of odd, because I'd never let a friend or student get on either (bike or horse) without a helmet done up properly. But for me, I live dangerously. So I'm a hypocrite, but in the good way :P
 
I always wore one, it was the law and I even wore one on our farm's private trails.

As you know, I often run the Dragon with bikers - and some of them are REALLY zipping thru the curves, I've seen them break 100 mph between curves and carry up to 45-50 mph in curves. Of course, NONE of them go without a helmet, boots, full body suit, etc.

There are a LOT of accidents up there and almost all of the time, the guy dumps the bike and he goes sliding down the road apart from his bike. Even given their technique and protective gear, it is surprising that they usually get up and walk away from the crash. I have spoken to many of these (usually young) guys and ALL of them have indicated they would "... never run this road without full gear."

Personally, I still THINK about getting a bike after 30 years away from them... but I can't bring myself to travel these roads on one, with all the cellphone yakkers and texters out there. But if I take the plunge, it'll be with helmet and (most of the time) full protective gear.
 
Mike said:
They repealed the law requiring bikers to wear helmets in Michigan a few months ago. Now that it's gotten very warm out, there are many more of them out there, and very few wear helmets!!

If that's not crazy... Yesterday, I was driving home from work, and 3 of them went flying by me. They had to have been going at least 90, weaving from lane to lane, even going between cars in between lanes!!!

How crazy is that? Who would ride without a helmet?
Click to expand...

You must have been either on I-75 or 696 lol! I suspect I-75! A few months ago I got passed at around 10:30 PM by a rocket going in excess of 150 mph... it was crazy! His buddies were behind him doing probably around 130. I can't tell you how many times I've seen them guys doing 90 mph wheelies down 696. Crazy...

So two weeks ago my buddy comes up to my house on his 1600 Harley in full biker colors and he's got his buddy "smiley" with him. Yeah.. they are members of the Detroit Ghost riders motorcycle club. So anyway, me and my big mouth, I say, "I can't believe the idiot's that don't wear a helmet". My buddy just laughed and pointed at Smiley and said, "See Smiley" and gave a chuckle. "Smiley went into his defence on how the helmet gave a false sense of security etc and I told him that I understood the argument, but at the end of the day, it was his head on the concrete."

His wife jumped in somewhat aggressive with the argument, "It's about our rights!" Boy, she really got fired up. So I replied, "What about the guy who wears his helmet... Doesn't he have the right to lower insurance premiums? (MC insurance has spiked significantly recently) And what about my rights? I don't even ride a motorcycle on the road and I know it's only a matter of time before my medical insurance goes up." She just looked at me like a deer in the headlights...

Funny... both of them actually put their helmets on for the ride home :salute

Anyway, My Dad, he's 77 and just had a horrible motorcycle accident three weeks ago caused by a "senior moment". He fractured his neck, broke his collar and shoulder bone, broke several ribs and fractured his pelvis. It was a warm day, but Dad always wore his full leathers 'just in case". They had to cut his coat off him and honestly, with the rest of his injuries, if he would have had road rash on top of all his other injuries, he'd of been 6 feet under right now.

The only piece of safety equipment that he cheated on was his helmet. Anyone who rides knows that a good helmet is snug. Dad got a helmet one size bigger because it was more comfortable and he regretted that decisions because his brain got swollen up and he had a brain bleed that was a huge concern. Thankfully it stopped and he isn't seeing spiders on the wall, or smurfs floating around as much anymore...

He's got a long recovery a head of him, but our hopes are high (even though he thinks he's not going to recover) and somehow he's maintained his sense of humor
 
CalledToServe said:
A lot of people since there have been studies showing that helmets actually increase head and spinal injuries to motorcyclists that wear them. Although if they are stupid enough to drive like that then they deserve any injury that results from their reckless driving.
Click to expand...

Yeah, and those people lived to tell about it... I'd like to see the study on those that die due to head trauma because they didn't have a helmet. BTW, more motorcycle accidents are caused by cars not seeing them than wreckless driving.

Jason said:
im for wearing the helmet but at 90mph plus it really doesnt make a difference in that your a going to be thrown off that bike and might break your neck in the process.
Click to expand...

A good friend of mine Taylor races Pro AMA. He won't ride on the street... say's it's too dangerous.

Here is Taylor with an epic crash last year at Daytona. He walked away with minor bruises. The computer recorded his crash at 194 mph. Yes, they wear neck braces... and my son doesn't jump on his dirt bike without one either

[video=youtube;EpowGvVfw2Y]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpowGvVfw2Y[/video]
 
WIP said:
My choosing not to wear a helmet does not add risk to anyone else but me.
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Im assuming you are not married with children.
Because if you are ,then what you are staying drips of self.
After all, if you are not protecting yourself, then you are asking for it.
And to ask for it is to gamble that your family wont be hurt if you get killed by not wearing a helmet.
On the other hand, maybe you want to lay in bed drooling and saying sentences like..."is food times 6 christmas says?"
That would make a fine parent and husband for about 25 years, huh?

I'll tell you this.
Ive never met a debate between car tires, asphalt, and a head, or a car bumper, asphalt, and a head, that was not settled in ER, intensive care, a coma, or a morgue.
Your mileage may very, but, dont count on it.

Another way to think of it is this.
Say that Mike the mod here, is on the interstate in his new Ford Mustang, and he is playing with I-phone apps and does not notice when you cut in front too close and instead of breaking,
he clips your rear tire.
So, there you go, end over end, no helmet, and you break your legs, but its the head trauma that kills you, that could have been prevented if you'd had on your Bell Helmet.
Well, now brother Mike has to go the rest of his life with your death in his vision, that could have been prevented.
You wouldn't want that guilt to be on Mike's back would you, as that would be selfish?
Just ask Mike.
 
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WIP said:
It doesn't matter whether the helmets save lives or not. Many people are killed every day riding or driving in an automobile but we don't ban automobiles. Why is that? My choosing not to wear a helmet does not add risk to anyone else but me.
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It may not add risk, but it costs everyone a bit more for their motorcycle insurance. Everyone I know that rides has seen a substantial increase in their motorcycle insurance since Michigan revised the helmet law. This increase in insurance rates in in direct relationship to the helmet law.

Last Saturday I saw a biker gal on her Harley Hog. She was in cut off's and a tank top... no helmet. That's suicide... and I know she has the right to kill herself, but what's going to happen when my medical insurance rate increases because of people making poor choices? But hey, it's everyone right to make poor choices isn't it? That's why we call it America. Your free to make poor choices, and the guy who makes the good choices flips the bill for your freedom...
 
Helmets should be a peronal choice, not mandatory. Less governemnt = more personal freedom.

I do not believe ANY "study" that says helmets cause more head and neck injuries. Whoever did that study has an agenda, or is completely clueless about motorcycles and safety.

I've rode for years. Sold my last bike , a '07 Yamama R, 1 a couple years ago due to riding the lowcountry in SC being absolutely boring (give me knee dragging twisties all day long!). I've wrecked a couple times, and my helmet probably saved my life once on a bad wreck on Ceasars Head on my old '00 R6.

Stupid people will do stupid things, and my view is riding without one is stupid. We had a guy here in the Charleston area die after having what should have been a very minor accident dropping his bike on a highway ramp. He was going around 30 or so, but didn't wear a helmet. Bouncing his head off the pavement killed him. It's not worth the risk when all it takes is a couple pounds of force, a hard surface, and your head hitting it without a helmet.
 
If it has to do with 'government helmets' and they want you to buy only theirs....know that it is another trick and political sanity upon you.
 
HeisReal said:
Helmets should be a peronal choice, not mandatory. Less governemnt = more personal freedom.
Click to expand...

So why are seatbelts required? Why are certain drugs illegal?

If you don't put boundaries around people who don't know how to put boundaries around themselves, then everyone pays the cost for their stupidity. The recent increase in Motorcycle Insurance bears that out.

This being the case, why does the guy who always wears his helmet forced to bear the financial burden of those who choose otherwise?
 
Classik said:
If it has to do with 'government helmets' and they want you to buy only theirs....know that it is another trick and political sanity upon you.
Click to expand...

What your talking about is regulation. All aspects of motorized vehicles are regulated. Driving is a privilege, not a right. If you didn't have the regulations, somebody would be cutting corners and producing flawed helmets with no recourse to the buyer.
 
Mike said:
They repealed the law requiring bikers to wear helmets in Michigan a few months ago. Now that it's gotten very warm out, there are many more of them out there, and very few wear helmets!!

If that's not crazy... Yesterday, I was driving home from work, and 3 of them went flying by me. They had to have been going at least 90, weaving from lane to lane, even going between cars in between lanes!!!

How crazy is that? Who would ride without a helmet?
Click to expand...
I was having this very conversation yesterday, at work. What I will say may echo some of what Kidron posted.

First off, I don't buy the notion that helmets can cause more head and neck injuries. That's sort of like using the argument that some people might have lived if they weren't wearing a seat belt in a car accident.

Statistics show that not wearing a helmet or seat belt is without a doubt more dangerous.

Also, the argument used by many people is, it's my life and if I don't want to wear a helmet (or seat belt), I shouldn't have to wear one. I don't need the government telling me what to do.

Well I would be right with you and say, I too don't the government telling what to do or not do.

But, I would STRONGLY disagree with anyone who says they're only hurting themselves and no one else. :sad That not true.

Our so called free will and our actions do come with a responsibility. Even we who have no children put a burden of someone or several people. What about the other loved one we leave behind to grieve because we were irresponsible and rode without seat belt or helmet?

What about the police or EMS who have to come out and administer to you or worse, scrape up your brains off the blacktop?

What about the traumatic experience it leaves on others who were also involved in the accident? You could be accidentally sideswiped or hit in an intersection. You have suffer serious injury or even death because you didn't have on a helmet. The person who hit you now has to deal with that.

At least if you had on a helmet as you slammed into their windshield, they'd be able to say, "Thank God, they had on a helmet!"


I rode for years and worked as a motorcycle mechanic. I saw bikes shaped like pretzels come in on flatbed trucks; some made it, others didn't. Those who didn't either didn't have a helmet or the helmet was somehow disloged from their head.

God gave us a head and a brain; protect it and use it wisely. :nod
 
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