why have helmet laws?

[piratemike 0]

So I see things like this in the media:

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=1560e901-b615-4ad0-8bd0-5d1fbb55747b&k=56384

and I don't really care much about this guys religious beliefs and all, but if he doesn't want to wear a helmet, why do we make him?

It seems crazy stupid not to, and I always will wear a helmet on a motorcycle, but if somebody wants to forgo the helmet, why make them?

The same goes for seatbelt laws.

for the record, I've never gotten a ticket for no helmet or no seatbelt because I always wear them.

[Squeak 17]

because i dont want to see his mangled up face when he grinds along the road way

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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So I see things like this in the media:

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=1560e901-b615-4ad0-8bd0-5d1fbb55747b&k=56384

and I don't really care much about this guys religious beliefs and all, but if he doesn't want to wear a helmet, why do we make him?

Because it's the government's job to protect people from themselves. Currently that means making people wear motorcycle helmets, limiting their recreational drug use to just nicotine+alcohol+caffeine, not base jumping in national parks, and a handful of other things.

[virulindex 0]

I would prefer the government not tell us what to do as much as it does and I agree there should be no helmet or seat belt laws for those OVER the age of 18.

If you're crazy enough to not use these lifesaving devices and you get nailed, well, that's the risk you took and you shouldn't be suprised if you get banged up or worse.

That being said, I ALWAYS wear a seat belt and I don't have a motorcycle.

[JerryBaumchen 1,363]

Hi pirate,

For me it is personal greed. (Yes, I know the article was about Canada) I simply do not want to support him/his wife/his kids/etc when he is laying there in a vegetative state until he finally dies.

If they said OK would you jump without your reserve? Why not?

JerryBaumchen

[Conundrum 1]

I don't think it should be the law to wear one, but I think it's pretty stupid not to.

[piratemike 0]

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Hi pirate,

For me it is personal greed. (Yes, I know the article was about Canada) I simply do not want to support him/his wife/his kids/etc when he is laying there in a vegetative state until he finally dies.

If they said OK would you jump without your reserve? Why not?

JerryBaumchen

I think you meant "If they said it was OK, would you jump without your reserve, would you? Why not?"

Well I wouldn't because it ups my chance of death or worse a lot. If somebody else wants to jump without a reserve, and they are my friend, I will not be stopping them. I may not even voice my opinion that this is a bad thing like I do with my base friends. It's their choice.

I suppose the argument can be made that having these kind of laws helps to create a environment where there is less pressure to do these stupid things.

Though the whole "I don't want to support this person when the hurt themselves" argument doesn't seem to be a very good one. I mean, society wasn't bogged down with car crash victims before seatbelt laws existed.

[Broke 0]

Why can't he wear a turbin over his helmet?

Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

[wildWilly 0]

Helmets save lives. Hense the law.
If he doesn't like our laws he is free to leave.
Or he could wrap a turbin on the outside of his helmet.

Willy

growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional.

[cocheese 0]

If we let Darwinism take it's course, the government will be over thrown by the survivors.

[piratemike 0]

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Helmets save lives. Hense the law.
If he doesn't like our laws he is free to leave.
Or he could wrap a turbin on the outside of his helmet.

Willy

not smoking saves lives. on that same line of reasoning, lets ban smoking.

not eating fast food saves lives, lets bad fast food.

not riding motorcycles saves lives, lets bad those two wheeled things.

not skydiving saves lives, lets bad that crazy activity.

Your free to leave if you don't like these rules.

[Thanatos340 1]

Helmets do save lives. But they also contribute to some accidents.

They limit your Hearing and Peripheral Vision. The Helmet argument always reminds me of the RSL Debate. It can save your life (And usually will) or it can cost you your life.

I think each person should be able to choose.

[paulcrw 0]

Honestly, if you had an 18 year old son you might feel differently.

Peer pressure is so HUGE at that age, having an excuse is almost a necessity.

Sure, most who "choose" will come out okay. But the consequences for "choosing" not to (of course it's not because your friends call you a pussy!) can be so unnecessarily catastrophic.

Morally opposed to intervention, but secretly glad of this one.

[DSE 5]

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Helmets do save lives. But they also contribute to some accidents.



I think each person should be able to choose.

I couldn't agree more. Choice; It's an adult-thing.

[Squeak 17]

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Helmets do save lives. But they also contribute to some accidents.

They limit your Hearing and Peripheral Vision..

I do not know of any helmets that meet Australian Compliance that restrict peripheral vision. Here in OZ at least, Helmets are mandated, but only approved helmets are allowed to be worn.
For a helmet to be approved it has to meet minimum requirements for noise, sight and impact. YMMV

In over 20 years riding i have never had a helmet that restricts my hearing, or vision.

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[lawrocket 3]

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Peer pressure is so HUGE at that age, having an excuse is almost a necessity.

Yeah. Which is why my son is goign to be raised to not take shit and ask questions, starting with challenging mom and dad.

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But the consequences for "choosing" not to (of course it's not because your friends call you a pussy!) can be so unnecessarily catastrophic.

Exactly. Hopefully our kids are taught things like this by parents. Then again, I guess it's the schools' job to teach these things.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[lawrocket 3]

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For me it is personal greed. (Yes, I know the article was about Canada) I simply do not want to support him/his wife/his kids/etc when he is laying there in a vegetative state until he finally dies.

So, your problem is socialism, not people not wearing helmets.

Get rid of the socialism and get people to face their own consequences.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[azdiver 0]

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If we let Darwinism take it's course, the government will be over thrown by the survivors.

nice

light travels faster than sound, that's why some people appear to be bright until you hear them speak

[KelliJ 0]

Before I write anything else let it be known that I ride when I have a bike. Currently I do not own one.
When I ride I usually wear a helmet, but not always. Sometimes, especially when the weather is perfect, I will leave the lid at home and enjoy the wind blowing through my hair. If I crash, burn, and die then I will have done so on a beautiful day. I also will not have harmed any other person in doing so. If such an accident happens, by the time a helmet will have been of use I will have been beyond harming others.
On the other hand, seatbelts do more than just protect the driver. They protect other persons in the vehicle from a loose body being flung around inside during a violent wreck. Even when the driver is alone seatbelts keep the driver in place and in a position to potentially keep or regain control of their vehicle. More than once I have hit potholes, etc. that would have thrown me against the roof had I not been wearing a seatbelt. So, yes, seatbelts protect more than just the driver from him or her self. They protect everyone else around them.

[Andy9o8 2]

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For me it is personal greed. (Yes, I know the article was about Canada) I simply do not want to support him/his wife/his kids/etc when he is laying there in a vegetative state until he finally dies.

So, your problem is socialism, not people not wearing helmets.

Get rid of the socialism and get people to face their own consequences.

OK, so let's take the socialism (in the sense that you use it) out of the picture.

Here's my reason, from another thread, why even though I believe in personal choice and responsibility, I still support helmet (and seat belt) laws:

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2312291#2312291

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Even asuming the validity of a libertarian attitude on the subject, here's a good reason for mandatory seat belt (AND motorcycle helmet) laws: they really do make a difference in EVERYONE'S auto liability insurance rates in that state. Why? Not because of 1-vehicle crashes, but because of multiple-vehicle crashes. Fewer people wearing seat belts and/or helmets means more serious injuries and deaths caused by the "driver-at-fault". Which means a risk of a higher payout to the victim having to be made by the driver-at-fault's insurance company. And, of course, everyone is a potential driver-at-fault, so everyone's insurance rates will adjust upward in states where the economic risk of a higher payout is greater.

You may think you only affect yourself when you drive w/o a seatbelt or ride a motorcycle w/o a helmet, but you don't - it really does affect everyone who pays for auto insurance.

[KelliJ 0]

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Helmets do save lives. But they also contribute to some accidents.

They limit your Hearing and Peripheral Vision.

Bull and double bull.
Quality helmets have NO negative influence on peripheral vision. Period.
Though a helmet does have a minimal effect on hearing while in a quiet room, once in the environment of riding a motorcycle, even at rest with the engine idling, there is virtually no negative effect.
These myths have been perpetrated for as long as the debate of helmet vs. no helmet has raged. If there ever was any merit to the arguments at all it has long since vanished. If your helmet restricts your vision or hearing to the degree that you feel unsafe, then consider buying a QUALITY helmet. Reputable helmet manufacturers have been at work for decades to give the best vision and hearing possible while wearing their product.
If you don't want to wear one and it is legal not to, then don't. I sometimes don't. But if it is NOT legal to go without a helmet and you want to change the laws, then give up on the baseless argument of lessened vision and hearing. Concentrate instead on how those laws needlessly impose upon personal freedom.

[Squeak 17]

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. I also will not have harmed any other person in doing so. If such an accident happens, by the time a helmet will have been of use I will have been beyond harming others.
.

dude that logic is so flawed it ridiculous have you ever seen the results of SKIN versus Gravel form a low speed or, let alone a high speed slide.
Trust me you helmet will safe you way better than a nake skull will from ANY off

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[KelliJ 0]

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. I also will not have harmed any other person in doing so. If such an accident happens, by the time a helmet will have been of use I will have been beyond harming others.
.

dude that logic is so flawed it ridiculous have you ever seen the results of SKIN versus Gravel form a low speed or, let alone a high speed slide.
Trust me you helmet will safe you way better than a nake skull will from ANY off

Yes, I know that from first hand experience. But I'm afraid you misread the part of my post you quoted. I was saying that when my head hits the asphalt (or gravel) there is little to no chance I will be endangering others. Up to that point the helmet is doing nothing but shielding me from bugs.

[billvon 2,991]

>they really do make a difference in EVERYONE'S auto liability insurance rates in that state.

OK, so how about a compromise:

You can go on a government website and click on a box that says "I hereby waive my rights to insurance coverage and to collecting against other drivers/bikers, and I hereby state that I do not want extraordinary medical care in the event of an injury I incur while biking without a helmet." Then let em wear whatever they want.

[Goody_23 0]

It seems crazy stupid not to, and I always will wear a helmet on a motorcycle, but if somebody wants to forgo the helmet, why make them?

Because if his last act is to smash my car, I wanna beat the hell out of him before he goes.

SKYDIVING = HAPPY