Motorcycles and helmets

"The gun comparison thing I think could work like this...... stop making guns with safety levers. How is it any different?

Sorry but anyone who thinks they shouldn't have to wear a hlmet is a threat to themselves, their family and friends and other pedestrians, drivers and the like and clearly have no respect for anyone else and therefore should NOT be allowed to own a half ton machine capable of death and destruction.

You will NEVER hear or see a professional racer or cop or instructor ride without full protection.... if you do then they are a childish idiot. Period."

Ned, many guns do not have a safety lever. Think Glock, some S&W, most revolvers... If you handle a gun properly, it CAN'T go off by accident...

Life is a threat to life. How much gubment regulation do you want? Why not restrict all cars to 35mph max speeds. We could reduce the death rate a lot no?

I know one motorcycle cop that is against the helmet laws... Yes, he wears one on his bike, because he has to. But he feels, right or wrong, that the additional weight on his head is more dangerous. I just don't understand the constant need some people have to have the gubment try to make their world safe. Why not stay at home, wrapped up in bubble wrap. Oh wait, someone might wrap their mouth and nose up and suffocate...

If the seatbelt law was only about safety, why do I see so many police officers driving patrol cars with no seat belt on? Perhaps it is a way to pull people over and try to catch them for some other violation, or maybe a revenue maker?

 

Look at the US debt. Look at the USPS debt. Look at all the wonderful failures of the US gubment. And you wonder why I don't trust them to know what is best for people? I think the average person can deduce it is safer to wear a seatbelt. I would not get on a motorcycle without a helmet. Why do we need the gubment to tell us how to live, when they can't even balance a checkbook? There is a warning label on a pack of matches, Caution, Flammable. Well yeah, what do you think I bought the matches for, to cool my beer?

Call me paranoid. :-D

OK, I am off to make a new tin foil hat. With all the solar flares the gubment is sending out to the people, the tin foil hats don't last as long. :-D

 

Can we put this point to bed? How does not wearing a helmet put any other road users at risk or have any impact on a third party persons life other that the previously mentioned injury compensation if they are at fault?

What am I missing? How are they a threat to pedestrians friends and family members?

Not wearing a helmet isn't a sign of irresponsibility.

This is a great point,how would most road users feel if they had to wear a helmet? Would you think its ridiculous? No one would ever hurt their head again in a road accident,all those thousands of people who needlessly die every year wouldn't.

Its would never get passed as a law because it would bug too many people "the majority" whereas in cases like this "the majority" want to control the minority even when it doesn't affect them at all that's when everyone is so quick to jump on the logic,common sense bandwagon.

 

While USPS is a gov. entity, it doesn't get any federal money. So how is it a failure of the gov'mnt?

Back on topic.. I still stand by what I said, yes I have been on a motorcycle and yes I wore a helmet and I was grateful because the driver was kind of a wacko, so maybe I'm scarred for life.. :-D

 

Meanwhile, I'm gettin' a kick outta the Ad Choices keying on this debate...:-D
.

 

As I said in my earlier post. Sometimes sh*t happens.
Once again I have personally had a bird fly into my helmet, a rock thrown up from a car and a pine cone fall from a tree and hit my head.
These happend to ME.
Now think of the other billion possibilities, debris from construction, a pop can thrown by a kid, heavy hail, stinging rain, the list is endless and happens frequently.
A helmet reduces the likely hood of loss of control by multitudes, can any of you really deny that?

I am 99.9% sure if I was not wearing a helmet the impact of each of them would have caused me to lose control of my bike.... which is where others come into the equation.
I get hit by the bird with no helmet, it dazes me, I swerve into oncomming traffic etc etc, this kind of thing as each and every one of us knows can spiral into multiple deaths of innocent people in other cars, pedestrians etc etc.

All avoided because I had a helmet on.
Nothing to do with my own safety.

This is where it IS irresponsible.
Ok it's rare for that to happen, but it DOES happen.

And like I said, isn't just 1 innocent live saved worth everyone having to wear a helmet?

I also notice no one has commented on the comparison of seat belts.
Surely this is an exact comparison. Your choice until you crush the person sitting in the seat in front of you.

Bigger picture guys, this isn't and never was just about the rider.

@MA... The obesity problems etc you listed in the states are something I care about and I'm not American and I believe someone needs to step in to sort that out as well.

Crying that the government rule everything is laughable, whether you like it or not they DO rule everything, more so in the States than anywhere else.
Sometimes they have a point, other times they are retarded.
Would you prefer going back to Monarch rule?
You wanted it, you vote them in, you stand for it and then complain about something that will actually help you.

I think I have to leave this topic. Do as you wish. You're right, it's not my business, I simply care about my fellow human beings. Pardon me for doing so.

 

Not trying to get too far off topic, but the gubment is up in the USPS. "Therein lies the USPS's ultimate problem: every policy decision must be approved by Congress, leaving the agency as agile as an elephant. Critics regularly attack the Post Office for its supposed inefficiency and inability to function as well as private companies like the United Parcel Service (UPS) and FedEx (FDX). "

From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/03/02/losing-money-isnt-the-u-s-postal-services-only-problem/

You have the War On Drugs, War On Poverty, all the money spent by the gubment, and there is still poverty and a drug problem. And this same gubment, is supposed to legislate my safety?

What say you if the gubment wants to put in some shoe height rules, you know, escalators could be dangerous with certain types of shoes... :-D:-D

 

I just wondered,now I understand your point

But rather than take away peoples freedom why not legislate against birds? Have them all shot. You can't legislate against every possible occurance.

Why doesn't everyone wear helmets as soon as they leave the house then:-D There are a thousand other examples just like this,if stopping old people or teenagers driving saves a thousands of lives every year does that mean its a good thing? No because it takes too much pleasure away from those people.

Would a government be re-elected if they brought that bill in,No. But motorcyclist who choose not to wear helmets don't have a big enough voice.

This is one of the main problems with majority rule IMO.

And with that I'm out we're just just treading old mud,have fun peeps:cool

 

I just saw a new one:

HAHA!!! So, should you have to wear a helmet while riding in your brand new Scooter Store Power Chair?!? Hmmm?!? Ponder that, Ralph Nader!!!

roflmao

 

"But rather than take away peoples freedom why not legislate against birds? Have them all shot. You can't legislate against every possible occurance."

If I agree to shoot the birds, do I have to wear a helmet? :-D

:flip

:major

 

Nah, that's Birdist, the tree huggers would be out in force if we did that :-D

As for the rest, I do understand that a line has to be drawn with public safety.

It's a difficult road to travel, they banned Conkers or made kids wear goggles even though in 500 years no one got seriously injured.... but they might.
Here kids are not allowed to throw snowballs for the same reason.
Many many rules and laws are over the top, I agree whole heartedly.

But when it comes to traffic there are sooooo many variables and such a hard hitting impact when it does go wrong that every possible measure should be taken.
Helmets in cars are not needed because of the other 200 safety features in a car.
On a bike your head can only be protected in 1 way, by covering it.

And the reason that the Anti-helmet voice is not loud enough is because the vast majority of bikers agree that wearing helmets is a good idea

Trust me, this weekend there will be upwards of 100,000 bikers turn up to my town (I'll put up a link to the webcam ) and every single one of them will be happily wearing a helmet. It's never an issue because it makes sense

By the way, apologies if I come off aggressive, not personal it's just this is a topic I believe very strongly in, this would be my version of Fred's "Gun law" conversations
I'm well experienced, I've seen the effects of both sides with my own eyes and my opinion stands strong.

Damn I gotta leave this thread alone :-D

 

What about people driving with their windows down Ned? Or driving a convertible and a rock hits them in the head? Don't tell me you have never gotten dust or something in your eye with the windows down in a car.

In my opinion, you can't legislate morality, and you can't legislate common sense.

 

I just had a mini argument in my head, this happens from time to time.

I worked construction for years, did you know that here in Ontario you are required by law to wear a safety harness if more than 10 feet off the ground on a ladder of roof etc.

Construction is a perfect example of "Bubblewrapping"
And I have fought most of them every step of the way.

Having said that, I've tripped and fallen over my harness on a roof.

But the irony of things is hysterical, I used to hang my hard hat on the scaffold instead of wear it, because it makes me 2" taller and I will bang my head more often.
One day the wind blew it off and it hit me on the head.

I work in the steel toe department, heavy boxes, not required but should wear steel toe shoes, but I don't. I've dropped steel toe boots on my feet several times lol

My point I suppose is me admitting to being hypercritical here.
It also made me understand the thought process behind MA, Rikky, Fred and others opinions.

We're never going to agree and we wont make any difference either way anyway.
Oh well, we do enjoy a good gripe though eh :-D

 

Yeah yeah, we could throw examples and analogies at each other all flippin' night.

Ride safe and look out for high velocity pine cone carrying African swallows

 

I'm of two minds. I'd rather wear the helmet and not die. On the other hand, if I don't wear the helmet and die instead of spending my life paralysed and draining money from those I care about...

Just a thought...

 

Then wear a helmet brother Triaxx! Nobody is saying if there is no law requiring you to wear one you can't wear one. Nobody is saying you have to shoot yourself in the foot if you handle a gun.

If I am on a motorcycle, I will have a helmet on, by choice. Others may choose to ride without a helmet. Freedom. What is common sense to me may not be to you.

I don't believe in the gubment making common sense choices for me. They can't balance a checkbook. They can't do simple math, but they know what is best for me? rolleyes

 

If you tell a person who is against wearing a helmet they're absolutely right, will this make them more likely to be a rebel and start wearing one? :confused

My random reverse psychology thought of the day.

 

Does a tin foil hat qualify as a helmet? :-D

 

Ned, it is for the children's safety. We must ban windows that roll down, and convertibles. They are not properly regulated. A well aimed shot from a seagull, and you are blinded, while driving 70+ mph... We can't have that. :-D

 

If you're wearing it as a shield from alien radio signals, I guess so. :-D

 

It is to protect me from the gubment satellite signals... :-D:-D

 

Aren't they the same thing? :-D

 

We've gone from motorcycle helmet laws to tin-foil hats and aliens....Give me a break!!!...rolleyes LOL

 

You brought in the alien part. :-D Care to explain yourself? :-D:-D

 

:-D I won't post my thoughts on that. But that is funny in several ways. :cool

 

Re-read post #75, Fred.
No, I didn't bring up the aliens subject.Do I need to explain further?rolleyes -GOOD!

 

I think you are using your alien powers to pervert posts. :-D

You do note the smilley faces, those mean humor.