To helmet or not to helmet, is that even a question?

[Elsie rider]

[old time rider]

That may buff right out? [emoji2] My Joe Rocket all mesh is really used a lot. At stops so many ask "How do you stand wearing a jacket this hot!" Tell them as long as moving even at ten miles a hour its cooler than just a T shirt when in the sun. It blocks the sun but air comes through like it is not on. Rain does all so but when its that hot it just makes every thing better. [emoji106] Mine has held up so good to have so many miles on it. All seams and zipper still good just the dull ugly brown fade of the black now but that shows you are a rider.

[Herb]

I dress for the ride, weather dictates what I wear. If the state doesn't require it, I don't wear a helmet, except in cold or rainy weather.

So far in better than 50 years of riding, helmets have only helped in bad weather. Other than that they done nothing but cause me trouble, including being a factor in a crash.

Had a friend that lost an eye because the shield on a 3/4 helmet broke when he hit a deer.

When I learned to ride, helmets were not a requirement, I don't hate them, but dam sure would not be wearing them if I didn't have to.

In 2013 there were 57 motorcycle fatalities in NV, EVERYONE of them had on a helmet. I wonder how many of them happened because of the helmet.

[enforcer]

If I wait around long enough, I might actually see someone tell us they actually drive better while slightly intoxicated! Yes, I've heard that one before as well.

Are you sure I've never been pulled over by you before?

[enforcer]

If I wait around long enough, I might actually see someone tell us they actually drive better while slightly intoxicated! Yes, I've heard that one before as well.

Are you sure I've never been pulled over by you before?

Lemme guess... You only had 2 beers?

[emoji106]

3, I'm no lightweight! Well, maybe it wasn't you then.

[Herb]

I dress for the ride, weather dictates what I wear. If the state doesn't require it, I don't wear a helmet, except in cold or rainy weather.

So far in better than 50 years of riding, helmets have only helped in bad weather. Other than that they done nothing but cause me trouble, including being a factor in a crash.

Had a friend that lost an eye because the shield on a 3/4 helmet broke when he hit a deer.

When I learned to ride, helmets were not a requirement, I don't hate them, but dam sure would not be wearing them if I didn't have to.

In 2013 there were 57 motorcycle fatalities in NV, EVERYONE of them had on a helmet. I wonder how many of them happened because of the helmet.

While I certainly have no issue with you going sans helmet, this argument is akin to the seat belt argument. I think, but do not know for sure, there is sufficient evidence that would show the risk of serious injury is lessened by wearing a helmet, just like wearing a seat belt. The only major difference in my view is that bikers are more prone to serious injury simply by the nature of being exposed on a cycle, rather than encased in a steel/aluminum cage.

If I wait around long enough, I might actually see someone tell us they actually drive better while slightly intoxicated! Yes, I've heard that one before as well.

Someday a seatbelt MIGHT make a difference for me, HOWEVER, so far I have only wasted more hours than I can count putting the things on and taking them off.

Most of them cut across my neck, just below the jawline and make looking over my shoulder a hassle.

So far the seatbelt has only stolen time from my life, unlike a helmet that actually contributed to, if not the main cause of, an accident.

Actually, my 54 years of riding have shown me that in very few case have helmets actually lessened the severity of a crash, and in many case have increased the injuries. They dam sure make long days of riding less comfortable and much more tiring, especially on hot days.

The lightest of full face helmets still weighs about 2 lbs, and that is a dirt bike helmet with no shield and no padding in the chin bar.

Most full face helmets weigh in the vicinity of 2.5 lbs.

One crash I was in I was hit from the side, the helmet was a major factor in the fact I didn't see the car until to late and it added to my injuries. It was over 10 days before I could turn my head without major pain.

I wonder how many times it was claimed the helmet prevented major head injuries when in actuality the extra weight of the helmet actually increased the force of the hit, making it seem much worse than it actually would have been?

Our necks are not made to handle the added weight when the rest our body stops moving causing our heads to hit with a lot more force than they should.

BTW, if helmets are so good, why is it that the year after CA passed the helmet law my medical insurance on the bike went up? Shouldn't it have gone down?

[Spitfire]

I don't think you can make that kind of correlation based on the stats in this article. All it showed is some percentage of riders will die whether or not they wear a helmet ( I think it was around 40 or 50 percent ) but it didn't say if the people who died passed from head injuries or other injuries. ;IDunno: It did say helmets where important in the opening paragraph.

"Because serious head injury is common among fatally injured motorcyclists, helmet use is important. Helmets are about 37 percent effective in preventing motorcycle deaths 2 and about 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries. 3 Yet only 19 states and the District of Columbia mandate helmet use by all riders."

What I found the most telling is the graph showing us old farts are dying in ever increasing percentages of riders. However it doesn't discuss if this is because more older guys are riding as they begin to retire or if the rate of deaths in an single age group is increasing based solely on that age group. ;IDunno:

JMHO

[Elsie rider]

wj_hurd, I don't know where you get the idea that people who do not wear helmets do it to be cool. Do you wear a helmet to look cool, and I'm sure since it is a cool thing to you , you must be wear full leathers , boots and riding gloves every time you ride.

I almost always ride with no helmet . My choice, my life.

notice in states with helmet laws you see many wearing beanies, 1/2 helmets...yet states with no law people buy a helmet for safety ( or a beanie to go to a neighboring state with a lid law )


maybe you need to get a Goldwing..they have airbags

[old time rider]

I wear a helmet in a state that I do not have to any more.The wind at high speed does not feel that good with out a helmet IMO. Main reason is I have never worn a helmet because I plan to wreck that day. Do any of us plan to on any we have had? iF I knew the days I was going to wreck am sure some of the hot days would not have one on at slow speeds IF A NO WRECK DAY [emoji2] . Most the wrecks you do not die from the bike was slowed way down with braking before hitting something. Do what you want I but wear mine 99% even in camp grounds.

[enforcer]

wj_hurd, I don't know where you get the idea that people who do not wear helmets do it to be cool. Do you wear a helmet to look cool, and I'm sure since it is a cool thing to you , you must be wear full leathers , boots and riding gloves every time you ride.

I almost always ride with no helmet . My choice, my life.

notice in states with helmet laws you see many wearing beanies, 1/2 helmets...yet states with no law people buy a helmet for safety ( or a beanie to go to a neighboring state with a lid law )


maybe you need to get a Goldwing..they have airbags

Hey! I have motorcycle insurance. Am I cool?

Hope you have high limits.

[NE_FL]

Quite to my surprise, the numbers don't seem to bear out the propaganda. The most recent stats, 2014, show the majority of motorcycle related deaths were helmeted riders! I'm now really curious to find out why this is. ...

Look at it this way: Suppose 100% of all riders wore a helmet. If that were true, and there were ANY fatalities, then ALL FATALITIES would be of helmeted riders. So, since ALL FATALITIES would be of helmeted riders, does that mean wearing a helmet is worthless? No, it merely means that all deaths are of helmeted riders since only helmeted riders are on the road.

.

[scootermcq]

wj_hurd, I don't know where you get the idea that people who do not wear helmets do it to be cool. Do you wear a helmet to look cool, and I'm sure since it is a cool thing to you , you must be wear full leathers , boots and riding gloves every time you ride.

I almost always ride with no helmet . My choice, my life.

notice in states with helmet laws you see many wearing beanies, 1/2 helmets...yet states with no law people buy a helmet for safety ( or a beanie to go to a neighboring state with a lid law )


maybe you need to get a Goldwing..they have airbags

Except for wearing jeans and sneakers fairly frequently I am ATGATT and it sure as hell isn't to be cool. It is downright hot some times

I am just way to pretty to mar this work of art up with road rash

[NE_FL]

Quite to my surprise, the numbers don't seem to bear out the propaganda. The most recent stats, 2014, show the majority of motorcycle related deaths were helmeted riders! I'm now really curious to find out why this is. ...

Look at it this way: Suppose 100% of all riders wore a helmet. If that were true, and there were ANY fatalities, then ALL FATALITIES would be of helmeted riders. So, since ALL FATALITIES would be of helmeted riders, does that mean wearing a helmet is worthless? No, it merely means that all deaths are of helmeted riders since only helmeted riders are on the road.

I don't quite follow your logic. Here is what I thought when I read your reply...

Look at it this way: Suppose 100% of all cops wore a gun. If that were true, and there were ANY fatalities, then ALL FATALITIES would be of armed cops. So, since ALL FATALITIES would be of armed cops, does that mean wearing a gun is worthless? No, it merely means that all deaths are of armed cops since only armed cops are on the job.

What that doesn't take into account is how the cops were killed, if the gun contributed to, or failed to, prevent the deaths. We'd need to know the details of the deaths, just like with helmets. Maybe a rider gets into a serious crash and punctures a lung and died from that injury. Whether or not he was wearing a helmet is insignificant. But if another rider gets into the same crash, but doesn't suffer any life threatening injury, did the helmet save his life? We can't tell.

I guess it'd be like stating 20 people died in crashes this week. 10 were white, 8 were black, and 2 were hispanic. That doesn't mean whites are more susceptible to dying in crashes, or that hispanics are safer. Just like 20 people died in motorcycle crashes. 12 were wearing helmets and 8 were not. Who is safer? We can't tell.

Now, did I just prove your point, or mine???

We both made the same point using the same logic but different examples. We can't tell who is safer because a key fact is left out of each equation: How many deaths were prevented by wearing a helmet, and how many deaths were prevented by a cop with his gun.

[emoji106]

[Elsie rider]

After driving through the better part of Iowa and Illinois this weekend, two states without helmet laws, I got to wondering. Do those of you without helmet laws in your state still wear helmets? Seems most of those on the highways in those two states don't. Granted I saw a few that did, the majority of those didn't. I know I would, even if my state didn't have a law. (My state is surrounded by states with no laws, but I still wear one every ride)

What's your take?

You notice few still wear helmets even though not required by law. Look at those wearing helmets, they are wearing nice helmets designed for safety ..also look in state where you must wear a helmet , notice how many wear barely DOT certified just to keep from being pulled over.
Thos that complain it will raise insurance...NOT TRUE ...my insurane was the same when I moved to Missouri , and then back to Illinois

Missouri : Helmet required, Illinois : not required

just like seatbelts, you will either wear them or not .. when I was a kid we did not wear seatbelts, our generation did make our kids wear seatbelts..so not the people under 40 tend to put the belt on before starting their car .