Topic: Evolution of motorcycle safety equipment and possible arguments against mandatory use

[scottly]

 airbags no doubt prevent many injuries.

Actually, airbags also cause many injuries. Look at the mega recall currently underway.

[ofreen]

 airbags no doubt prevent many injuries.

Actually, airbags also cause many injuries. Look at the mega recall currently underway.

My uncle hit a deer in his '90s Town Car years ago.  He wouldn't have been hurt except the airbag drove his eyeglass frame into his face.  My daughter was in a fender bender in a '94 Mirage that was enough to deploy the airbag but otherwise would have been harmless with her shoulder belt.  Burned her neck and lower face pretty good.  Our neighbor's baby was decapitated by the passenger side airbag during a fender bender in a store parking lot in Boise back in the late '90s.  She had the baby in the front seat with the child seat facing forward, which was a big boo-boo.  I haven't seen her for years and hope she is doing better.  At any rate, I understand current bags deploy a little less violently than those back in the '90s.  Of course the shrapnel the defective bags are throwing ain't very healthy.

[HondaMan]

How's the paper going, Mantree?


Other 'safety' gear: the "safety switch" arrangement on many bikes that prevent the electric start from working until you either (or all 3, depending on the bike):
1. Put it in Neutral (very convenient in the center of the intersection at rush hour when the bike died for boiling ethanol gas in the carbs on 100-degree days) or
2. Pull in the clutch (if your clutch switch, Safety Module, and/or Diode still work) and/or
3. Put up the sidestand (some German bikes are like this...). At which point, if one of the above didn't happen, leaves you STILL out in the center of the intersection, trying to restart the bike. Like, maybe putting the sidestand back down so you can kickstart it, because you "cafe'd" the bike by removing the electric starter (to save 3 lbs?) and the centerstand (to fit the 4-1 pipe), and added the 80w H4 headlight, presently dragging your battery down below the voltage required for the Dyna S to start the bike...

Yes, this one is my favorite pet peeve...

Someone I know got run over from behind, in the center of an intersection, by an impatient rush-hour motorist during just such an event...

[Mantree]

How's the paper going, Mantree?


Other 'safety' gear: the "safety switch" arrangement on many bikes that prevent the electric start from working until you either (or all 3, depending on the bike):
1. Put it in Neutral (very convenient in the center of the intersection at rush hour when the bike died for boiling ethanol gas in the carbs on 100-degree days) or
2. Pull in the clutch (if your clutch switch, Safety Module, and/or Diode still work) and/or
3. Put up the sidestand (some German bikes are like this...). At which point, if one of the above didn't happen, leaves you STILL out in the center of the intersection, trying to restart the bike. Like, maybe putting the sidestand back down so you can kickstart it, because you "cafe'd" the bike by removing the electric starter (to save 3 lbs?) and the centerstand (to fit the 4-1 pipe), and added the 80w H4 headlight, presently dragging your battery down below the voltage required for the Dyna S to start the bike...

Yes, this one is my favorite pet peeve...

Someone I know got run over from behind, in the center of an intersection, by an impatient rush-hour motorist during just such an event...

Paper is not going so well I have posted this question on another forum and now have 4 pages insulting my intelligence due to my spelling.  I know what you mean on the safety switches I have a yamaha xvz1300 with a sidecar that has a sticky clutch switch that makes me sometimes smack the handlebars to start the bike

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[Kevin D]

Dainese D-air:

http://www.dainese.com/us_en/d-air/#time_7

GoldWing Airbag:

http://world.honda.com/motorcycle-picturebook/Airbag/

[Scott S]

 Go talk to Trevor and ask him if he wishes he was wearing a helmet.

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,112595.0.html

[calj737]

Yeah, for the record, I ALWAYS have worn a helmet and require my sons and wife to do so as well. However, I do understand those who claim individual right to decide for themselves. Not a smart choice in my book, but it is their life and I honor their choice to make their own decisions. (However much I disagree with it). I never allow anyone to ride my bikes if they are not wearing a helmet and a jacket either. I will not contribute to or enable them to potentially be hurt while making (IMO) bad choices.

Some call me pious, some call me stubborn. I consider myself principled and wise.

[70CB750]

I dont like airbags ever since I saw a neighbor after small accident that however deployed airbag in her face.

I would much prefer a pyropatron tightening the seatbelt instead. Myself I wear seatbelts, helmets, protection all the time.

But on The Red,I removed all the safety module wiring, prefer to make my own calls.

[ofreen]

I consider myself principled and wise.

Both are excellent attributes to be sure.

It shouldn't really need to be said because it is beside the point, but I wear a helmet when riding and don't drive without a seatbelt.  The reason I don't support mandatory helmet use laws for adults is that every single justification used to support a helmet law can just as easily be used to outlaw motorcycle riding.  There are plenty of people who would like to make that happen, including some with a lot of money and lobbyists.  The fact is many, many are killed (or maybe just maimed) when riding even when wearing a helmet.  Motorcycle riding has inherent hazards that many consider to be unreasonable.  I have always said that if there was an up or down vote in the general population to allow motorcycle riding I'm not sure we would come out on top.  That is one of the reasons why I am glad we don't live in a democracy, in spite of what I hear the misinformed (including politicians and the media) spout daily.

[Dunk]

Simple question, does a mandatory helmet law comply with the Non Aggression Priciple? It does not, as enforcement would involve the initiation of force against a person who has harmed nobody. The end result of enforcement is caging or killing violators (i.e. if the violator attempts to continue on his was while harming no person or property). Remember every time you think "they should make a law ...", the only tool government has to enforce any law is violence.

Is forcing people to wear helmets worth killing for? Absolutely not. All arguments regarding costs to others are irrelevant. Without the welfare state (the initiation of force) there would be no involuntary costs on others. If you have an argument against medical and ongoing costs in a wreck of a rider with no helmet, then you really have an argument against the welfare state and regulation of the medical sector.

With all that being said, I wear a full face all the time every time. I believe that choice has saved my life twice now. I strongly encourage everyone to wear a full face but would never threaten or use violence to get them to do so under duress.

[70CB750]

Simple question, does a mandatory helmet law comply with the Non Aggression Priciple? It does not, as enforcement would involve the initiation of force against a person who has harmed nobody. The end result of enforcement is caging or killing violators (i.e. if the violator attempts to continue on his was while harming no person or property). Remember every time you think "they should make a law ...", the only tool government has to enforce any law is violence.

Is forcing people to wear helmets worth killing for? Absolutely not. All arguments regarding costs to others are irrelevant. Without the welfare state (the initiation of force) there would be no involuntary costs on others. If you have an argument against medical and ongoing costs in a wreck of a rider with no helmet, then you really have an argument against the welfare state and regulation of the medical sector.

With all that being said, I wear a full face all the time every time. I believe that choice has saved my life twice now. I strongly encourage everyone to wear a full face but would never threaten or use violence to get them to do so under duress.

The problem is, you can not regulate the country into better society, people must grow personally and socially to improve the nation - yeah, sounds pathetic, but I seen the other end of it and it does not work. We were regulated and binded by law on everything.

Wisdom that's completely lost on a lot of politicians anywhere in the world.

[Kevin D]

1) disc brakes
2) abs
3) run flat tires
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=emTvm5tu0ac

Future:
4) some sort of phaser/blaster to disable the cell phones or ignition of vehicles moving into my right-of-way. My horn isn't getting the job done these days.