Topic: Bikers...Helmets..Latest Statistics..Weigh-in now!

[Rocking-M]

I just spent more than I ever thought I would on a helmet, Arai....
and it is well worth the expense. I was using the Z1r before and with the Arai
peripheral vision is much better, helmet is lighter, ventilation second to none,
and with the visor vents the anti-fogging actually works (just tested that one out
in a rain storm on Monday).

[snarferer]

..... how about old statistics?....

This person's research would suggest that 45% of wrecks involve a face-plant.

Well that would mean that someone needs to develop the opposite of those "beanie" type helmets, so the top of your head is cool, and the part that needs protection is protected.  maybe something like the Hannibal mask

[derekd]

I wear a helmet 100 percent of the time ,boots and a jacket 95 percent of the time.I love to ride and am blessed with two great little girls and a wife .I protect myself not only for myself but for them. The gear does not by any means eliminate the risk of injury or worse but I want to be able to look myself in the mirror and say i did what i could to reduce the risk of the worse case situation.Don't most states require insurance ? why are so many guys worried about there tax dollars paying for injury's how did the the billion dollar insurance industry get out of this . I dont like helmet or seat belt laws for adults I think you should have a choice as an adult besides doesn't natural selection come into play here.

[BobbyR]

I wear a helmet 100 percent of the time ,boots and a jacket 95 percent of the time.I love to ride and am blessed with two great little girls and a wife .I protect myself not only for myself but for them. The gear does not by any means eliminate the risk of injury or worse but I want to be able to look myself in the mirror and say i did what i could to reduce the risk of the worse case situation.Don't most states require insurance ? why are so many guys worried about there tax dollars paying for injury's how did the the billion dollar insurance industry get out of this . I dont like helmet or seat belt laws for adults I think you should have a choice as an adult besides doesn't natural selection come into play here.

The Insurance usually only covers property damage or injury caused by you to someone else. Some Comapies will write a rider to cover you for lost wages.

[derekd]

I was thinking positive in that the rider was not at fault in the accident. Then  also the assuming insured driver/ insurance company should  be liable for medical care shouldn't it.I don't think medical cost is a issue that has a affect on the decision to wear or to mandate the wearing of a helmet, though the insurance industry does seem in need of reform.

[tom8Toe]

I wear a helmet 100 percent of the time ,boots and a jacket 95 percent of the time.I love to ride and am blessed with two great little girls and a wife .I protect myself not only for myself but for them. The gear does not by any means eliminate the risk of injury or worse but I want to be able to look myself in the mirror and say i did what i could to reduce the risk of the worse case situation. I dont like helmet or seat belt laws for adults I think you should have a choice as an adult besides doesn't natural selection come into play here.

Amen Brotha' +1. I have a son and a beautiful wife.

[BobbyR]

We have two basic discussions going one here:

1. Will wearing a helmet reduce the risk of serious head injuries. The obvious answer is a qualified yes, since it depends on the type of helmet being worn, the type of crash etc.

2. Do individuals have the "right" not to wear a helmet if they so chose. This is a slippery slope. Operating a Motor Vehicle is not classified as "right", it is classified as a "privilage". This allows the State governments to enact their own laws. In NH you do not have to wear a seat belt in a car, or wear a helmet on a motorcycle. In most States I know of you must wear a seat belt, but you can many times ride a bike without a helmet.  The slippery part comes in to play when you begin to discuss personal freedom. Sometimes personal freedom is at odds with the Law.
I wear a full face Helmet for my own personal reasons. If they changed the Law here I would continue doing it. That would then be my personal choice.   

[cleveland]

I see no reason to force people to wear a helmet OR a seat belt.  I will not trade freedom for safety.

*edit*  It may interest you to know I wear both by choice though.

[fixahonda]

I'm an all the gear all the time guy myself, but if someone else doesn't want to take the same approach, that's their own deal.
I do believe that the government should keep out of little issues like these. I am guessing the fat content in McDonalds meals kills more people (cumulatively) per year than riding without a helmet. Motorcycle riders don't make up that large of a percent of the populous to need many laws all to ourselves.

To add: The percentage of over 50 riders dieing is, in my opinion, due to all of the chopper BS that's gotten popular over the past few years.
Seems like everyone with decent credit and a inferiority complex heads to the Harley dealer to buy a bike, pipes, hankys, shirts, boots, jackets, stickers and whatever else conforms to the Harley standard of 1 bar and shield logo per square inch.
Then after they've proven themselves a real biker (by growing a beard and running with no helmet) they put themselves into a ditch.

[BobbyR]

Being over 50 I realize that I am more easily injured in a wreck. Also many people over 50 may also have some health issues that would be worsened in a wreck. Some I have met ride beyond their endurance and skill level. I have met guys who did cross country runs in their 20's gave it up for 30 years and bought a new bike. You can get a bit rusty in 30 years, and anyone who says they are the same at 50+ and they were in their 20's are kidding themselves. You can ride safely at 50+ but you have to make allowances. Some won't admit that to themselves. 

[mikedialect]

I NEVER wore a helmet until this year. This winter something happened mentally and I couldnt come up with a good reason NOT to wear one. Now I feel ridiculous if I'm not wearing it. I take my lady friend around and she wears my helmet and I ride without it, but I'm grabbing another nice helmet so we can both ride with one.

Honestly, still can't think of why you wouldn't wear one. I do also believe that if you don't want to wear one that's your own damn decision.

[cleveland]

You can get a bit rusty in 30 years, and anyone who says they are the same at 50+ and they were in their 20's are kidding themselves.

Ohhh, that explains the hot babe thread. 

[Ichiban 4]

Being over 50 I realize that I am more easily injured in a wreck. Also many people over 50 may also have some health issues that would be worsened in a wreck. Some I have met ride beyond their endurance and skill level. I have met guys who did cross country runs in their 20's gave it up for 30 years and bought a new bike. You can get a bit rusty in 30 years, and anyone who says they are the same at 50+ and they were in their 20's are kidding themselves. You can ride safely at 50+ but you have to make allowances. Some won't admit that to themselves. 

Well..being well over 50 nowadays myself..I couldn't agree with this sentiment more..Bobby.  [And hey to all you youngsters..just because we're not able to perhaps get it up like we used to (you can apply that to our riding style..or the Babes Thread I guess)..that doesn't mean we can't enjoy..or participate in more cautious ways..if you get my drift].

As I remember anyway..most of the stupid things I did..got onto trouble over (with both bikes & babes)..occurred before I was in my 40's.  Not knocking any of the younger brothers here..just adding that when you get over 40..50..it's not the end of the line regarding enjoyment, participation of riding..et al.  A little more paced, cautious..admittedly..but not out of the game.

[And Bobby..please continue with your enjoyable and connoisseur's touch with the Babes Thread].

Helmets..statistics??  Am I getting too far off the subject here? 

I tend to agree w/the analysis here..that much of the increased mortality with the over 50 group probably comes from latent/wannabe boomer bikers..that didn't allow for time, age differences when either starting..or resuming riding.

Still..I wouldn't ride w/o a helmet 45 years ago..still won't even more today.

Domo,

Ichi

 

[mikedialect]

The issue with helmets, seatbelts, etc is that forcing their use is not related to protecting the general public from physical harm, but to prevent financial burdens on certain public and private interests. As with most things, its all about the money.

add smoking bans in the equation as well. I couldnt agree more!

[cleveland]

And hey to all you youngsters..just because we're not able to perhaps get it up like we used to (you can apply that to our riding style..or the Babes Thread I guess)..that doesn't mean we can't enjoy..or participate in more cautious ways..if you get my drift].

It was just a joke, I have a rather dry since of humor.  The lucky ones get to be at an age that Viagra jokes apply, the rest died too early.   

[And Bobby..please continue with your enjoyable and connoisseur's touch with the Babes Thread].

Agreed!!!  Who doesn't like half naked hot babes?!  Uh oh, shhhhhh....here comes the Mrs. 

[BobbyR]

And hey to all you youngsters..just because we're not able to perhaps get it up like we used to (you can apply that to our riding style..or the Babes Thread I guess)..that doesn't mean we can't enjoy..or participate in more cautious ways..if you get my drift].

It was just a joke, I have a rather dry since of humor.  The lucky ones get to be at an age that Viagra jokes apply, the rest died too early.   

[And Bobby..please continue with your enjoyable and connoisseur's touch with the Babes Thread].

Agreed!!!  Who doesn't like half naked hot babes?!  Uh oh, shhhhhh....here comes the Mrs. 

No offense taken. What we lack in stamina we make up for with skill. That goes for bikes too. 

[techy5025]

The modular helmets seem to be getting a bad rap lately. Seems that on a face plant they come apart at the henge's leaving a screw exposed that tends to pop through your skull. I saw some pics on another forum recently that illustrated this (without the skull).

My full face Shoei doesn't mask my vision. Maybe my eyes don't swivel as much as some! 

At certain times of the year in Fla. it is so buggy I can't imagine riding without a full face helmet. I can ride 20 miles and need to clean my visor. They also work much better in the rain...especially with no windshield. 

Jim

[cleveland]

The modular helmets seem to be getting a bad rap lately. Seems that on a face plant they come apart at the henge's leaving a screw exposed that tends to pop through your skull. I saw some pics on another forum recently that illustrated this (without the skull).

Oh yea, that's great news.  I have a Shoei Multitech and I'd be interested in seeing the illustration you are talking about.

[techy5025]

Go here http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=309610 and click on the links in the first post. I'm still looking for the one about the screw issue.

Jim

[opinionated1]

Helmets should be required for everyone who rides a motorcycle.

My husband has always had a two-wheeler: from a Vespa in high school to a Honda Valkyrie of late. He won't wear a helmet because many, many years ago - one doctor at one hospital emergency room - said that if my husband's nephew hadn't been wearing a helmet when his sidecar was hit by a car. then he wouldn't have become a quadriplegic. Yeah? So? How many other people have been helped or saved by their helmets? One case, a rule does not make.

The older a person gets, the more he needs extra protection from injury - in spite of himself sometimes!

A Concerned Wife

[my78k]

Ha ha ha....I just found it funny that someone with a handle like opionated1 would be a wife...

I will have to look into getting a vanity plate for my wife's van like that!

Dennis

[ColinMc]

Full face helmet all the time every time for me, full gear all the time every time too...this doesnt mean jeans, it means actual reinforced riding pants...seen too many bad bad bad road rash incidents because they thought jeans would be enough. I used to tear my jeans apart falling off my bicycle when I was little...keeps things in perspective.

On another note, if you want the freedom to ride a motorcycle you should have to conform to some laws, helmet is for your safety, not because helmet companies want to sell more or because people hate bikers and want them to wear helmets. People are stupid, why do you think there are so many rediculous laws....because lots of people do stupid things. We shouldn't NEED helmet laws because people should be smart enough to know they should wear them plain and simple.

I have no vision or hearing issues with my full face helmet. I can hear better than the guy in his car next to me with his windows up and his radio at a moderate volume. If you have part of your vision obstructed by a full face helmet, it doesn't fit you properly that's all there is to it.

[gregimotis]

My husband has always...

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A nagging concerned Wife

What was that?  Oh, nevermind, pick up mah socks and fold mah laundry!

[BobbyR]

My husband has always...

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A nagging concerned Wife

I think that is a bit harsh.




What was that?  Oh, nevermind, pick up mah socks and fold mah laundry!

[Frankenkit]

The world loves irony.  Flown in yesterday was a guy who, according to his family, always wears his helmets, (couple diff. kinds) always makes his kids wear theirs, etc... but one of the rare times he took a spin 'round the block without, wham, bam, an SUV hits him, prob 1/8 of his cranium's caved in, his eyes are bugged out, big stent in his head and he's very _very_ out of commission for at least a little while.  (i.e. I'm not a doctor, but he looked bad.) 

It's hard to look at this stuff and say "People should have the freedom to make this a possibility."

I did my job, took him to his procedure, held his hand (who knows, he might have noticed, somehow) and took him back to his room in the ICU... the whole time realizing that that sight (and more) make me an "all the gear, all the time" advocate.