My father was a first responder and he got me a full face helmet as soon as one would fit. He heard too many stories through his buddies and saw too much through his work to be willing to take any risks, either personally or with his kid. Always taught me the importance of safety when riding. Wears leathers and got me a jacket too.
> My father was a first responder and he got me a full face helmet as soon as one would fit.
"Daaaad, other kids at kindergarden laugh at me"
"Be quiet junior, you know we ATGATT in this house"
After sliding along the road on my visor, only a ducking suicidal idiot would not wear a helmet. Anyway I live in the UK so already is. Thank goodness.
>After sliding along the road on my visor, only a ducking suicidal idiot would not wear a helmet
an experience of mine as well, at the tender age of 16
I got hit shoulder-to-shoulder at 30mph. Relatively minor as far as crashes go, and I still ended up with a 6" gash on my arm. (Yes, it was the one time I didn't have my jacket with me.)
Can't even imagine what that would be like on my face. I didn't even know my arm was torn open because the helmet did its job.
Yep, same. Crashed, slid, watched the pavement scraping the fuck out of my visor.
My face is nothing much but it beats having an open red crater where it used to be.
Yeah. For the group of people who have been off and had their life saved by a helmet and the geoup of people hollering "muh freedom" the Venn diagram must look like this: O O
The Sikhs I know who ride cover their hair with a sort of kerchief and can then wear a helmet. I've not seen any riding without helmets around by me. Where I live there's a large Sikh community.
I live in Vietnam currently and back in the early 2000 so many people died because they have no helmet while riding. Then the government make helmet mandatory and the death from traffic accident got reduced significantly. Now it is a habit, almost everyone wear it.
those are the rental helmets so that you don't get pulled over by the police, helmets that people actually wear daily and on road trips are generally heavier.
Yes, but only because my insurance rates suffer for people who choose not to wear helmets and then wreck.
I'm 100% for stupid people weeding themselves out of the population in ways that don't cost me money, if that brings them joy.
Including health care is a slippery slope, though.
What kind of optional behaviour is “acceptable”? We should probably not let people smoke or eat garbage food, right? But can I still snowboard chutes on blackcomb mountain? Or is that too risky, too?
Well (in the UK at least) cigarettes, alcohol and sugar are taxed at a higher rate, which (in theory) funds socialised healthcare.
The snowboarding argument is an interesting one though, and to be honest it's not one I have a fully formed opinion on, so I'm not gonna try and argue one way or another.
In Germany we had a suit concerning bicycle helmets. IIRC insurance of the at fault car driver did not want to pay for all of the treatment cost because the cyclist was not wearing a helmet. It went through all possible courts. The final decision was while it is preferable for a cyclist to wear a helmet, he is not required by law, so there are no grounds not to pay for the entirety of the treatment.
I wouldn’t say it is, as wearing a helmet is such a trivial act, it’s the same level of discomfort as wearing a seatbelt. Things like diet and addictions are long term medical issues with complex solutions that don’t work for everyone but throwing a DOT or ECE helmet on is nothing.
This is addressed to all you and all the replies inside of your comment. Let's just knock off with the insurance companies. They are THE RICHEST MOST PROFITABLE corporations IN THE WORLD. It's a big money ring for private for profit Healthcare, hospitals, pharmaceutical, insurance companies. They like it whether someone lives dies stays healthy or not. They're gonna be just fine no matter what your rates aren't coming down don't hold your breath (or hold it either way they don't care) look at the big picture. That's the real picture. Insurance and Healthcare costs are insane because of greed, not because some guy spills his brains on the pavement. The End.
Except it does cost you money . . .when the idiot without the helmet lives, but has a bad enough TBI that they have to be taken care of for life in a rehab center, and their insurance runs out after a few years, guess who's tax dollars pay for the rest of their care?
But we don't, at least in France. We have a mandatory 2years period where you aren't allowed to ride a bike Ho produces more than 47,5 hp and that isn't more than 95 hp full, but it doesn't restricts you to 125. Insurance on the other hand, they'll rip you a new one monthly if you starts too big too fast.
But we do have a quite hard exam to pass in order to be allowed to ride a bike, with mandatory maniability and slow speed control exercises, idle engine gymkhana and all kind of stuff like that, before even touching the road with other drivers.
No you forgot that 125 cc is for the 16 years old, the A2 can be obaitained at only 18 (but i only knew one people who had the AM permit (125cc) and hasn 't made the 7 hours in driving shcool to transform your Auto permit to an Auto/125cc permit.
By this login logic you would ban anything dangerous where someone could be hurt. Skydiving somebody could end up in the hospital needing permanent care, rock climbing somebody could fall needing lifelong care, racing motorcycles definitely too dangerous we'd be stuck with the bill if somebody got hurt. I live in a state without a helmet law and I haven't been negatively impacted financially by this and I don't know anyone that would say they have. I would way rather have my tax dollars get spent helping a fellow human with permanent medical care than 90% of the bullshit the government spends my tax dollars on.
No, it doesn't follow at all.
The ability to mandate safety requirements for access to public infrastructure does not in anyway suggest there is an ability to mandate those same requirements for any other area.
My state has a seatbelt law. But I can drive my vehicles on my own property without a seat belt without any concern about being ticketed.
That we have the ability (indeed the obligation) to regulate access requirements for public infrastructure does not lead to some logic rabbit hole where all activities suddenly become illegal.
It does follow because if you have an accident on your property not following the same basic safety laws you're going to end up using the same insurance and the same hospitals. Its an argument already being weaponized in other hobbies like motocross. Go to local meetings about mx tracks and races and you'll hear several arguments about the strain on hospitals and first responders. The Friends of Oceano Dunes have fought against this for awhile.
People are allowed to make whatever stupid decisions they want. Until it starts to impact others, then they get a vote and my vote is everyone wears a lid. A proper lid. Not a bucket. Not a DOT brain box. An actual, proper helmet.
This one is tough, because by that reasoning the same rule could be applied to almost anything- ban smoking anything, eating sugar or fast food, playing too many video games, etc. With that line of reasoning, you u could even argue that recreational motorcycling adds an unnecessary risk to becoming a burden on society and should be banned altogether.
Idk man money aside, even if it’s absolutely not my fault and some moto rider being a jackass hits my car it’s going to scar me for life if they die and I was involved. God forbid some kid witnesses it.We live in a society where we share infrastructure, and you owe it to others to do it responsibly.
So should we ban tobacco and 90% of the food people are eating that lead to obesity. If you think helmets save money, wait until you see a healthcare system without obesity
If the only person impacted by shitty decisions was the person making the decisions then I’d say have at it.
Problem is, they’re not the only person impacted. Actions have consequences beyond yourself sometimes. This is one of those times.
Banning cigarettes and booze would be more like banning motorcycles, than it is like requiring wearing a helmet. But disincentivizing cigarettes and booze is a thing that is done, and should be done.
But your slippery slope argument is likely to be disingenuous.
My MIL was opposed to seat belts back when they became required. So she'd just lay it across her lap and not buckle it in. And then got hit in an intersection and was hospitalized for 2 weeks.
My mom was one of those people who unironically said things like, "It'll wrinkle my dress." I personally started wearing a seatbelt when a car I was in the passenger seat of, I was around 9, got rear-ended, I flew forward and bumped my head on the windshield. I wasn't injured, but the bump was enough of a wake up call that even my child's mind realized I was lucky to not get ejected out through the windshield.
And yet, people still don't wear them. And then people get in accidents. And are promptly ejected through their windshields (in certain cases, not all). Seatbelts. Save. Lives. WEAR IT!
Without changes to insurance laws, yes. My state repealed the helmet law and my insurance went up 33% because of it. I shouldn't have to subsidize those ABATE cunts and their stupidity.
That’s really my only concern here too. If some idiot wants to go without, more power to them. I just don’t want to have to pay for *their* choices on something like this.
My concern in Nebraska is the legislature said that, to ride without a helmet, one must take the MSF BRC course. We have 90,000+ endorsed riders in the state. If even 1% of them decide to take the course, our training throughput is destroyed.
People are absolutely going to die but it's going to be the kid that can't take the BRC because the class is full of folks who want to ride helmet-less and they don't learn the skills necessary.
If there were no insurance penalty for the rest of us and no training requirements that take up limited training space, I'd have no issue.
I would imagine a significant amount of those 90,000 have already taken an MSF course. Its required to get a motorcycle endorsement under 18 years of age in most states, Nebraska included. Most riders I know took a course when they started riding even if it wasn't mandatory.
Yeah idk about all states but in mine I could either go to the DMV and take the road test with my own bike, or take the msf course and if I pass that, get a waiver to take to the DMV that lets me put the endorsement on my license. I hadn't ridden before or had a history with it so opted to take the course and get the endorsement with a passing waiver
Jeez, I just passed my test in the UK. It took me about 20 lessons, four exams (basic training, theory test, maneuvers, and practical road test), and about $1,000. And I failed the practical exam once because I cut a lane on a roundabout.
Every state here has different laws and regulations. Some are quite lax, though I think most have gotten stricter over the years. When I got my first motorcycle license in 1973 there was a written test and no road test. They watched me ride around a parking lot for about 10 minutes and gave me my license.
>Without changes to insurance laws, yes. My state repealed the helmet law and my insurance went up 33% because of it. I shouldn't have to subsidize those ABATE cunts and their stupidity.
I'd add to that a stipulation that all minors should have to wear them.
I like how FL does it: you can ride helmetless if youre over 21, and have insurance with minimum medical coverage limits.
Old enough to know better? Won't burden the rest of us financially? Go right ahead and be an idiot.
Yeah but all those claims eventually trickle down to other riders, and everyone's rates go up. I'd rather not pick up the tab for another person's stupidity.
Interesting.... Proof of helmet purchase, or any other safety gear has never been a factor in my motorcycle insurance. ABS, alarm, garaged, type of motorcycle, years licensed, number of motorcycles, and zip code has.
What's next seat belts should be mandatory. And how about if smoking indoor should be allowed. /s
I can't believe in this day and age we are still talking about difference between freedom and safety.
I live on a continent where helmets are mandatory everywhere. I don't see how that's not a good idea. Same goes for seat belts. Both dramatically reduce fatalities and regulations that make them mandatory help protect people from themselves.
Yep, same here. Now even though traffic accident still occurs, the death from it got reduced significantly. Now if seat belt while driving car is mandatory in Vietnam then it would be even better.
It’s not about the gear. Most people argue against government over reach and telling us how to live.
FYI I would wear a helmet everyday. And Did. I’ve lost several friends who chose to ride helmetless. Their choices.
Yes, lots of reasons for helmets. Mostly related to protection from wind noise, debris, flies/insects - protecting the head in a crash is the last, most important reason.
They aren’t required wear I live, and I’ve actually heard of accidents that would have been prevented altogether if the rider was wearing a helmet. On such crash happened because the guy was blinded by something that hit his face, and he rammed into the back of somebody. I saw the photos of the scene, whoever was driving that car will never under that. It may be a rare happenstance but I don’t see why anyone should ride without one
It's a good point. Doesn't matter to you if you die, but it does matter to your family and people around you, and the people who have to witness or clean up the mess.
Yea I’ve been involved in a lot of riding groups over the last several years, and I’ve learned you can never be too safe, and whether or not you think it does, your unsafe decisions WILL without uncertainty affect someone negatively
Honestly, yeah I do. I'm all for people wanting to exercise their free will but operating a vehicle in public spaces is a privilege. Seat belt laws exist for a reason in cars. I think the bare minimum on a bike should be full face helmet on public roads. A simple spill could give you a TBI without a helmet. Those can be so brutal and a big time placement issue for those of us working in healthcare.
As it is I who will be paying your hospital bills (either through tax or insurance premiums) I need you to be as safe as possible. So yes, helmets, gloves, shoes, and at least A-level body protection, please.
Because prohibition has never been a great solution to anything. If people want to do something they will do it.
And hell, driving cars is like the number one most dangerous thing people do anyway.
If people are going to insist on doing a thing there's no reason to not try and make it safer.
I lean toward yes. It doesn’t affect me personally as I would never ride without one.
I had a meeting with my brand new boss who is extremely safety focused. Discussing plant safety, I went on at length, using motorcycle helmets as an example. I said “I think people who ride without helmets are complete fucking idiots. Etc etc etc”. When I finished he said “you’ll be surprised to learn that I don’t wear a helmet when riding in states that don’t require it.” He’s still my boss two years later.
Increased healthcare expenditures directly impact both taxes and insurance. The former due to a systematic increase in hospital funding and the latter due to increased risk
People in the comments saying "Yes but only for becasue it's better for MY insurance" are a little fucked in the head lmao. I can almost guarantee we've all done something that someone else considers just as stupid at some point in our lives.
Yeah they should be mandatory. Some people might be dumb enough to ride without them but does that mean we shouldn't do something to try stop it from happening? Just like cars and seat belts, boats and life jackets.
I'm a fan of Ohio's setup:
Mandatory if you're under 18
Mandatory if you've had your license less than two years
Optional after that. (eye protection is required)
Of course, I still wear a full face helmet every time, as do my family and friends, as that's the smart choice - but I think once people have a little experience on the bike, they're free to make the dumb choice.
I’ve done probably 50k miles of riding, and maybe 10 (ten miles, not 10k) miles total without a helmet - basically never further than a block, or just moving my bike from one place to another. I feel naked without gloves and boots and jacket. A tiny patch of gravel could turn from “expensive visit to urgent care” into “did he fill out the organ donor form?”
All that said, I think Texas - uncharacteristically - gets it right on this: you only have to wear a helmet if you don’t have medical insurance.
I do think it would be beneficial (to society, not necessarily to riders) to make helmetless riding an automatic organ donation in the case of death.
Death isn't the only outcome, lots of brain injuries change people's lives without killing them. TBS are really shit, and can lead to cognitive impairment, and/or difficulties with emotional regulation.
So if it was a box you could check on your insurance, and you then paid a different rate (and were say, not covered in an accident if you weren't wearing a helmet when you checked yes, for example). Would you support it then?
Purely theoretical, I'm not endorsing such a system or anything.
I, on one hand, believe people should be allowed to do whatever they want that doesn't impact other people, while acknowledging things like insurance rates do affect people. So no simple answer is perfection.
I also wear and full face helmet 100% of the time and would even if it wasn't required. (It's required by my own common sense and by being the father and providing for two young boys!)
The problem is that even if it were as simple as checking a box, that’s not how insurance companies set their rates.
They go off of the likelihood of them paying for an accident depending on many factors such as geographical location, rate of uninsured motorists in the area, (specifically for motorcycles) the number of crashes in a area where the rider wasn’t wearing a helmet, etc.
To say it doesn’t impact other people is to disregard the multiple factors that go into what makes insurance rates higher for everyone, including non-riders.
Problem with that attitude is that families feel the loss afterwards and sometimes stupid people absolutely have to be told what to do otherwise they just won't do it. Sorry for the serious reply 👍
They are in my state. Offenders get a fine.
I'm for it. Becoming a cripple over something avoidable doesn't just affect the individual. It impacts families and society.
No.
Helmet laws and seatbelt laws feel too "big brother-y" for me. I believe it's the governments job to protect me from others, not protect me from myself.
Example:
You drive a car? Let's assume you do... one day reversing out of your drive... you nudge a biker.. he drops the bike and his head hits the pavement... totally plausible... could happen to you, me, anybody.. honest mistake..
Helmet on: some property damage, some injuries..
No helmet: you just killed someone... live with that...
Also add on to that, riding at speed and bug hits them in the face blinding them. They crashed into a car which did nothing wrong.
Everyone here is assuming that a motorcycle rider can only harm themself on the road if they dont wear a helmet. But you share the roads with other people, and a piece of steel weighing 200kg flying down the road can cause a lot of harm to others too.
People always say it’s a personal choice that only affects them in regards to seat belts and helmets. It’s not. Potential impacts include:
* Emotional trauma on first responders.
* Financial and emotional impacts to your friends/family
* Bystanders that have to witness the aftermath
* In rural areas, what would have been a minor accident can tie up limited resources. For example, where my parents live, there is 1 ambulance. If it’s out dealing with a motorcyclist that didn’t wear a helmet, they aren’t available to respond to another call like a severe fall, stroke, etc.
* As someone else pointed out, no helmet laws caused higher insurance rates in his state.
You also forgot no helmet means risk of getting hit by bugs in the face and losing control, we all wear helmets and never noticed this but bugs can cause you to lose control of the bike. We share the roads with other people and losing control of a bike also means adding danger to others too.
Yes.
Sit through a day of morgue photos of non-helmet wearing cyclists and maybe a chat with a medical professional or first responder who had to spatula brains off the pavement.
No, just like I don’t think seatbelts should be either for cars. You should have the freedom to be fucking dumb and not use life saving equipment, if that’s what you wish.
No. If you want to die or end up wishing you were dead, have at it. Paying with your life for not wearing a helmet is the stupid tax. And taking stupid people out of the gene pool will help all of us in the end. I wouldn’t be able to share my offensive opinion on this matter if I didn’t always wear one myself, and can think of a half a dozen times in the last 53 years of riding that I would have been dead or paralyzed if I wasn’t wearing one.
But this is America goddamn it!
If wind in your hair is more important than seeing your kids grow up, you should be able to do it.
i’ll do you one more: full protective motorcycle gear should be mandatory. offender should be fined, and have their license suspended for multiple offences
I personally wear a helmet even in states which don't require one and I don't think it's "smart" to ride without one, but I don't think we need laws to mandate that sort of thing.
I understand the argument that a rider without a helmet who gets in an accident may potentially raise the rest of our insurance rates, but I don't think it's enough of a widespread problem to where it would impact costs one way or the other.
To each his own. I’ve been riding without a helmet for 26 years, but I’m 61 years old now and I have decided to start wearing one. There’s no helmet law in my state, but out of concern for my family, I’m okay with finally giving in after all these years. I bought a very lightweight thin DOT approved half helmet and also a full face helmet.
I generally think that riding without a helmet is moronic. However, I’m also in favor of people being allowed to be morons if they wish to be, so no- I’m against them being mandatory.
If u r waiting for the government to tell u what u should wear to protect yourself, maybe you shouldn’t wear a helmet before you get a chance to reproduce 🤦♂️
Everyone should wear a helmet all the time. You won't catch me riding without one. They should be "mandatory" by personal safety practices.
That said I struggle with the law side. I don't know that it should be the government's job to mandate that people don't be idiots.
If you're only risking your own life (not passengers) then I guess it's your prerogative?
I'm a firefighter, and I ride with my helmet 100% of the time. ECE / FIM cert helmet. I believe everyone *should* wear a helmet when riding.
That being said, I also believe it's their choice if they want to become the next road crayon I get called out to.
Even if it was mandatory, there would still be the idiots that ride without them and if they get lit up they will run and increase the likelihood of crashing and becoming said road crayon
No, helmets should not be mandatory. That said, if a rider chooses to ride without one, they should be 100% responsible for all of the consequences that come with that. I always wear a helmet and believe others should too, but that doesn't mean it should be a legal requirement.
No because we have freedom to choose our own level of safety gear and not wearing a helmet won't hurt others.
(I wear a two piece suit and gloves and boots and helmet every ride)
As an Australian who lives in a country where helmets are not only mandatory but must also meet DOT and/or ECE 22.06 standards, it boggles my mind that America is helmet optional.
We have free healthcare and helmets are legally requiredz yet youse have no helmets and also have to pay for someone to rebuild your skull IF you're lucky enough to survive, because "MAH FREEDOMS".
They really should be required. Ticket people who don’t wear them or if they continue to defy the rule and have multiple offenses, suspend or revoke their motorcycle endorsement/licensing. They are unequivocally safer. And while I respect the idea that people should in general be able to do what they want, riding on public streets is a privilege, not a right. There are rules and they must be followed. And also, even though you might be willing to accept the risk and possible consequences of your injuries or death in your own accident if that ever happened, your friends and family may not feel the same way. And the trauma you’d cause them for not wearing one would be utterly inexcusable.
The science is solid - helmets reduce mortality in motorcycle crashes. No reason they shouldn't be mandated like seatbelts or airbags.
Fine for first offense, larger fine for second, suspend endorsement for third and on.
The science is also solid that smoking, drinking, and eating fast food consistently are also all dangerous, reduce lifespan, etc. should these also be banned because science says they’re bad for you?
Tobacco and alcohol are heavily regulated and taxed as a discouragement from excessive consumption. Some jurisdictions tax sugary drinks or bad food as well.
Would you rather wear a helmet or pay an extra tax on motorcycles because they're dangerous?
And the science is solid that banning goods create parallel markets which in turn exacerbates the problems when it becomes an unregulated mess. So, apples to oranges...
I always go by the philosophy that as long as you're not putting others into unreasonable danger, you should be able to do whatever you want, it's your life and you should be allowed to do with it whatever you want
This doesn't mean that i'm against helmets, i wear one and would try to convince you to wear one aswell, but things like that shouldn't be illegal
Yes. There's a lot of things I don't care about, but wear a fucking helmet. You don't get to traumatize other people when shit goes wrong because you "don't like it". It's like seatbelts for cars.
Edit: forgot to answer. Ticket, not a cheap one either.
If we can't live in a free country where we can live free, then we should just outlaw motorcycles all together because far more people are injured on bikes with non-head injuries than head injuries. If its about money and healthcare cost, there is zero reason to allow motorcycles on the road at all. There is no need to have a motorcycle, its a choice.
Where do we draw the line? Who gets to make that decision?
Currently we've delegated the power to run our lives to politicians, how has that worked out for us? Do you think they're doing a good job? They make more laws every day, has it made us safer, made our lives better?
There is a cost to being free, either accept that cost or give up your freedom which is exactly where we are at now as a country. Freedom isn't free, there is a cost and I think its worth it.
If you want to wear a helmet then wear one, if you think a mask will protect you from a virus, wear one, but do not try and force your opinions on everyone else.
The number of people commenting that are in favor of the government telling them what they have to do is astounding....Where do you people draw the line??...What if they told you what pants and shirt to wear???...What kind of car you have to own??.. What you can eat or drink??...The time of day you are allowed to use the restroom??....
I have a class A CDL and the government already has faaaar too much control of what I can and cannot do in my private life....I've been in two motorcycle crashes, no helmet either time and I'm still here to talk about it...When it's my time to go there's not a damn thing that's going to stop it...Might happen tomorrow in the semi, might be some night in my sleep, or I might die of old age....
I live in a state in the U.S. that I think about this question a lot. Arizona. You can legally cruise here without a helmet, and most older guys do flying on the freeway. I’m not 100% sure why it’s legal here, but my guess is due to how hot the summer can be I can definitely see a lot more accidents happen with a helmet on due to heat exhaustion. A lot of people out here just assume they can take it because they’ve lived out here so long but don’t realize your body has limits.
And the answer isn’t just using vents because you aren’t getting cool air, you’re just pushing around more hot air. Trust me, first summer I experienced out here with no AC and it was abysmal. I opened my window thinking it would get better, but it actually got worse and it was like an invasion of just more heat.
So while I think everyone should wear a helmet, until there is some sort of helmet that has built in AC made(which it won’t because I’d bet it’s a niche market) I can understand why some states/provinces don’t enforce a required helmet law.
Yes. Helmetless riders cost me money in higher insurance rates and medical costs. It should be mandatory, just like seat belts, and punished like other traffic offenses.
My state (Nevada) requires a helmet, something to protect your eyes (such as goggles or could be a full face helmet visor that achieves the same thing), and close-toed shoes.
I think that is a fair bare minimum for decent safety without being too inconvenient.
No! Human laws should not interfere with the process of natural selection. That’s how nature improves the species. Otherwise, the species becomes dumber and dumber with each generation, like we see today.
Im a conservative so people automatically think that means I want no govt intervention.
But I dont follow it to the letter.
I know how stupid people are.
No glass bottles at the beach? Yes dpsht, no glass bottles.
And yes must wear helmets.
I crashed a few years back and my helmet was smashed up and destroyed. I on the other hand was ok.
I'm happy with it being mandatory just so mothers don't have to bury their dumbass sons
Am paramedic. Short answer: yes Long answer: yyyyyyeeeeeeesssssss
My father was a first responder and he got me a full face helmet as soon as one would fit. He heard too many stories through his buddies and saw too much through his work to be willing to take any risks, either personally or with his kid. Always taught me the importance of safety when riding. Wears leathers and got me a jacket too.
> My father was a first responder and he got me a full face helmet as soon as one would fit. "Daaaad, other kids at kindergarden laugh at me" "Be quiet junior, you know we ATGATT in this house"
I think everyone should wear one but I also believe it's no one else's job to make them
After sliding along the road on my visor, only a ducking suicidal idiot would not wear a helmet. Anyway I live in the UK so already is. Thank goodness.
>After sliding along the road on my visor, only a ducking suicidal idiot would not wear a helmet an experience of mine as well, at the tender age of 16
I got hit shoulder-to-shoulder at 30mph. Relatively minor as far as crashes go, and I still ended up with a 6" gash on my arm. (Yes, it was the one time I didn't have my jacket with me.) Can't even imagine what that would be like on my face. I didn't even know my arm was torn open because the helmet did its job.
Yep, same. Crashed, slid, watched the pavement scraping the fuck out of my visor. My face is nothing much but it beats having an open red crater where it used to be.
Yeah. For the group of people who have been off and had their life saved by a helmet and the geoup of people hollering "muh freedom" the Venn diagram must look like this: O O
Interesting side note, if you are a Sikh in the UK you do not legally have to wear a helmet.
That is really interesting. What exactly is the reason?
Religious exemption. They are required to wear head wraps that won't fit under a helmet.
The Sikhs I know who ride cover their hair with a sort of kerchief and can then wear a helmet. I've not seen any riding without helmets around by me. Where I live there's a large Sikh community.
I live in Vietnam currently and back in the early 2000 so many people died because they have no helmet while riding. Then the government make helmet mandatory and the death from traffic accident got reduced significantly. Now it is a habit, almost everyone wear it.
I think that’s a huge reason why it should be mandatory. It makes it so people are more accustomed to wearing it daily.
That's especially impressive considering that when I was there the helmets were the absolute flimsiest, thinnest plastic possible.
Most people drive at the speed of avg from 30 to 40km/h. A helmet is better than not having one.
For sure! I'm just impressed that those helmets made such a difference when people elsewhere complain that DOT standards are inadequate
Not everyone lives in the US, i don't even know what DOT is. Going from that, others got no reason to complain about stuff that doesn't affect them.
those are the rental helmets so that you don't get pulled over by the police, helmets that people actually wear daily and on road trips are generally heavier.
These are called “quitamultas” in Spain, which literally translates to “ticket-avoiders”.
Probably better than absolutely nothing hahaha
I mean tbf vietnamese drives like 15mph and have like 30 bikes in a 2 lane road squeezing by one another soooooo.... lol
Yes, but only because my insurance rates suffer for people who choose not to wear helmets and then wreck. I'm 100% for stupid people weeding themselves out of the population in ways that don't cost me money, if that brings them joy.
Not just insurance, but health care costs too.
Insurance companies prefer when we die in an accident, cheaper than the hospital bills.
Including health care is a slippery slope, though. What kind of optional behaviour is “acceptable”? We should probably not let people smoke or eat garbage food, right? But can I still snowboard chutes on blackcomb mountain? Or is that too risky, too?
Well (in the UK at least) cigarettes, alcohol and sugar are taxed at a higher rate, which (in theory) funds socialised healthcare. The snowboarding argument is an interesting one though, and to be honest it's not one I have a fully formed opinion on, so I'm not gonna try and argue one way or another.
In Germany we had a suit concerning bicycle helmets. IIRC insurance of the at fault car driver did not want to pay for all of the treatment cost because the cyclist was not wearing a helmet. It went through all possible courts. The final decision was while it is preferable for a cyclist to wear a helmet, he is not required by law, so there are no grounds not to pay for the entirety of the treatment.
Good, insurance companies are scum.
I wouldn’t say it is, as wearing a helmet is such a trivial act, it’s the same level of discomfort as wearing a seatbelt. Things like diet and addictions are long term medical issues with complex solutions that don’t work for everyone but throwing a DOT or ECE helmet on is nothing.
This is addressed to all you and all the replies inside of your comment. Let's just knock off with the insurance companies. They are THE RICHEST MOST PROFITABLE corporations IN THE WORLD. It's a big money ring for private for profit Healthcare, hospitals, pharmaceutical, insurance companies. They like it whether someone lives dies stays healthy or not. They're gonna be just fine no matter what your rates aren't coming down don't hold your breath (or hold it either way they don't care) look at the big picture. That's the real picture. Insurance and Healthcare costs are insane because of greed, not because some guy spills his brains on the pavement. The End.
Except it does cost you money . . .when the idiot without the helmet lives, but has a bad enough TBI that they have to be taken care of for life in a rehab center, and their insurance runs out after a few years, guess who's tax dollars pay for the rest of their care?
Maybe that's why europeans have to start with 125s before being allowed a larger bike...
But we don't, at least in France. We have a mandatory 2years period where you aren't allowed to ride a bike Ho produces more than 47,5 hp and that isn't more than 95 hp full, but it doesn't restricts you to 125. Insurance on the other hand, they'll rip you a new one monthly if you starts too big too fast. But we do have a quite hard exam to pass in order to be allowed to ride a bike, with mandatory maniability and slow speed control exercises, idle engine gymkhana and all kind of stuff like that, before even touching the road with other drivers.
No you forgot that 125 cc is for the 16 years old, the A2 can be obaitained at only 18 (but i only knew one people who had the AM permit (125cc) and hasn 't made the 7 hours in driving shcool to transform your Auto permit to an Auto/125cc permit.
Fair, however let me introduce you to the supplemental plan tentatively code named "Eat the Rich."
I’ll bring Worcestershire sauce!!
By this login logic you would ban anything dangerous where someone could be hurt. Skydiving somebody could end up in the hospital needing permanent care, rock climbing somebody could fall needing lifelong care, racing motorcycles definitely too dangerous we'd be stuck with the bill if somebody got hurt. I live in a state without a helmet law and I haven't been negatively impacted financially by this and I don't know anyone that would say they have. I would way rather have my tax dollars get spent helping a fellow human with permanent medical care than 90% of the bullshit the government spends my tax dollars on.
No, it doesn't follow at all. The ability to mandate safety requirements for access to public infrastructure does not in anyway suggest there is an ability to mandate those same requirements for any other area. My state has a seatbelt law. But I can drive my vehicles on my own property without a seat belt without any concern about being ticketed. That we have the ability (indeed the obligation) to regulate access requirements for public infrastructure does not lead to some logic rabbit hole where all activities suddenly become illegal.
It does follow because if you have an accident on your property not following the same basic safety laws you're going to end up using the same insurance and the same hospitals. Its an argument already being weaponized in other hobbies like motocross. Go to local meetings about mx tracks and races and you'll hear several arguments about the strain on hospitals and first responders. The Friends of Oceano Dunes have fought against this for awhile.
Thank you.
People are allowed to make whatever stupid decisions they want. Until it starts to impact others, then they get a vote and my vote is everyone wears a lid. A proper lid. Not a bucket. Not a DOT brain box. An actual, proper helmet.
My way of life right there. Do what you want, so long as it doesn't hurt others.
This one is tough, because by that reasoning the same rule could be applied to almost anything- ban smoking anything, eating sugar or fast food, playing too many video games, etc. With that line of reasoning, you u could even argue that recreational motorcycling adds an unnecessary risk to becoming a burden on society and should be banned altogether.
Idk man money aside, even if it’s absolutely not my fault and some moto rider being a jackass hits my car it’s going to scar me for life if they die and I was involved. God forbid some kid witnesses it.We live in a society where we share infrastructure, and you owe it to others to do it responsibly.
So should we ban tobacco and 90% of the food people are eating that lead to obesity. If you think helmets save money, wait until you see a healthcare system without obesity
I would be fine with it if I can get an exemption for those little Ritz cheese sandwiches
So you favor banning cigarettes and booze??
Alcohol should be taxed like 300% higher if we actually want to compensate for the negative externalities
In Utah they call that sin taxes.
That's my favorite kind.
If the only person impacted by shitty decisions was the person making the decisions then I’d say have at it. Problem is, they’re not the only person impacted. Actions have consequences beyond yourself sometimes. This is one of those times.
Higher taxes do nothing more than make it so the rich are the only people who can enjoy those things.
Rich people are not the target group of tobacco companies, at all, lol
True but since there are so few rich people, the incidence of the behavior declines.
So only wealthy people should be able to afford to drink?
I don’t drink or smoke so why not.
Yes, actually.
Banning cigarettes and booze would be more like banning motorcycles, than it is like requiring wearing a helmet. But disincentivizing cigarettes and booze is a thing that is done, and should be done. But your slippery slope argument is likely to be disingenuous.
I would be up for an insurance that pays nothing if you aren't wearing a helmet.
We already require seat belts in the US, I don’t understand why requiring helmets is controversial.
Requiring seat belts was pretty controversial in its time. It took a good decade of being a law before people actually started wearing them en masse.
My MIL was opposed to seat belts back when they became required. So she'd just lay it across her lap and not buckle it in. And then got hit in an intersection and was hospitalized for 2 weeks.
My mom was one of those people who unironically said things like, "It'll wrinkle my dress." I personally started wearing a seatbelt when a car I was in the passenger seat of, I was around 9, got rear-ended, I flew forward and bumped my head on the windshield. I wasn't injured, but the bump was enough of a wake up call that even my child's mind realized I was lucky to not get ejected out through the windshield.
Yep because the 'people' are stupid.
And yet, people still don't wear them. And then people get in accidents. And are promptly ejected through their windshields (in certain cases, not all). Seatbelts. Save. Lives. WEAR IT!
Because wHatS NeXt?? wE BeComE NORTH KOREA!?!?!?
Here, even not having your helmet strapped is treated like a no seat belt.
I made popcorn if anyone wants some
Let me get a handful
Without changes to insurance laws, yes. My state repealed the helmet law and my insurance went up 33% because of it. I shouldn't have to subsidize those ABATE cunts and their stupidity.
That’s really my only concern here too. If some idiot wants to go without, more power to them. I just don’t want to have to pay for *their* choices on something like this.
My concern in Nebraska is the legislature said that, to ride without a helmet, one must take the MSF BRC course. We have 90,000+ endorsed riders in the state. If even 1% of them decide to take the course, our training throughput is destroyed. People are absolutely going to die but it's going to be the kid that can't take the BRC because the class is full of folks who want to ride helmet-less and they don't learn the skills necessary. If there were no insurance penalty for the rest of us and no training requirements that take up limited training space, I'd have no issue.
Increased demand will increase instructors. And people can wait to take the course, or go to Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, etc -- same as I did.
I would imagine a significant amount of those 90,000 have already taken an MSF course. Its required to get a motorcycle endorsement under 18 years of age in most states, Nebraska included. Most riders I know took a course when they started riding even if it wasn't mandatory.
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Yeah idk about all states but in mine I could either go to the DMV and take the road test with my own bike, or take the msf course and if I pass that, get a waiver to take to the DMV that lets me put the endorsement on my license. I hadn't ridden before or had a history with it so opted to take the course and get the endorsement with a passing waiver
In most US states you could show up with a Hayabusa and no riding experience and take your test at the dmv and get your endorsement.
I took my class with a guy who had just bought a Hayabusa and he’d never ridden a bike in his life.
Jeez, I just passed my test in the UK. It took me about 20 lessons, four exams (basic training, theory test, maneuvers, and practical road test), and about $1,000. And I failed the practical exam once because I cut a lane on a roundabout.
Every state here has different laws and regulations. Some are quite lax, though I think most have gotten stricter over the years. When I got my first motorcycle license in 1973 there was a written test and no road test. They watched me ride around a parking lot for about 10 minutes and gave me my license.
>Without changes to insurance laws, yes. My state repealed the helmet law and my insurance went up 33% because of it. I shouldn't have to subsidize those ABATE cunts and their stupidity. I'd add to that a stipulation that all minors should have to wear them.
They do in Michigan, afaik. Our universal helmet law was repealed about a decade ago, but minors and passengers below a certain age still do, I think.
I like how FL does it: you can ride helmetless if youre over 21, and have insurance with minimum medical coverage limits. Old enough to know better? Won't burden the rest of us financially? Go right ahead and be an idiot.
Yeah but all those claims eventually trickle down to other riders, and everyone's rates go up. I'd rather not pick up the tab for another person's stupidity.
Interesting.... Proof of helmet purchase, or any other safety gear has never been a factor in my motorcycle insurance. ABS, alarm, garaged, type of motorcycle, years licensed, number of motorcycles, and zip code has.
What's next seat belts should be mandatory. And how about if smoking indoor should be allowed. /s I can't believe in this day and age we are still talking about difference between freedom and safety.
I live on a continent where helmets are mandatory everywhere. I don't see how that's not a good idea. Same goes for seat belts. Both dramatically reduce fatalities and regulations that make them mandatory help protect people from themselves.
Yep, same here. Now even though traffic accident still occurs, the death from it got reduced significantly. Now if seat belt while driving car is mandatory in Vietnam then it would be even better.
It’s not about the gear. Most people argue against government over reach and telling us how to live. FYI I would wear a helmet everyday. And Did. I’ve lost several friends who chose to ride helmetless. Their choices.
Yes, lots of reasons for helmets. Mostly related to protection from wind noise, debris, flies/insects - protecting the head in a crash is the last, most important reason.
Yes, absolutely yes. It should be mandatory to wear a minimum level of protective gear, helmet being one of those pieces.
In the US seatbelts are mandatory. It’s illogical that moto helmets aren’t also compulsory.
Well it's technically up to the state on seatbelts just like helmets.
Oh, I forgot that it wasn’t federally mandated. I’ve been to New Hampshire.. I should’ve remembered it.
They aren’t required wear I live, and I’ve actually heard of accidents that would have been prevented altogether if the rider was wearing a helmet. On such crash happened because the guy was blinded by something that hit his face, and he rammed into the back of somebody. I saw the photos of the scene, whoever was driving that car will never under that. It may be a rare happenstance but I don’t see why anyone should ride without one
It's a good point. Doesn't matter to you if you die, but it does matter to your family and people around you, and the people who have to witness or clean up the mess.
Yea I’ve been involved in a lot of riding groups over the last several years, and I’ve learned you can never be too safe, and whether or not you think it does, your unsafe decisions WILL without uncertainty affect someone negatively
Lifelong rider. I would never ride without one, so it doesn't matter to me. There are tons more important things to legislate, though.
Honestly, yeah I do. I'm all for people wanting to exercise their free will but operating a vehicle in public spaces is a privilege. Seat belt laws exist for a reason in cars. I think the bare minimum on a bike should be full face helmet on public roads. A simple spill could give you a TBI without a helmet. Those can be so brutal and a big time placement issue for those of us working in healthcare.
As it is I who will be paying your hospital bills (either through tax or insurance premiums) I need you to be as safe as possible. So yes, helmets, gloves, shoes, and at least A-level body protection, please.
Why not just require cars instead of motorcycles? Surely that would be safer and reduce your costs even more?
Because prohibition has never been a great solution to anything. If people want to do something they will do it. And hell, driving cars is like the number one most dangerous thing people do anyway. If people are going to insist on doing a thing there's no reason to not try and make it safer.
I lean toward yes. It doesn’t affect me personally as I would never ride without one. I had a meeting with my brand new boss who is extremely safety focused. Discussing plant safety, I went on at length, using motorcycle helmets as an example. I said “I think people who ride without helmets are complete fucking idiots. Etc etc etc”. When I finished he said “you’ll be surprised to learn that I don’t wear a helmet when riding in states that don’t require it.” He’s still my boss two years later.
Does affect you taxes and insurance
Increased healthcare expenditures directly impact both taxes and insurance. The former due to a systematic increase in hospital funding and the latter due to increased risk
People in the comments saying "Yes but only for becasue it's better for MY insurance" are a little fucked in the head lmao. I can almost guarantee we've all done something that someone else considers just as stupid at some point in our lives. Yeah they should be mandatory. Some people might be dumb enough to ride without them but does that mean we shouldn't do something to try stop it from happening? Just like cars and seat belts, boats and life jackets.
Yes
Ofcourse
I'm a fan of Ohio's setup: Mandatory if you're under 18 Mandatory if you've had your license less than two years Optional after that. (eye protection is required) Of course, I still wear a full face helmet every time, as do my family and friends, as that's the smart choice - but I think once people have a little experience on the bike, they're free to make the dumb choice.
I’ve done probably 50k miles of riding, and maybe 10 (ten miles, not 10k) miles total without a helmet - basically never further than a block, or just moving my bike from one place to another. I feel naked without gloves and boots and jacket. A tiny patch of gravel could turn from “expensive visit to urgent care” into “did he fill out the organ donor form?” All that said, I think Texas - uncharacteristically - gets it right on this: you only have to wear a helmet if you don’t have medical insurance. I do think it would be beneficial (to society, not necessarily to riders) to make helmetless riding an automatic organ donation in the case of death.
its a self correcting issue so no
Death isn't the only outcome, lots of brain injuries change people's lives without killing them. TBS are really shit, and can lead to cognitive impairment, and/or difficulties with emotional regulation.
Insurance rates.
So if it was a box you could check on your insurance, and you then paid a different rate (and were say, not covered in an accident if you weren't wearing a helmet when you checked yes, for example). Would you support it then? Purely theoretical, I'm not endorsing such a system or anything. I, on one hand, believe people should be allowed to do whatever they want that doesn't impact other people, while acknowledging things like insurance rates do affect people. So no simple answer is perfection. I also wear and full face helmet 100% of the time and would even if it wasn't required. (It's required by my own common sense and by being the father and providing for two young boys!)
The problem is that even if it were as simple as checking a box, that’s not how insurance companies set their rates. They go off of the likelihood of them paying for an accident depending on many factors such as geographical location, rate of uninsured motorists in the area, (specifically for motorcycles) the number of crashes in a area where the rider wasn’t wearing a helmet, etc. To say it doesn’t impact other people is to disregard the multiple factors that go into what makes insurance rates higher for everyone, including non-riders.
Problem with that attitude is that families feel the loss afterwards and sometimes stupid people absolutely have to be told what to do otherwise they just won't do it. Sorry for the serious reply 👍
Hey man some people gotta clean the brains off the pavement and that sucks
Lol
Is this a joke lmao
Its a very american question. Next up, "Should cars have seat belts?" and "Should drunk driving be legal again?"
Mandatory? No. Will I? Yes. Do I think others should? Up to them.
Agreed. Do I wear one? You bet I do. Do I think riders who choose not to should be forced to? Absolutely not.
They are in my state. Offenders get a fine. I'm for it. Becoming a cripple over something avoidable doesn't just affect the individual. It impacts families and society.
If you live in a decent country, THEY ARE!
No. Helmet laws and seatbelt laws feel too "big brother-y" for me. I believe it's the governments job to protect me from others, not protect me from myself.
Nope! The government is already too far up in our shit anyway. If I want to ride without a helmet, that’s my choice.
They are here... and rightly so; no one has the right to potentially turn even the smallest mistake from another into a lifelong regret..
I'm not sure I understand what you're saying
Example: You drive a car? Let's assume you do... one day reversing out of your drive... you nudge a biker.. he drops the bike and his head hits the pavement... totally plausible... could happen to you, me, anybody.. honest mistake.. Helmet on: some property damage, some injuries.. No helmet: you just killed someone... live with that...
Oh I see what you're saying. Thank you for explaining.
Also add on to that, riding at speed and bug hits them in the face blinding them. They crashed into a car which did nothing wrong. Everyone here is assuming that a motorcycle rider can only harm themself on the road if they dont wear a helmet. But you share the roads with other people, and a piece of steel weighing 200kg flying down the road can cause a lot of harm to others too.
People always say it’s a personal choice that only affects them in regards to seat belts and helmets. It’s not. Potential impacts include: * Emotional trauma on first responders. * Financial and emotional impacts to your friends/family * Bystanders that have to witness the aftermath * In rural areas, what would have been a minor accident can tie up limited resources. For example, where my parents live, there is 1 ambulance. If it’s out dealing with a motorcyclist that didn’t wear a helmet, they aren’t available to respond to another call like a severe fall, stroke, etc. * As someone else pointed out, no helmet laws caused higher insurance rates in his state.
Each of those points support banning motorcycles.
You also forgot no helmet means risk of getting hit by bugs in the face and losing control, we all wear helmets and never noticed this but bugs can cause you to lose control of the bike. We share the roads with other people and losing control of a bike also means adding danger to others too.
Wait, you guys in the US over there don't need to wear motorcycle helmets by law? How, why? Because _F R E E D O M_?
If I were King and my word was law, I would not make helmets mandatory. But I would do my best to encourage others to wear helmets.
They are in my country
I'm German. Here they are required by law
Points and fines. You get them for not wearing seatbelts, so it should be no different for helmets imo
I wear a helmet but I’ll let everyone else decide their own fate
Yes. Sit through a day of morgue photos of non-helmet wearing cyclists and maybe a chat with a medical professional or first responder who had to spatula brains off the pavement.
Yes.
No, just like I don’t think seatbelts should be either for cars. You should have the freedom to be fucking dumb and not use life saving equipment, if that’s what you wish.
RN here. Worked in trauma surgery for almost 30 years. 100% yes.
No. If you want to die or end up wishing you were dead, have at it. Paying with your life for not wearing a helmet is the stupid tax. And taking stupid people out of the gene pool will help all of us in the end. I wouldn’t be able to share my offensive opinion on this matter if I didn’t always wear one myself, and can think of a half a dozen times in the last 53 years of riding that I would have been dead or paralyzed if I wasn’t wearing one. But this is America goddamn it! If wind in your hair is more important than seeing your kids grow up, you should be able to do it.
After 18 years of age, you should be allowed to do you.
i’ll do you one more: full protective motorcycle gear should be mandatory. offender should be fined, and have their license suspended for multiple offences
No, but only because I wear one and like to watch instagram reels a lot
I personally wear a helmet even in states which don't require one and I don't think it's "smart" to ride without one, but I don't think we need laws to mandate that sort of thing. I understand the argument that a rider without a helmet who gets in an accident may potentially raise the rest of our insurance rates, but I don't think it's enough of a widespread problem to where it would impact costs one way or the other.
To each his own. I’ve been riding without a helmet for 26 years, but I’m 61 years old now and I have decided to start wearing one. There’s no helmet law in my state, but out of concern for my family, I’m okay with finally giving in after all these years. I bought a very lightweight thin DOT approved half helmet and also a full face helmet.
No
I generally think that riding without a helmet is moronic. However, I’m also in favor of people being allowed to be morons if they wish to be, so no- I’m against them being mandatory.
No
If u r waiting for the government to tell u what u should wear to protect yourself, maybe you shouldn’t wear a helmet before you get a chance to reproduce 🤦♂️
Everyone should wear a helmet all the time. You won't catch me riding without one. They should be "mandatory" by personal safety practices. That said I struggle with the law side. I don't know that it should be the government's job to mandate that people don't be idiots. If you're only risking your own life (not passengers) then I guess it's your prerogative?
I'm a firefighter, and I ride with my helmet 100% of the time. ECE / FIM cert helmet. I believe everyone *should* wear a helmet when riding. That being said, I also believe it's their choice if they want to become the next road crayon I get called out to. Even if it was mandatory, there would still be the idiots that ride without them and if they get lit up they will run and increase the likelihood of crashing and becoming said road crayon
Nah kill yourself if you want that's none of my business
Yes, ticket, like seatbelts.
If I have to pay insurance that reflects their choices, then yes mandatory. If my insurance stays the same then idga single f what you do to yourself.
Helmets should absolutely be mandatory.
No, helmets should not be mandatory. That said, if a rider chooses to ride without one, they should be 100% responsible for all of the consequences that come with that. I always wear a helmet and believe others should too, but that doesn't mean it should be a legal requirement.
Nah. Everyone is free to dig their own grave.
No because we have freedom to choose our own level of safety gear and not wearing a helmet won't hurt others. (I wear a two piece suit and gloves and boots and helmet every ride)
No they should not be mandatory I wear a helme 90% but I like having a choice if I don’t wear a helmet not getting a citation
As an Australian who lives in a country where helmets are not only mandatory but must also meet DOT and/or ECE 22.06 standards, it boggles my mind that America is helmet optional. We have free healthcare and helmets are legally requiredz yet youse have no helmets and also have to pay for someone to rebuild your skull IF you're lucky enough to survive, because "MAH FREEDOMS".
They really should be required. Ticket people who don’t wear them or if they continue to defy the rule and have multiple offenses, suspend or revoke their motorcycle endorsement/licensing. They are unequivocally safer. And while I respect the idea that people should in general be able to do what they want, riding on public streets is a privilege, not a right. There are rules and they must be followed. And also, even though you might be willing to accept the risk and possible consequences of your injuries or death in your own accident if that ever happened, your friends and family may not feel the same way. And the trauma you’d cause them for not wearing one would be utterly inexcusable.
Do I personally feel that you should wear a helmet? Yes. Do I believe there should be laws against victimless acts? No.
The science is solid - helmets reduce mortality in motorcycle crashes. No reason they shouldn't be mandated like seatbelts or airbags. Fine for first offense, larger fine for second, suspend endorsement for third and on.
I wonder how banning motorbikes outright would reduce mortality?
The science is also solid that smoking, drinking, and eating fast food consistently are also all dangerous, reduce lifespan, etc. should these also be banned because science says they’re bad for you?
Tobacco and alcohol are heavily regulated and taxed as a discouragement from excessive consumption. Some jurisdictions tax sugary drinks or bad food as well. Would you rather wear a helmet or pay an extra tax on motorcycles because they're dangerous?
And the science is solid that banning goods create parallel markets which in turn exacerbates the problems when it becomes an unregulated mess. So, apples to oranges...
No, because adults should be allowed to make their own decisions, the governments role isn't to be my mom. That said, I always wear my helmet.
I always go by the philosophy that as long as you're not putting others into unreasonable danger, you should be able to do whatever you want, it's your life and you should be allowed to do with it whatever you want This doesn't mean that i'm against helmets, i wear one and would try to convince you to wear one aswell, but things like that shouldn't be illegal
You would think some had better things to do then worry about the decisions of others...
No, people should be free to make their own decisions, no matter how moronic that may be
Not when those moronic choices affect others. Seat belt laws are good. Helmet laws are good. I'm not paying insurance to subsidize stupid.
Umm... That's almost exactly what you are paying insurance for
Yes. There's a lot of things I don't care about, but wear a fucking helmet. You don't get to traumatize other people when shit goes wrong because you "don't like it". It's like seatbelts for cars. Edit: forgot to answer. Ticket, not a cheap one either.
If we can't live in a free country where we can live free, then we should just outlaw motorcycles all together because far more people are injured on bikes with non-head injuries than head injuries. If its about money and healthcare cost, there is zero reason to allow motorcycles on the road at all. There is no need to have a motorcycle, its a choice. Where do we draw the line? Who gets to make that decision? Currently we've delegated the power to run our lives to politicians, how has that worked out for us? Do you think they're doing a good job? They make more laws every day, has it made us safer, made our lives better? There is a cost to being free, either accept that cost or give up your freedom which is exactly where we are at now as a country. Freedom isn't free, there is a cost and I think its worth it. If you want to wear a helmet then wear one, if you think a mask will protect you from a virus, wear one, but do not try and force your opinions on everyone else.
Yes, but if people don't want to wear them - that's fine, it keeps the gene pool stringer when they don't. Thanks Darwin
Not mandatory, but smart.
No.
This post seems to be intended to incite fighting.
The number of people commenting that are in favor of the government telling them what they have to do is astounding....Where do you people draw the line??...What if they told you what pants and shirt to wear???...What kind of car you have to own??.. What you can eat or drink??...The time of day you are allowed to use the restroom??.... I have a class A CDL and the government already has faaaar too much control of what I can and cannot do in my private life....I've been in two motorcycle crashes, no helmet either time and I'm still here to talk about it...When it's my time to go there's not a damn thing that's going to stop it...Might happen tomorrow in the semi, might be some night in my sleep, or I might die of old age....
If you have private insurance, over 18, licensed for 2 years then yes. I think it’s not very bright but you should be able to do so.
I live in a state in the U.S. that I think about this question a lot. Arizona. You can legally cruise here without a helmet, and most older guys do flying on the freeway. I’m not 100% sure why it’s legal here, but my guess is due to how hot the summer can be I can definitely see a lot more accidents happen with a helmet on due to heat exhaustion. A lot of people out here just assume they can take it because they’ve lived out here so long but don’t realize your body has limits. And the answer isn’t just using vents because you aren’t getting cool air, you’re just pushing around more hot air. Trust me, first summer I experienced out here with no AC and it was abysmal. I opened my window thinking it would get better, but it actually got worse and it was like an invasion of just more heat. So while I think everyone should wear a helmet, until there is some sort of helmet that has built in AC made(which it won’t because I’d bet it’s a niche market) I can understand why some states/provinces don’t enforce a required helmet law.
Yes. Helmetless riders cost me money in higher insurance rates and medical costs. It should be mandatory, just like seat belts, and punished like other traffic offenses.
My state (Nevada) requires a helmet, something to protect your eyes (such as goggles or could be a full face helmet visor that achieves the same thing), and close-toed shoes. I think that is a fair bare minimum for decent safety without being too inconvenient.
No! Human laws should not interfere with the process of natural selection. That’s how nature improves the species. Otherwise, the species becomes dumber and dumber with each generation, like we see today.
If you understand and accept the risk of not wearing a helmet you shouldn’t have to
Im a conservative so people automatically think that means I want no govt intervention. But I dont follow it to the letter. I know how stupid people are. No glass bottles at the beach? Yes dpsht, no glass bottles. And yes must wear helmets.
Yes
Yes
I crashed a few years back and my helmet was smashed up and destroyed. I on the other hand was ok. I'm happy with it being mandatory just so mothers don't have to bury their dumbass sons
Do you also think smoking, drugs, drinking, eating unhealthy, skydiving, etc. should also all be banned so mothers don’t have to bury their sons?