why do you have to wear a seatbelt in a car, but on a motor cycle you don't have to wear a helmet in pa?

Answer 1

They type of person who goes the extra mile to get a motorcycle liscense and buys a motorcycle knows the risks, and if they choose not to wear a helmet, that is thier choice. Plus a motorcylce is much easier to avoid an accident than a car (agile).

Answer 2

That's the law in Pennsylvania - although they are working to change it. Anyone who rides/drives a motorcycle is risking their life just by getting on it. Not wearing a helmet is just plain stupid - and don't give me any "freedom" crap. Do you want to lie in a nursing home bed for the rest of your life (which could be a considerable amount of time) unable to speak, eat, move or even cry? You'd be able to know what was going on though. Sound like fun?
I have a stake in whether or not you wear a helmet. When you live, after that horrible accident, who's going to be paying for your care and feeding? ME and every other taxpayer.

Answer 3

It's all about numbers. More people die, get seriously injured in cars than on bikes.

Plus the motorcycle community has better lobyists.

You could always get a early 60's car or older before they came with seatbelts and drive without a seatbelt legally.

Answer 4

The helmet law sucks in any state. Wearing a helmet, or a seat belt for that matter should be a choice not a requirement. It is my belief that insurance companies and manufacturers of helmets and the like bribe/lobby politicians to pass such laws.

Answer 5

I used to live in PA too and I have to concur with Reaper. The people in PA can be rather psychotic when it comes to making laws. There are some people that just need to keep to themselves. You have politicians that seemed like good people, Tom Ridge, Rick Santorum, and look what they've done with their power. Those guys in PA voting in that pay raise really ought to get the shaft now. So the answer your question, it's the politicians and the people who let them get away with it that allow laws such as the two you've mentioned to be written.

Answer 6

Its the law. More head injuries occur in cars, by the way. I think auto drivers should have to wear a seat belt and a helmet, for their own good. If you think about it, I'm sure you will agree, being so safety conscious , and all.

Answer 7

Because a seatbelt keeps you in your seat in an accident, which helps you maintain control of the vehicle. If you get hit and get thrown into the passenger seat then you can't hold on to the steering wheel to control the car if it is still moving at all.

Answer 8

seat belt laws are not directly related to public safety they are only indirectly related due to studies that showed 80% of the people that drive without seat belts drink and drive so the states with seat belt laws did so to give law enforcement one more tool to use to arrest more people to feed the substance abuse industry that has become so profitable to local law enforcement agencies motor cycle riders are not know for drinking while riding so less regulation is assigned them as a lower risk target for law enforcement funny how all the attention paid to this problem hasn't caused a decrease in the traffic fatalities and the only reason highway deaths haven't increased is due to safer cars and highways

Answer 9

Well it does seem inconsistent, but the reason is this:

Laws are not written as one big long code all at once. Each law is passed separately. As each law comes to a vote/decision, people argue about what the law should say. Since each decision happens separately, and since the people involved are always different, you sometimes get laws like this that seem contradictory.

Answer 10

Some people just love riding without a helmet and I guess they have pushed to have it that way over the years. I am sure it feels great, but is pretty dumb to me.