why wouldn't people wear a helmet part 2?

Question

Ok, all good points, except a couple. One said racers use different helmets, not true, the only dif is the cost, a $500 helmet versus a $100 one, I ride, have for years, a KLR 650 dualsport, my road helmet is a simpson@$420 and my Bell moto 6 for off road @ $300. I agree with personal choice, I don't want idiots telling me whats good for me, but I can't think of one single reason I wouldn't wear one. Now the next main question, why would any sane person wear shorts riding a bike. Don't tell me they never crash, there are only 2 types of riders, those that have crashed, and those that will.

Ok, some of you need to actually read the question, especially caveman, I am all for choice, never once told anyone they should or should not, it is your choice to be a veg if your melon whacks the ground. anyways, the question was about morons wearing shorts on a bike, get with the program and READ the whole question, attention to details, or lack thereof is what kills people on bikes. The shrink, danced all around the question without saying anything relevent to the question. Of course there is a dif between a $500 hemet and a $100, besides a neat paint job, my simpson is boring white. A great SA approved helmet, comfortable and fits properly and it still cost $420 being just white. Please just answer the question at hand, why would a moron wera shorts on a bike.

Answer 1

The closest thing to shorts I'll wear while riding is capris that still cover my knees, and that's only in low speed, around the neighborhood riding.
Your right, it's not a matter of if a person will get in an accident or not, it's a matter of when, and how bad. I often wonder why people don't wear full face helmets. I've been in my accident (wearing all my gear - very lucky, and walked away with just bruises) I looked at my helmet, and saw this big, huge scratch across the face shield - THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN MY FACE!!!

Answer 2

Been riding on the street for 21 years without a helmet. Why would I wear something that won't work over 13 mph and may not work under 13 mph. and if you drop it from as little as 3 feet, it is rendered useless? If you are so scared of crashing sell your bike. And while you are at it lock yourself in your house and never come out because, my friend, life is dangerous. Do you know the leading cause of death? Living! And if I die on my bike, I'll be doing it my way and I don't even want to hear how the public will have to pay my bills, because I pay for my insurance and I have what is required in my state. When You pay my insurance, you can tell me to wear a helmet. Until then, you are wasting your breath and wasting my time.

Answer 3

Had a Baaaaad fall 6 months in the past and am nonetheless getting better from it. Luckily I used to be dressed in a helmet, and the pony used to be TINY, however I nonetheless obtained a extreme concussion and a neck pressure. I've been struggling with everyday migraines and excruciating neck discomfort ever given that. I'd hate to believe what could've occurred if I hadn't worn my helmet. I used to be certainly not relatively giant on helmets motive I did not believe a lot of a fall or 2, but it surely handiest takes hitting the bottom the improper approach as soon as to make up your brain completely. While I have an understanding of the will for reliable rivals to put on helmets, in lots of categories, it doesn't matter what area, all of it comes all the way down to appears. Yeah, the cowboy doing the reining sample is dependable together with his helmet on, however he does not appear like a cowboy. Makes me unhappy ;/ EDIT: To the individual who acknowledged falling on their head- no quantity of self maintenance or fast pondering can defend you when you hit the bottom difficult adequate or the pony steps on you.

Answer 4

People tend to forget that the protection of a helmet is not based on their own skill or ability to pay close attention and ride safely. It is the other idiots that choose not respect riders on the road. I have been in two street accidents, one with a car pulling dead out in front of me. I laid the bike down on its side, cracked my helmet and slid into the rear wheel of the car. My helmet split and actually fell off my head, thank goodness I was wearing it or it would have been my skull split in two and falling off my neck. The second one was with a dog that shot out of the woods and went under my back tire, actually moved my rear end to the left and sent me into the ditch and some trees. The bike survived and I came off highside into a tree. Hyperextended my back, sprained my elbow and again smacked a helmet.

I would like to think that I can control where my body is and how it reacts in an accident, but that is unrealistic. Spontaneous circumstances happen and for that I will always wear a helmet. I have been riding for over 20 years, both dirt and street. I have always worn one and I always will.

In my life, I have buried two fellow bikers who died due to head trauma, the result of a crash without a helmet. I don't preach to others about wearing them, I just set the example for my children to make WISE decisions about this. The people who say helmets don't save lives are the same ones that say seatbelts don't save lives. Oh yeah, cigarettes don't cause cancer, radiation is harmless, and sex doesn't cause pregnency either!

Make your own choices, but expect others to disagree.

Answer 5

This is a very good question, but unfortunately, you screwed it up by making a statement that sound ignorant.

“One said racers use different helmets, not true, the only dif is the cost, a $500 helmet versus a $100 one.”

Do you really think that a 100 dollar helmet will protect you as much as a 500 dollar one? If you think yes…then you need to do some major research. There’s no way in hell that the two helmets are the same. Yes, both may pass the Snell or the DOT tests, but that doesn‘t mean that one can surpass those tests, while the other just meets them. Even if they were the same, safety wise, it doesn’t mean that they would be the same in comfort. The comfort in aerodynamics (Some of the most expensive full face helmets are shaped differently at the back to reduce negative air pressure behind the helmet), in ventilation and in noise reduction of the most expensive helmets are worth every penny. And I’m not going to get into the different types of helmets there are. Just like you can’t understand why some people don’t wear helmets, I can’t understand why anyone would wear anything other than a full face helmet.

My psychological training leads me to believe that the problem has to do with basic human nature. Part of our nature is to think that accidents, murders, and bad things like those will never happen to us or the ones we love. We are aware that those thing happen and we accept it, but something inside us makes us do it anyhow. I think that that something is a built in and completely unrealistic sense of being in control of our environment. If you ask the majority of people if they think that they are good drivers or riders, they’ll tell you that they are, but that most people on the road are bad drivers (according to surveys). The younger we are, the more we believe that nothing bad will happen to us because we are in control. Think about it. Have you ever rode in a car or on a bike with someone who was driving very fast? How did that feel? Didn’t you feel somewhat scared? Sure you did! We have all been in a similar situation. But I’ll bet you that there have been times when you were the one driving a bit too fast or may be even a bit crazy, but you didn’t feel the same fear. Why? Because you were in control of the car at that time. I really believe that it’s this false sense of control that makes us do stupid things. From riding or driving fast, to riding without a helmet or protective clothing, , to joining the Army and going to war.

Let me give you another great example, a friend of mine joined the Air Force back in the early 90’s, he has flown F-16s and I think F-18s fighter planes. He can fly those suckers fast and furious, he goes through training maneuvers on a regular basis that would scare the crap out of most, and yet, he can do all that without a problem, but he’s afraid of roller coasters. He doesn‘t like them and you have to really push him to get him on one. What’s the difference? He’s in control of the planes but not the roller coaster. In the roller coaster and operator somewhere is in control of it.

I’ve been riding since I was about 15 or 16 years old (that would make it 21 years) in the streets and race tracks of Los Angeles, rain or shine, hot or cold. I ride about 12,000 miles per year, about 9,000 of those are on the inner city streets and freeways. In those 21 years I’ve never crashed and I’ve never fallen. THANK GOD!!! And the funny thing is that I’ve never owned a bike smaller than a 900cc, and all have been sport bikes. The first bike I ever rode was a 1996 GXSR1100. One of the fastest bikes in the world at that time. I wrote it all the way to San Diego without crashing or dropping it. I tell you this because in those 21 years I’ve seen it all, I’ve seen a lot of my old buddies either get hurt really bad or die on bikes. Most of the guys that got hurt while riding, received injuries that could have been prevented by wearing a FULL FACE helmet and protective clothing. One of my friends broke his jaw in three separate peaces. If he had been wearing a helmet, he would had walked away from the accident. Another was riding with his girlfriend on the 405 freeway during rush hour while wearing only shorts and sandals, she was wearing shorts, a bikini top and sandals. Both got lucky and all they end up was with a real bad case of road rash. He removed a big tattoo on his back. I can go on and on giving you examples. I’ve always, from day one, worn helmets and protective clothing. And there’s no way anybody will ever get me on a bike without wearing a full face helmet and the right clothes.

Answer 6

People who don't wear protective gear are only one kind of person............donors! Either organ or skin graft! Those who don't wear helmets and protective riding clothing are only trying to make up for what nature denied them of, in the "between your legs" department. Smart riders enjoy the road and the bike, and don't care what others think about wearing helmets and leathers. A full DOT approved helmet and set of leathers will cost less than $500, if you shop. Where do you go to get discounts on skin grafts and new skull parts?

Answer 7

Caveman, some of your statements are completely with out merit. I've been involved in 2 specific crashes both below and above 13 mph that had me falling from more than 3 feet. In both of these particular situations the helmets outer shell cracked and split. I.E. they did their job, they dissipated the energy. In one situation I walked away with a headache, the other a level 2 concussion. In both situations with out the helmets I'd have been dead. I owe my life to those helmets.

As far as me, or anyone else paying for your insurance... Have you noticed that in the states that had mandatory helmet laws and repealed them motorcycle insurance rates went up? I'm all about free choice too, Darwin's theory and all, but my choice is to keep my already skyrocketing rates on my mandatory insurance down.

Answer 8

All helmets are impact tested at less than 20 MPH. If you can produce 50 people who swear by helmets, I can produce 50 who swear at them. To Nomad, the Univ Of North Carolina did a federally funded study that proved that a higher percentage of bike riders carry insurance than car drivers, and that M/C accidents are less than 1% of all motor vehicle accidents. So how do riders affect your insurance rates? Maybe the prom queen on the cell & putting on her make-up is more likely to cause your rates to climb. And to answer your question, bikes will hurt you no matter what you wear or don't wear & serious riders figured that out years ago. We assume the risk every time we go out.

Answer 9

Tell smallguy that some helmets only cost $500 because of the paint/decal scheme and you can get one of the same helmets (without paint/decals) for far less...

As for shorts, I'm guessing these folks have never seen a skin graft. Wearing shorts, I lowsided on a moped!!! at less than 10mph and was picking gravel out of my knee and itching the scabbed abrasion on my calf for a month later.

BTW: people are idiots is why they ride without helmets. For much the same reason dogs stick their heads out the car window, boy doesn't it feel good.

Answer 10

I have crashed without a helmet. I was only 20 yrs. old, only plastic goggles, lost it on a turn in wet gravel,riding up Daimond Head, broke my toe & eyesocket in 4 places, (needed plastic surgery on my face) (not to mention all the road rash) they had to wait 3 days B-4 they could operate because of the swelling of my head. I looked like an Alien.To this day I don't know who picked me up off the road, my brain doesn't remember, you know that trauma protection your brain does. It took 1/10th of a second to hit the pavement. I now wear shoes, good jeans or leather pants, Jeans, canvass, or leather jacket, & helmet. I was in the hospital at least 2 wks. My friend died @ age 21, going 110 mph where he wasn't supposed to be going that fast. Luckily I learned @ an early age & survived without cracking my skull in half like a macadamia nut. Oh, I also always wear my seatbelt, I've totaled autos also, no I wasn't drunk!