Do you believe it is your right to wear a helmet or not ?

Question

If so, do you belong to any MRO's ?

If you believe in helmets check out www.msabate.com/facts

Answer 1

Yes, it should be your right to choose, if you are an adult. Yes, I am a member of FORR, (Freedom of Road Riders) in Missouri. I just spent the day at the capital last week, our helmet law modification being read by committees. And I will go again every month.
There are alot of myths about wearing helmets,such as, it will save your life, no, I have NEVER heard of an accident not happening because I had my helmet on. Accidents are gonna happen rather you have it on or not.But learning all you can about being safer on the road,aware of others and experience will help prevent accidents.Safety education is where it is! As for it costing healthcare/ taxpayer dollars, Car/trucks accidents(Missouri Medicaid figures) head injuries are up in the millions, where motorcyclists are about $100,000.00. So if healthcare dollars is what you are looking at, then better get helmets on car/truck drivers first. In most accidents over 40 MPH, your helmet is not going to be a factor, as it is other body damage,internal organs,that is going to kill you. Last I checked my helmet won't keep my neck from snapping, my heart from being crushed or my guts from being torn open.
Type II diabetes is far more of a social burden than than motorcyclists will ever be. As told by a Senator, we as tax payers are spending millions on healthcare for individuals that are on state paid healthcare, due to poor diet. We are paying them cash assistance,food stamps and healthcare. What, so they can go to McDonald's?
I know a guy that was decapitated, it doesn't matter if he was wearing a helmet or not. For all those who work in the medical field, the only thing that will save lives, is the accident not happening. I know lots of people that were wearing a helmet still have head injuries or are dead, so helmets don't prevent them! If someone feels safer wearing one, then they should, if they choose. Here in Missouri our helmet law states we must wear a helmet that is in compliance with FMVSS No. 218, yet they will not list any approved helmets. Helmet manufacturers will claim their helmet is DOT "approved", truth is DOT or NHTSA do NOT approve anything. NHTSA enforces the standard by randomly selecting and purchasing helmets from the marketplace and testing to the requirements of the standard at independent test labs. So this means if a helmet can withstand a static impact of roughly 13 MPH it passes Government standards. So when you are doing about 13 MPH your helmet might reduce chances of head injuries or death. Which ahppens to be less than the speed limit in most school zones.I exceed that speed leaving my driveway!
I have spent endless hours on Missouri Department of Transportation, U.S. DOT,National Highway Traffic Safety Aministration,Missouri Division of Medical Services websites.I can not find any statistics or fatality rate for motorcyclists that warrants taking away someones right to make their own choice. Motorcyclists are a very small group compared to other drivers and even pedestrians,when it comes to these statistics. If healthcare dollars and head injuries were such a burden on society, why are they always talking FATALITY? If we are dead, we are not costing anyone anything!No matter what you drive or ride, nobody should tell you what you have to wear to protect yourself from you. Seatbelt or helmet. Let those who ride, decide!

Answer 2

I truly believe that is should up to the rider. Provided that there IS adequate insurance so that others are not burdened with any accident/medical bills. Not wearing a helmet does not make you more vulnerable for an accident. Helmet laws are IMO, are driven by insurance companies. They want their money but don't like paying it out. Example, look at State Farm and why they won't write home ins policies because of Katrina. Most motorcycle accidents are caused by a four wheeled vehicle because they don't look out out for M/C's. Hard too when they are trying to shave, smoke, drink coffee, apply makeup and talk on the cell phone at the same time. HOG member.

Answer 3

I don't think it should be the riders choice. You have to wear seat belts in a car.. and you should have to wear a helmet when you ride.
Riding is not a right... it's a priveledge, just like driving a car. With this priveledge come certain responsibilities. Wearing a helmet should be one of them.
I always ride with a full face helmet. When I was living in FL (no helmet laws) I rode a few times without the helmet and I felt naked. I also got road debris and bugs all over my face. It was very distracting and made the ride more dangerous/less pleasurable.
You CANNOT make the argument that the healthcare costs assiciated with wearing a helmet are the same as without. There are several published studies that prove that if you compare healthcare costs resuting from helmeted accidents with accidents involving riders without helmets... Accidents where the rider was not wearing a helmet costs the healthcare system more money.
Although I think that helmets should be mandatory, I dont think the healthcare cost issue is a strong argument because if you use that argument, then smoking should be illegal becuase it taxes the healthcare system, and so should alcohol, and skydiving, and anything dangerous... oh, and dont forget fat people, it should be illegal to be fat because overweight people are more prone to injury, illness, and disease... you see where I am going with that.

So... back to my original argument. Driving/riding is a priveledge, with that priveledge come certain responsibilities... One of which should be wearing a helmet.
I always wear my helmet and gear when I go out for a ride. If you ride safe, you live to ride another day.

Answer 4

It isn't the government's business to tell us what decisions we make regarding our own personal safety. I don't care if you're talking about what you wear on your head, what substances you choose to smoke, drink, inject or inhale into your body, or what medical procedures you choose to have performed (or not performed) on yourself. It is simply not anyone's business but your own.

Yes, you can make the arguement that motorcycle helmets reduce fatalities. But you could also make the arguement that riding without a helmet increases the odds of the rider surviving and requiring large amounts of medical care. So in my opinion the arguement of whether or not motorcycle helmets save society money is still up in the air.

It's up to the rider to decide. Period.

That said, you'll never catch me on a bike without a helmet. In my personal opinion they are a good idea, they do save lives, and if you don't ride with a quality full-face helmet on your head you're an idiot.

But that's just my opinion. It's YOUR choice. Not anyone else's.

I'm a member of ABATE and the AMA.


Addition: It's not the governments business to tell you to wear a seat belt either. Yes, it's the smart thing to do. But you can't make laws against stupidity. You'd never be able to stop!

Answer 5

I am a premed student and I can tell you emphatically that helmets are a must for a motorcycle. The forces involved with a high speed crash are insane. I have seen a case where a guy WAS wearing a helmet and crashed into a power pole. The impact was so hard that his head cracked like an egg INSIDE the helmet. A crash can be bad with a helmet, but without one you don't even have a chance. Please wear a helmet...

Answer 6

I am an EMT, and I'm lazy. I ask that all motorcycle drivers refuse to wear helmets. That will make my life so much easier. When I show up at your accident, I won't have to do any real work. I can just look at you and say "Yea, he's dead." (Many of us in emergency medicine do refer to those without helmets as "organ donors.")

In PA, you must be 21 years old and have been licensed for a motorcycle for two years in order to be able to go without a helmet. You can take a course and go without after one year.

A motorcycle has no safety equipment built in, it's completely open. However, I can get a ticket for not wearing a seat belt in my car, which is a steel cage with lots of padding around me. (I do wear my seat belt though.)

I actually do think bikers should have to wear full helmets, not the little cap we call a "brain scoop."

Answer 7

It's common sense, they're not that expensive and they've saved thousands of lives, wear one. It's illegal not to in the UK.

EDIT: Whether or not you are living somewhere with a public health care system. Your not having a helmet and ending up in an accident will cost everyone else money. Either directly via a tax funded healthcare system or indirectly by road delays, the cost to employers and similar of losing an employee, emotional costs to family members, etc all add up.

Answer 8

of course it is your choice just like everything else in life there are laws to supposably protect us but in some cases do not .. however a helmet on a motorcycle is a must, i dont think i have ever heard of anyone coming out of a moto. reck injured less b/c they were not wearing a helmet but in a car and the seatbelt is a different story.

Answer 9

I don't believe that its your right. Its a must. In canada with the publicised health care, if you have a bike accident and you get a sever head injury, Its my tax dollars paying for your hospital fees without getting anything in return. When that money could be going toward something more important. Wow, that sounded a lot harsher then I intended it to.

Answer 10

If you choose not to wear, you choose an almost certain death (or debilitating injury) if you have an accident on a motorcycle.

Common sense plays a major role when you own a motorcycle. No common sense and you deal with the circumstances of bad decisions, just like anything else in life.