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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=882618&ref=nf |
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Tourer
Posts: 457
Green Bay, WI United States | I despise any political or other view that we all need protection from our own choices. I for one "chose" to wear a helmet but like to do some riding without. This should be my choice just like wiping with my left or right hand. Next thing you know during the "deer rut" motorcycles will be banned from riding to protect ya all. Farkin barkin ice holes - my Mother lives 2,000 miles away for a reason, no dis-respect to my lovely Mother, just trying to make a point. Join your local ABATE Chapter to support our God given right to ride hard, ride fast, but above all -ride safe......
Until we ride again my Brothers and Sisters...
Wildman |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 31
| I am not an ATGATT guy. I do have all the gear for riding long distance but there are summer days where I like to run up to the store or out to a friend's house in my shorts and no helmet. I'm glad I have that choice. I know the risks and I accept them. This is just another form of control and I hate rules made just for control sake. Reminds me of my ex wife. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 219
Pittsburgh, PA | I do wear helmet while riding and I served my time in the military to protect our freedoms. One of those freedoms is my right to ride without a helmet, if I decide to. Now I'm labeled as anti-government because I do not want them butting into my daily decisions. what bullshit. The reason why we see more motorcycle related crashes has to do with the number of new and inexperienced riders that thought it would be so much cheaper to get there on a bike when gas was $5.00 a gallon. |
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Tourer
Posts: 374
Tucson, AZ | Once again another skewed numbers game. Of course there are more deaths on the road than in 1970s...hmm way more people alive in the U.S. and way more bikes on the road....just more manipulating the numbers. If you want to wear a helmet, great, but if you dont, it should be up to you. And thats my final answer.
mike
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | I am not an ATGATT guy, nor do I play one on T.V. This topic was being heavily discussed over on theVMC and is being championed by TigerLily. The beef is not only the law that requires helmet wearing, but the method of enforcement. Personally I wear a DOT approved helmet and I do so for my family. I don't get into the angular force and trajectory and all that other stuff that people have knowledge of, but if I get flattened by a semi, I'm dead no matter what I'm wearing. But if I slip on a squirrel in the neighborhood and I fall off my bike and bang my head, I would rather have that level of protection and not the knoggin' with blunt force trauma. This way I hope to be around to take of my family a little longer.
Discussions on forums become a volleyball event and nothing is swayed or gained, but I do suggest to you that if you do care about any law to include helmet laws, VOTE in the elections, and be a member of lobby groups and participate in folks like AMA (unless you're a [1%]) or ABATE. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 162
Northern NJ | I'm ATGATT, but I don't like laws that would mandate helmets or other safety gear for adults riders. To me, it's a common sense issue of individual rights.
That being said, IMHO if you're going to ride without a helmet, you should be required to carry sufficient insurance so that if you're brain-injured in an accident and require long-term care, the rest of us don't have to pay for it by our rates going up.
Ride safe gang. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 169
Iowa | In the story it claims that 4,400 fatalities were from motorcycle accidents and as a nation there were 37,423 accidents for last year. The people in the story claim they want to reduce accidents and be better than other nations. (silly political BS - IMHO) If reducing accidents as a whole is their focus, then why focus on motorcycles? Not all 4,400 fatalities were from head injury due to no helmet. Even if they were, that is only 12% of all fatalities. So if half were no helmet related, it would only be addressing about 6% of all fatalities.
My point would be, if they really are concerned about reducing fatalities in the US, then address the highest risk factors in fatalities. Helmet laws, or lack of helmet laws (again only Iowa, Illinos, NH have not helmet laws) would not be the biggest cause.
I am in Iowa and I choose to wear a helmet 100% of the time. My choice. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 162
Northern NJ | ClearVision - 2010-11-17 8:06 AM
...
My point would be, if they really are concerned about reducing fatalities in the US, then address the highest risk factors in fatalities. Helmet laws, or lack of helmet laws (again only Iowa, Illinos, NH have not helmet laws) would not be the biggest cause.
I am in Iowa and I choose to wear a helmet 100% of the time. My choice.
Statistically, a high percentage of motorcycle accidents occur with another vehicle, at an intersection, with the driver turning left in front of a rider.
I believe the AMA is behind an effort to get the government to focus on the CAUSE of the accident.
We as riders know that increasingly, accidents are being caused by inattentive and distracted drivers. There needs to be better driver education and awareness of motorcycles. There should also be stronger laws to punish drivers that cause injury or death to motorcyclists.
Join the AMA and help support your rights as a rider. |
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Visionary
Posts: 3006
San Antonio, TX | varyder wrote....Discussions on forums become a volleyball event..............
If that is the case, could I suggest it be a Female Beach Volleyball event???? Everybody likes a body likes Female Beach Volleyball!
Yes, I wear a helmet by choice (I like my brain with its current amount of damage. No more damage needed.)....A helmet law is not required. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1484
LaPorte,Tx. | RT, when you talk about "Brain Damage" I remember the Bill Cosby Live skit where he talks about his kids being "Brain Damaged". Makes me smile. I wear a DOT approved helmet, I believe it is the thing to do. I'm happy with my decision and I'm happy that my state does not force folks to wear a helmet. I wear as much personal protection that I can as long as it is comfortable and does not take away from the riding experience. |
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Tourer
Posts: 367
Cottage Grove, Mn | I should think their time would be better spent getting and KEEPING drunk drivers off the highway?. |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | I'll agree with you BJ, but my other conclusion is that as riders that we educate ourselves to recogonize and avoid potential dangereous situations through knowing what "might" happen. If I know that people have a tendency to turn left in front of me I'm suspect of any car nearing a road that coming from the opposite direction that might not see me. I think folks get my point, but though it might be said that luck plays a big part of what we do, training and awareness helps combat the enemy all the more when you don't know when they will appear. |
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Visionary
Posts: 2300
Georgia, west of Atlanta | Helmets should be a choice not an enforced law from State goverments............ |
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Tourer
Posts: 367
Cottage Grove, Mn | varyder - 2010-11-17 1:09 PM
I'll agree with you BJ, but my other conclusion is that as riders that we educate ourselves to recogonize and avoid potential dangereous situations through knowing what "might" happen. If I know that people have a tendency to turn left in front of me I'm suspect of any car nearing a road that coming from the opposite direction that might not see me. I think folks get my point, but though it might be said that luck plays a big part of what we do, training and awareness helps combat the enemy all the more when you don't know when they will appear.
VA
I ride with the simple assumption that no one see's me including the driver of the car who's door handle I can reach out and touch. I have saved my butt many times riding under that assumption. And I always wear a helmet not because I have too but because I see no valid reason not too. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 127
OHIO | Well I guess it will be time to sell if it comes around here. |
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Tourer
Posts: 537
, FL United States | I agree, too many "uneducated" riders. By that I mean too many people not knowing how to ride a motorcycle buying them and riding becasue of the price of gas... |
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Tourer
Posts: 499
Chattanooga, TN | They won't stop here , either. Once they get what they want, then it's on to the next thing. What's next, mandatory seat belts? |
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Cruiser
Posts: 50
hudson, IL United States | i think that a lot of the time it is a cars fault. but i know where i live two of the wrecks that i knew someone that died they where both dumb kids on rice rockets. one did a wheelie with a girl on the back and when he came down he had to hit the brakes hard. they hit heads and fell off she died he almost did, no helmets. the other a kid tried to run a red and lost, full gear and died. so i don?t think it is a matter of motorcycles are unsafe and we all need helmets or we will die. i think it should be up to us but in there numbers it should say if they where braking the law when they got in the wreck. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1359
New Bohemia, Va | Government will target where they can gain revenue. Sure, they'll say they are out for your safety, but the bottom-line is the dollar. Federally mandated seatbelts is just the beginning, and statistics will say seatbelts save lives. I will agree with this, but it saves lives because it keeps you from bouncing around when you get in an accident that could have been avoided if everyone is driving safely.
Helmets are under the same scope, people won't drive safely, therefore accidents occur and if you are on a motorcycle, you'll get the worse end of the deal. As an a rider, I want to end my day alive, I can't wait for laws to change, and it does me no good, nor my family if I'm dead and it was the other drivers fault. Survivability when riding a motorcycle means keen awareness what the other person MIGHT do and keep a safe zone from that hazard in case it does. Helmets help when that doesn't happen or cannot be avoided and you go down. It might be a good idea to take a motorcycle safety course, money well spent. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 619
Southeast Iowa | I'm no fan of a Helmet law (yes I wear one) or most any other laws that seemed to get passed. I like the stupid arguments about how helmet-less riders who survive the accident are such a drain to us that have insurance and pay taxes. Come-on people wake up! If you want to fight things that are a real drain on tax payers look no further than Health Care and our Welfare programs!! As screwed up as our country is right now you would think the law makers could actually find a cause worth fighting for that would have a meaningful impact to our country. For some reason we encourage people that spend their lives bantering about gay marriage, helmet laws, and other meaningless shit that really does not change the world we live in. It pisses me off that we allow our elected officials to waste their time with this stuff when there are so many "real" problems that need addressed. Seems to me our society is turning into a bunch nosey ole do gooders that feel the need to save me from myself. To them I say F-ck-off, mind your own business, and get a real job that somehow benefits society!! |
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Cruiser
Posts: 203
Rapid City, SD | Why is this any different from seat belt laws. Once upon a time there were no laws for wearing seat belts and life was good. I had the choice to fly through a windshield and damn it... I want that choice back again. Fast forward to the helmet debate... if I choose to have my cranium bounce across the pavement resulting in large outpouring of tax payers dollars then f-the rest of you cause it's my choice. While we are at it WTF is up with the speed limits. If my bike is capable of doing 120MPH then by GOD I want to go 120MPH.
Where am I going with this? Sometimes laws aren't only to infringe on your right to be careless. Some are enacted for the publics general wellbeing. Now it is true, this among others isn't at the top of my list. I just find it humorus how animated some of you get over the subject. If it were me I would direct my attention to DUI enforcement. Something I would venture a guess at least 65% of the country does to some extent or another. Hell that should be your choice as well right?
For the short sided helmet hating clan that think their choices don't affect others I laugh at your inability to see past your front tire. Maybe you are just perpetuating the worlds natural selection process. Flame away but I will not reopen this thread so I don't waste another 5 minutes of my helmet wearing life. |
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Tourer
Posts: 423
northwest florida | stinking lawmakers....vote them out!! Wait we did do some of them. Time to remind them of what happened. |
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Visionary
Posts: 2118
Pitt Meadows, BC Canada | 25 years ago I argued against the Helmet Laws - and one of my arguments was that "If a biker dies from head injuries because he was not wearing a helmet - the cost to the state is a lot less than the cost of looking after a biker with a broken neck after the helmet saved his life".
I would rather be dead than in a wheelchair for the rest of my life.
The bastards didn't buy that argument either - even after I proved to them that more people died falling out of bed, than die from bike accidents.
I think they just don't like bikers, or are just plain jealous that they can't ride (wife won't let them) .... so they think up ways to make us miserable.
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Tourer
Posts: 329
scotts valley, California | In California, I comply with the helmet law because I want to ride and I don't want to pay a bunch of fines. However the one and only serious accident I was involved in (hit the pavement at 75mph) did not produce one single scratch on my helmet. My wallet was shredded and I ended up with six stitches between my.. let's not go there. Suffice it to say I was wearing the helmet on the wrong end of me. Fortunately I could still make babies after the accident. |
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dick heads are up to NO good helment law
