They're trying to force a helmet on your head

[midnight1980]

will football helmets be good enough too pass the new law?
i dont think a baseball catchers face mask would be..
1981's The Road Warrior

[BIG MIC]

i am fully aware of the laws and i have to state my views as follows
i do not wear a helmet has i choose not to wear a seatbelt and until they pay for my liveing then they can run my life live free from something that was fought for and cost a lot just a shout out for are men and women over there who would probely give anything to have to worry about a stupid helmet law or a seatbelt law instead of where the next shot is coming from.....

i thank you all and god bless and speedy return... home where you belong


? why are we defending are selves half way around the world ???

[MAXIMAN]

Mandantory Injury Insurance!

Pat

Here's the issue:

Like you I am against mandantory helmet laws and seat belt laws for adults. I am soooooooooooooo frickin sick of the damnable government treating adults like they are the underage step-children. Always looking out for our best interest...because "Daddy Knows Best". The government is NOT my mommy...even though they would like to be.

I hope you now understand my utter disdain for government micromanagement of our lives!!!

Here's the other side of the coin. I always wear a full faced helmet. I do this from experience of having eaten several hundred feet of asphalt...not fun. However if one is stupid enough not to wear a hat then he/she should be FORCED to pay for subsequent injuries...NOT ME ... the tax payer.

The facts are helmets reduce injury significantly. If you choose to inflict more injury upon yourself by not wearing a helmet you should be free to do so. But don't make the taxpayer pay for your stupidity.

If you are not insured that's exactly what happens. The hospital cannot refuse these people emergency treatment and guess who foots the bill.

So even though I am opposed to mandantory helmet laws I am all in favor of mandantory insurance to cover head injuries suffered for not wearing a helmet.

[pggg]

Compulsory helmets on motorbikes, no big deal whatsoever. Had it down here for years and years - it's "You wanna ride a motorbike on public roads, then you damn well wear a helmet too." No arguments. It's the law. Just shut up and do as you're told. No-one here has a problem with it. You can still ride with no helmet if you want, hell, ride stark naked if you want, who cares, your own choice, cops'll nab ya, but hey, still your own choice...

[Pat Kelly]

Not wearing a helmet is a no-brainer?

No brain, no pain.

tee hee

[79XS11F]

Here in Canada where we all pay for health care I do not really mind that the wearing of a helmet is the law. Why should the general public have to pay to save and in many cases keep alive a vegetable for many years because someone was not smart enough to wear a helmet while riding. I can not even guess what it costs to care for a critically injured biker who goes down lid-less but it must be in the millions. However I do also believe in freedom of choice so would have also been just as agreeable to a law that perhaps allowed you to sign off if you choose to not wear a helmet or seatbelt etc. You could choose your own fate that way. If you think about it, many here in Canada, where health care is for the most part free, would have to be idots to sign off that coverage to feel the wind in their hair.
Rob

[Dragonrider]

Originally posted by 79XS11F
Here in Canada where we all pay for health care I do not really mind that the wearing of a helmet is the law. Why should the general public have to pay to save and in many cases keep alive a vegetable for many years because someone was not smart enough to wear a helmet while riding. I can not even guess what it costs to care for a critically injured biker who goes down lid-less but it must be in the millions. However I do also believe in freedom of choice so would have also been just as agreeable to a law that perhaps allowed you to sign off if you choose to not wear a helmet or seatbelt etc. You could choose your own fate that way. If you think about it, many here in Canada, where health care is for the most part free, would have to be idots to sign off that coverage to feel the wind in their hair.
Rob

But what about a critically injured biker that goes down WITH a lid?

Why should you pay for that? He/she chose to ride the motorcycle.

It's the same argument.

[The Lorax]

I always wear the lid, a full face, not the most expensive lid out there, hell probably the cheapest. I wear the lid for one reason only...open casket. unless it is at 5 mph or less, when I go down, it will probably be for good. I among all people have no earthly business on a motorcycle as I have a congeintal bleeding disorder. That said, I will probably die on my bike unless I'm really lucky and die from cancer. someone else pick, I just am not that interested in how, when or why; I just want to enjoy the time I have while I have it. as far as helmet laws go, tell your local representative to pound sand, regulate your own life and stay out of mine! have a nice day and ride safe. btw, when I spoke of congential bleeding disorder, I perhaps should be a little clearer, I am a factor IX deficient hemophiliac, but you'd never know it by looking at me, instead of rail thin and small built, I'm kinda tall and fat...6'3", 230#

[79XS11F]

Originally posted by Dragonrider


But what about a critically injured biker that goes down WITH a lid?

Why should you pay for that? He/she chose to ride the motorcycle.

It's the same argument.

I don't think it is the same but yes it is similar... Common sense would have to prevail. The government could make everything we do illegal to save health care dollars or have us sign off when we make blatantly dangerous decisions. unfortunately the government rarely uses common sense so where's the line in the sand to be placed?
I think one is blatantly more dangerous then the other. Not wearing a helmet while biking is a far more dangerous decision then the decision to ride a bike and protect yourself within reason when you do.

[dale_1]

Sure I do but.......

I never liked compulsory blah blah helmet laws. Under 16 maybe........ imagine if you will your kid being told by you to wear a helmet..... then sneakin off and not doing so. As a parent you have the right to bust his or her butt for not doing as you say. The US government ain't my parent or my children's. Now......... to the real subject at hand.


Like I said I don't like helmet laws but..... I have seen one that made a little sense to me. Being new to this whole "living in Texas" thing....... I was born here and lived here a few times..... this is the first time in over 20 yrs. (retired military never stationed in Texas)........ I know the helmet law here and it is interesting to say the least. I learned it when my oldest son got a ticket. He was 18 at the time..... the magical age when I don't tell him what to do anymore.... sorta.... maybe he just quits listening.

He was speeding through a school zone 35 in a 20, no helmet, not carrying his drivers license..... having lost it along with his wallet about a year ago and is too lazy to fix that...... the officer gave him two tickets and didn't give him the one for speeding (nice guy really) he coulda given him everything and went for more. He threw a fit about helmet laws etc etc. I told him I would find out more.

Texas has a law that says if you have either more insurance to cover it or a MSF course completion card you can then ride without a helmet. I'm okay with that law. That then takes everything else that I have concerns with out of the equation. Nobody else (in theory as it's not really enough but it's a start) footing the bill or some formal motorcycle training. As I myself am a card carrying MSF rider...... it makes sense to me. I won't ride without a helmet, but does that mean that everyone has to? nope........

And as for ABATE... years ago I had a small run-in with some "real" bikers that made fun of me and belittled me and told me I was hurting their cause by wearing a helmet. Yessir they were ABATE members and would have beat me to a pulp had they been the only ones around. I was 16 and they threatened to beat my A$$ and take my bike etc etc..... if they ever saw me again. This was in Ft. Smith AR. So, since then I have little to do with ABATE. I'm sure everyone has chilled out some over the last 25 yrs. But, I still have a hard time dealing with them. Old memories die hard.

sorry for rambling, but this is a subject I wish to air my opinion on.

[Pat Kelly]

To air is human.

[MAXIMAN]

Re: Sure I do but.......

Originally posted by dale_1

And as for ABATE... years ago I had a small run-in with some "real" bikers that made fun of me and belittled me and told me I was hurting their cause by wearing a helmet. Yessir they were ABATE members and would have beat me to a pulp had they been the only ones around. I was 16 and they threatened to beat my A$$ and take my bike etc etc..... if they ever saw me again. This was in Ft. Smith AR. So, since then I have little to do with ABATE. I'm sure everyone has chilled out some over the last 25 yrs. But, I still have a hard time dealing with them. Old memories die hard.

sorry for rambling, but this is a subject I wish to air my opinion on.

Ah yes...yet another reason to be from "The Great State". CCL!!! A right I excersize to it's fullest.

Seriously...how patently absurd to threaten someone because they were wearing a helmet. But what would you expect being in HillbillyVille?

[Dragonrider]

Originally posted by 79XS11F

I think one is blatantly more dangerous then the other. Not wearing a helmet while biking is a far more dangerous decision then the decision to ride a bike and protect yourself within reason when you do.

Not to put too fine a point on it...but the statistics don't support you here.

If, strictly logically, we say that it is too dangerous to ride without a helmet, then look at what really causes the most deaths and injuries on motorcycles, then we'd have to ban riding them in the first place...riding without a helmet is not the leading cause of injury and death on our machines.

Leading cause of motorcycle deaths, "massive bodily trauma".

[Pat Kelly]

Like someone posted earlier, the leading cause of motorcycle accidents is inattentive drivers of cars/trucks.
To be safe all cars and trucks must park and remain off the roadway when I'm riding my motorcycle.

[chopwatchagot]

My sister in law, the surgeon, calls motorcycles "donorcycles." The old addage about the two kinds of riders, those who have crashed and those who haven't crashed yet may be close to the truth. My former wife worked in a rehabilitation facility where serious head injury patients were cared for, mostly at taxpayer expense.(NOBODY has THAT much insurance) Most of the patients there were young male motorcyclists. I personally wear a full face helmet WHENEVER I ride and seatbelts almost all the time in the car. I actually feel like I'm kind of taking a risk to not wear a helmet in the car! All that rambling and I'm still not to the point! My sister in law was nearly killed in a skiing crash a few weeks ago. She'll be ok. She wasn't wearing a helmet. She went out of control and hit a tree. Broke her leg real badly and had internal injuries, but didn't hit her head! I haven't skied in several years because I think it's too dangerous for ME. I don't think it should be outlawed, though, and I don't think skiers or motorcyclists should be forced to wear helmets. I don't have any handguns anymore either but don't tell me I can't.