Helmet Use

[John]

Just a few days ago I received word that my best friend, Aaron, who lives in Maine, was involved in an accident while riding his Intruder. At first I heard that he was killed in the accident, but I called the hospital where he was flown to, and they informed me that not only was he alive, but asked if I wanted to talk to him! He was able to tell me that there was a Jeep in front of him that was slowing to make a turn. Aaron said that all he saw was the right rear light come on, and thought that the Jeep was turning right. He pulled out to pass the Jeep on the left, and the Jeep turned left right in front of him. He T-boned the Jeep near the front wheel and the Police said he flew 50-70 feet in the air before landing on the pavement, and rolled into a ditch. His speed was estimated at 45-50 mph, which is the speed limit in that area. Even though he 'rides rice' he wasn't wearing a lid. He said that he had around 75 stitches in his head to sew his scalp back on. He also has a broken shoulder blade, collar bone, and rib, but he is still alive. I know that particular road that he was on, and it is a nice, lazy, two lane country road. He was riding home from a visit with his daughter. I can understand why he wasn't wearing his 'hat'. I would love to feel the wind in my hair while riding on a road like that, but I am too afraid of all the 'caged idiots' out there. The way I see it is, if you don't ride, you tend not to look for, or see a bike. I guess what I'm trying to say here is please wear your helmet. I'd hate to hear about someone here having serious injuries, just because he wanted to look cool on his bike. A lot of us don't know each other personally, but we have conversed so many times, that I almost feel that we do know one another. Leave the looking cool/bad for the h-d riders. They have something to prove. We don't. We are secure in what we ride. I almost lost my best friend. I'd hate to lose one of you. Let's be careful out there. I am fortunate enough to work for an airline, and I could get up there that same day to see him in the hospital. It wasn't pretty, but he's still alive...
That's all I have to say...

[Jerry]

First year I was riding I had an accident. Helmet probably saved my life; there were black tire marks on it where my head hit a dear dual. I can't say I always wear a helmet; there have been a few occasions over the last 30 years where I've ridden helmetless for sort distances under some unusuall circumstances.

While I don't agree with mandatory helmet laws, I advocate wearing a helmet. I don't mind taking a risk, which riding a bike always is, but I don't take unnecessary risks by neglecting basic safety gear.

Glad to hear your friend will survive!

[John]

Thanks Jerry. It looks like he'll pull through, but he is hanging up his leathers. That was his fourth 'mishap', and he doesn't want to put his family through this again. He's only 48...

[fusionking]

Yea I have hit a car while passing it and he decided to change lanes and I have had a car turn left in front of me and rock my world.
I wear a full face even tho I had to break my jaw crashing with an open face to learn that!
Helmets suck but dying sucks even more for yer family and if you got killed then they might NEVER ride!!!
I hate helmet and seat belt laws even tho I obey them.
I want ALL my loved ones to obey them also.
I have one buddy who is now basically retarted for life from a head injury and it is a real burdon on his family and he is aware of it so his life now truly sucks and his family's life sucks too!
I say buy the most racy cool lookin' helmet you can afford and if anyone you love rides with you then take 'em out and buy them the helmet that you really want for youself cause you really care for them!
Cool leathers don't hurt either esp. black ones on a black Special!!!

[rneal55555]

I told John this in a PM, my son ran the little one off the road(lose gravel he says) and did a little damage to the bike Handle bars, Signal lights, foot pegs, Gas Tank, Fork twisted etc etc. The only good thing was that he did at least listen to me long enough that he was wearing a helmet he basically walked away with just a couple of scratches but the helmet had a couple of road gouges and was cracked on one side. He was pretty quiet for a couple of days afterwards probably had a mild concussion. Wearing that helmet is about the only thing he's listened to me about for about five years. He's 19 and ways smarter than me just ask him. Anyway I don’t want to think about what he would have looked like without it. Thank God all I have to worry about is fixing the bike not some Doctor fixing him. The only place I go is the 1/8 th mile to the corner store with out one. I’m not going to live a completely safe life I Scuba Dive, Hunt, Ski and Ride I would like to someday try my hand a flying. All activities with some degree of risk, I accept that but do my best to try and minimize it defensive driving, planning etc. And if that fails at least have something to minimize the damage. In the Navy where a lot of the stuff we do is High Risk We call it Operational Risk Management.
Don’t mean to lecture just my 2pesos

[Hobbit]

short ride?

I spent the evening in an ER waiting room (another story) with a lady who's husband owned a bike shop, and when he went to move a customers bike from the front of his shop to the rear, it slid out from under him and of course he landed on his head. It just goes to show that even a very short ride may require a helmet.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey John,

Glad to hear he'll survive and be mentally and physically intact afterwards. Sorry to hear he's hanging it up after his 4th! I'm 46 and I've had 2 pretty good ones(collisions, 1 with other bike, 1 with cage) and 1 stupid fall down at 55mph, and 1 drop on ice at home! Walked away from every one with only bruises and road rash, no broken bones, or concussions......helmets-FULLFACE always! And now leathers, too!

Regrettably it was his fault for assuming the direction the vehicle was going and passing before ensuring it was turning, apparently a faulty left tail/brake light and driver pumping brakes made it look like right turn signal......but not seeing left brake light on when vehicle was slowing down should also have been recognized....oh well.

You get knocked off that horse, pilgrim, you get right back on!!
Just need to learn from your mistakes!
T.C.

[Czekus21]

Glad to here that he's O.K. . I've been down a few times myself. Once this #$%@^%$# of a girl pulled out in front of me and stopped. She was on a moped, To top it off,, she took off. I picked up my bike, parked it at the curb, Took off running an nabbed here at the stop light. Needless to say, I had to quit my job at a cement plant. ( alkali and flesh don't mix ) Been down other times for stupid stuff, ( messin around ) You'd figure that I would learn my lesson but I rarely wear my helmet. I am fully aware of my suroundings, when a cage wants to pass I back off. If I want to pass I'll creep up in their mirror, when I'm confident that they know I'm there I pass but I don't mess around. even in my cage I usually pass at almost full throttle. Being an ex trucker, Being beside someone goin down the hiway doesn't set well with me. I also drive about 15 seconds ahead. It's to bad your buddies haggin it up but I can see were he's commin from.
Like my old saying goes " It's not a matter of if, But a matter of when you go down"

[pgg]

John, helmets are compulsory down here, but no happy endings for my cousin 6 months back. Hopped on his harley to nip into town for 20 minutes. Comes round corner, vehicle pulls out from sideroad, cousin swerves left, hits large strainer post. Helicoptered to hospital, dies that night.

[Materi]

Pgg, sorry for your loss,
John, I'm glad your pal is gonna be OK. Like safety meetings, these posts are beneficial because if nothing else, they make you think. Co-incedentally, I just laid down a couple hundred bones for a pair of good helmets for myself and the sweet creature (swmbo), and I'm sure these little stories will come to mind as I'm trying to decide on whether to "put on the can" for a little hop around town.

[John]

PGG, I'm very sorry to hear about your cousin. So many times it's just that driver of the cage isn't looking for a bike. Sometimes they see you, but it doesn't register...Just yesterday I almost got whacked by some stoopid bitch yakkin' on a cell phone. I was in the left lane of a three lane highway (TX121 in Grapevine), and she was in the right lane next to me. I kinda saw her move left, and I just had this gut feeling. I was right. She kept on moving left till she was just a few feet from my front wheel. I laid on the horn (car horns) and scared the $#it outta her. She pulled back into the center lane and I was able to get in front of her and she was trapped in traffic. I slowed her down to 50 mph and pointed to the back of my helmet, where I have my slogan written...HANG UP & DRIVE! She fell way back in traffic, and never got close to me again. I hate cell phone drivers.

[ratbyk]

Hang Up and Drive

Good one John. I like that story.
ken/Sooke

[John]

Hang Up & Drive!

Ratbyk, I wish it was just a story, but it is all too true. I also have it in the back window of my car. It also have the question 'Got Phone? Brakes? Insurance?" I don't trust anyone in a cage. I assume that everyone in a car is stoopid 'till proven otherwise, but they usually don't. That's why I ride in the left lane of a freeway, and just 'flow with the go'. I at least have the left shoulder for evasive action. I have developed the habit of watching the left front wheel of the vehicle next to me, to see what their intentions are. I almost got it a few years ago by some idiot yakkin on the phone. This guy had his head cocked to the right to hold the phone against his shoulder, and couldn't even see to his left. I was right next to him. Not behind, or in a blind spot, but right next to his door. I saw his wheel drifting over the line so I laid on the trusty car horns that I have on the bike, and gave him a good jolt. I then flipped him off profusley, while screaming at the top of my lungs. He got my point. I am tempted to start loading up a fanny pack with rocks and just lob them up in the air when I get in front of some a$$#ole that has his/her head up his/her a$$. A condition I like to call 'Crainial Rectumitis' or 'Crainial Vaginits'. About 10 years ago SWMBO and I lived on a busy street, on a corner, and I had to erect a sign in my front yard that said" Watch for turning motorcycles" It seemes that when we turned on our right turn signal, and didn't turn off on the side street, that people assumed that we weren't turning and would crowd us. Our driveway was only about 25 feet beyond the side street, and we had to slow down to make the turn. My wife almost got rear ended a few times because she always rides behind me. It got real scary a few times. The sign seemed to help. We live in quite neighborhood now. No problem with traffic.
I feel better now, thanx for listenin', and 'You Can Keep Your Hat On"

[tfm3]

Three days after putting on a hat for the first time - came with my first XS- I was cruisng @ 90 down I80 through Berkley when a retread came off of a trailer in front of me.Thing that bummed me out the most at the time was the scar on my new helmet that looked like a grizzly had just tried to eat my head for a midday snack. Stayed on the bike after being knocked across three lanes of high-speed Cal-style freeway traffic [ya gotta be there to understand] and when I arrived safely at my local bar, I suddenly realized [despite the fact that I'd been told this countless times ]- It is irrelevant how good a rider you think you are.

[tfm3]

oh yeah, forgot to add this.
We can vote on local referendums concerning cell fone use while driving. as in making it a traffic violation. don't get me started...