Motorcylce helmet laws

[kddani]

What's your opinion? Should motorcycle riders be required to wear helmets?

[33girl]

Only if getting their head split open can result in our city going into depression and bankruptcy.

No seriously, considering I only wear my seatbelt about 40% of the time, it'd be pretty damned hypocritical of me to say yes.

[AlphaFrog]

Social Darwinism, that's all I got to say.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

Social Darwinism, that's all I got to say.

Here's the problem with the Darwinism thing.

All to often people in accidents without helmets don't die but suffer longterm brain damage. Even with insurance, in the end they'll likely end up on Medicaid... and who is going to pay for that? You and Me.

[docetboy]

Ben R. was one of the vocal proponents of Pennsylvania's lack of a helmet law.

'Nough said.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

Here's the problem with the Darwinism thing.

All to often people in accidents without helmets don't die but suffer longterm brain damage. Even with insurance, in the end they'll likely end up on Medicaid... and who is going to pay for that? You and Me.

True...but at least the shallow end of the gene pool gets a little smaller. Although then if these people have already had kids, then we pay for them too.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

True...but at least the shallow end of the gene pool gets a little smaller. Although then if these people have already had kids, then we pay for them too.

I can't keep up with this quick reply thing.

Regardless, I don't understand why people don't wear seat belts or helmets. They save your life in the vast majority of situations. Everyone has the friends uncles cousin who swears that they would have died if they'd had a seat belt on, but in 999 cases out of a 1000 you want to stay in the car and not hit the windshield and/or pavement. Why not wear a seatbelt because of 1 out of a thousand (very conservative)?

Same thing applies with helmets...

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

All too often people in accidents without helmets don't die but suffer longterm brain damage. Even with insurance, in the end they'll likely end up on Medicaid... and who is going to pay for that? You and Me.

Which is why I think that any state that allows motorcycle riding without a helmet should also provide by law that insurance companies can refuse to cover any head injury resulting from a motorcycle accident if the injured wasn't wearing a helmet. Medicaid should be able to deny benefits as well.

Anyone who wants the "freedom" to ride a motorcycle without a helmet should have to accept responsibility for the consequences of riding a motorcycle without a helmet.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by MysticCat81

Which is why I think that any state that allows motorcycle riding without a helmet should also provide by law that insurance companies can refuse to cover any head injury resulting from a motorcycle accident if the injured wasn't wearing a helmet. Medicaid should be able to deny benefits as well.

Anyone who wants the "freedom" to ride a motorcycle without a helmet should have to accept responsibility for the consequences of riding a motorcycle without a helmet.

Agreed, to an extent. I don't think that my tax dollars should pay for someone else's "right" to have their hair blow free while on a motorcycle. ER doctors & nurses don't call them "Donorcycles" for nothing.

[fullertongreek]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

Social Darwinism, that's all I got to say.

You would get shot in Pittsburgh right now for saying that...

[AKA_Monet]

Protect yourself at all times...

Folks in California voted and approved their helmet law at least 15 years ago...

The reason is CalTrans and the CHiPs kept getting sued when unhelmeted folks donated their intelligence to the pavement...

[HBADPi]

Originally Posted by AKA_Monet

Protect yourself at all times...

Folks in California voted and approved their helmet law at least 15 years ago...

The reason is CalTrans and the CHiPs kept getting sued when unhelmeted folks donated their intelligence to the pavement...

Oh wow so we do have a helmet law...does that extend to bicycles? I see far too many people on bikes on surface streets without helmets...

[PM_Mama00]

In Michigan it is required for you to wear your seatbelt, and it's required for motorcyclists to wear helmets. Why have one law without the other? It's the same thing... safety.

Some jackass on my commuter campus decided that the afternoon rush would be the perfect time to do some tricks to show off, with his helmet up and not completely on. He ended up slamming into the back of a car, getting thrown 50ft-- in front of the main classroom building so that everyone in their classes witnessed his death. He would have had a chance to survive had he had his helmet on the right way.

[jon1856]

About a year ago, there was an accident in which a motorcylce t-boned a jeep leaving the parking lot of the store at which I worked.

If not for the fact that the was an ER-trama room nurce at the diner next door, he would have been DOA.

Besides being very lucky, he was wearing a helmet.

He was very dumb to be driving/riding at about 55+mph on a major, main shopping road.

And look what happened the other day to QB in PA. He too very lucky and is now saying that if he ever rides again, will be wearing a helmet.

[WCUgirl]

Originally Posted by 33girl

No seriously, considering I only wear my seatbelt about 40% of the time, it'd be pretty damned hypocritical of me to say yes.

They were discussing this on my way to work yesterday morning. The morning show guy mentioned this; he thought it was completely bass-ackwards for the state to require ppl to wear their seatbelts but not to wear helmets, and the morning show girl was talking about how she would answer yes b/c she doesn't ever not wear her seatbelt. I am in the group of not ever NOT wearing my seatbelt.

Just as stupid as not wearing helmets is riding on your motorcycle in a bikini top and cut-offs.