Here's my 2 cents (from a helmet wearer). Something regarding personal safety, like wearing a helmet, should not have a law made about it. People should be allowed to take the more dangerous method as long as they don't endanger others. If it is about the safety of others, like lane splitting, then there should be laws about it as people should not be able to freely endanger those around them.
I see some silly comments here... what is more important than your life? Sure, you can die wearing a helmet. But they protect you. What is the big issue with being asked to do something that protects you? You ppl seem more upset about the 'right' being revoked more than actually having to wear one. They save lives. You have the right to do a lot of things, doesn't mean you do them all. I don't understand.
I had a crash on my bike this morning... I'm in Australia so I have to wear a helmet. If you live somewhere where you have the 'right' not to wear one, of course it's your 'right' but it's a foolish gamble. If I hadn't been wearing one today I would be dead without question. My helmet saved my life. If you don't care about yourself enough to do something so simple as to put a helmet on, do it for your family and friends. I'm all for freedom of choice... but I'm all for keeping my head intact too
@master402bbc I had a couple of Yamahas back in the mid '70s. A '72 DS7 and a '72 DT1. Leave it to a dealer to figure out how to sell a oil change for leathers...couldn't resist lol. I guess you ride a Knuckle your leather is a genuine WWII bomber jacket? Dealer can't change your oil because they can't work on anything older than a evo.
I ride a '04 FXSTI since it was new. Was at the dealer once for a fuel gage and fuel pick-up hose under warrenty in 2006. Wear a WHITE 3/4 HJC. :)
@rkt88403 nah, no knuckle got a rigid shovel special construction from back in 99' and a 98' flsts for the long long rides with the ole lady but my leather is back from 88' and still fits pretty good! think I got the shovel sold,(three kids and 1 too many toys not to mention I cant walk right for two days after a good nite on the damn thing) but I will have to post some vid of the heritage anyway I know the stats bout helmets and it takes away part of the ride for me. RIDE ON
@master402bbc LOL about the rigid. Had a rigid Triumph back in the '70s. I was a lot younger back then. Can only imagine what the pain would be today. My oldest son who is close to your age can still remember riding with me from the time he was about 3 yrs old on that triumph. Of course he rides too. All you had to say was a helmet takes away part of the ride for you in the first place. I can understand that. Riding is a sensory experience. Ride Free
The helmet opponents are against government interference until it's the government paying millions of $ for medical care they need following a serious motorcycle accident injury. Helmet laws are part of fiscally responsible government.
Serious accident victims end up having the government pay for their healthcare and need welfare money to take care of themselves so the taxpayers should have a right in determining how they are going to use public roads. You must stop and think what does a fiscally responsible government do. It limits its financial responsibilities and helmet laws reduce those financial liabilities. Furthermore, not all cycle accidents happen at high speeds, plenty happen in parking lots and residential areas.
A person that is obsessed with wearing full leathers--crash helmets fire suits--THEY PROBOBLY SHOULD BE . People die alot of ways--and its not true that anyone regardless or experience level--or STYLE AND REASON FOR RIDING--is "committing suicide" to get on a motorcycle without a helmet. ITS A FREE COUNTRY.. A crotch rocket racer--with full gear WILL MERELY RIDE THAT MUCH MORE AGRESSIVELY . Hit by a train or drunk at 150mph? THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN SPLATTERED ANYWAY--EVEN IN A CAR!!
In a Press Enterprise online article published August 23, 2010 the CHP officer says, "...bikers can only be cited if their helmet has a fake department-approval sticker or if they are not wearing one at all, CHP Lt. Mike Soubirous said. ...a federal ruling said there was no way to prove that buyers knew the gear was unsafe...So the law is practically unenforceable," Soubirous said. boltofca.com shows why it is not enforceable, and that "department-approval" stickers don't exist.
Since you guys aren't sharp enough to come up with the answer as to why no one is pushing for car helmets I will tell you. It would be political suicide for any state legislator to enact a car helmet law because the majority of voters drive cars & they don't want to wear helmets either. Motorcyclists are just a small minority of voters so politicians like to pick on them to get votes from the vast majority that don't ride. It's all just politics but you aren't smart enough to see that.
Again, if you will just do some research rather than posting your uniformed opinions and anecdotes here, you will also find that corporations that manufacture motorcycle helmets contribute heavily to the campaigns of those politicians that favor mandatory helmet laws. Remember that NOTHING is ever done in government unless someone is going to get votes or make money for doing it.
@CaneFu Hey - I've been polite to you. Don't start throwing insults. In the first place, 14 mph is an anvil drop test. It is meant to compare helmets; not give a strength. You cannot equate them. Second, helmets are not meant to withstand the impact. They are meant to protect from truamatic brain injury. They will indeed crack. MC accidents are usually "closed" and the brain is traumatized. Helmets are proven to protect against this.
@1100BlackbirdSuper I KNOW that helmets are meant to crack - that's how they protect the brain - UP TO 13.66 MPH from a direct impact!!!!!!! You NEED to be insulted at this point because you don't even comprehend things!!!
@1100BlackbirdSuper I will post the response from the American Medical Association which OPPOSES mandatory helmet laws and believes it should be an individual's choice, go look it up if you don't believe it...........
@1100BlackbirdSuper Claim: The costs associated with unhelmeted motorcyclist injuries & fatalities compel the enactment of mandatory helmet laws to save taxpayer dollars.
Response: The costs associated with the treatment of motorcyclist injuries account for a tiny fraction of total U.S. health care costs. A minuscule amount of these costs is attributable to unhelmeted motorcyclists, the majority of which are paid by privately purchased insurance.
@CaneFu But the studies don't indicate the kind of head trauma in cars that mc riders get. Your arguement goes nowhere. If car drivers received the kind of brain trauma that mc riders get then they would do something about it. Cars have air bags, seat belts, etc. MC riders have helmets. Instead of arguing for car helmets maybe you should argue the opposite for air bags on bikes, eh? They do have them. (And no I'm not for that).
@1100BlackbirdSuper What the hell are you talking about??? YES THEY DO!!! I even have a good friend who was involved in a car accident with severe head trauma and was in a coma for a month. Good god man, if you're going to post lies there's no point in continuing this!!!!
@1100BlackbirdSuper No don't run away now, come back and answer my post with the statement from the AMA as that blows your argument away about non-helmeted motorcyclists costing everyone else more money. The AMA keeps track of those stats, would you care to dispute them??? You want to call people "stupid" and "idiots" that don't wear helmets and then have the nerve to state that you're being polite...you're a real piece of work.
@CaneFu What is your statement by the AMA? I don't see it. Look. Enough. Just answer one question and people can judge for themselves. We both can go on our way believing what we will. Here is your question: If I hit you up side your head with a baseball bat would you prefer to a.)wear a helmet or b.) not wear a helmet? Just a simple a or b in your post is all that is needed.
Claim: The costs associated with unhelmeted motorcyclist injuries & fatalities compel the enactment of mandatory helmet laws to save taxpayer dollars.
AMA Response: The costs associated with the treatment of motorcyclist injuries account for a tiny fraction of total U.S. health care costs. A minuscule amount of these costs is attributable to unhelmeted motorcyclists, the majority of which are paid by privately purchased insurance.
@1100BlackbirdSuper You keep ignoring my previous posts - I never said protective equipment could not be beneficial, I am saying it isn't a guarantee of safely & I am saying MOST BY FAR PEOPLE JUST DON'T WEAR IT in hot weather. Why can't you understand that??? You aren't acknowledging reality and it is what it is. I'm not telling you to throw away your helmet, I'm just telling your dense ass that you are calling the vast majority of riders stupid idiots because they don't agree with you.
@CaneFu I'm not going to resort to that level and call names. Debates are good, but when one person starts insulting the other person that doesn't prove anything. Up until the last few e-mails I just took you to be someone with a different viewpoint. You've shown yourself with this last statement, though. People can read what we say, do their research, and decide for themselves who is speaking facts and being clear. I wish you well and will not resort to name calling.
@1100BlackbirdSuper What the hell are you talking about??? From your first post you have been calling everyone "stupid" and "idiots" who disagree with your point of view. Go back and read your own posts you hypocritical self-deluded liar.
@CaneFu Education not legislation, all the ninjua self righteous dudley do-rights holier than thou--always call everyone else morons and idiots.. people without a helmet are not committing suicide at all--there are many factors full ninja gear?--more power to you.. thats fine for you but whoes the top yoda?--who then can ride but nobody else can? there must be one supreme yoda--sitting on the top of the pyramid--in theory everyone else are morons and idiots
It's a fact that you can reduce your chance of dying in an automobile accident by wearing a helmet in your car so why don't any of you??? You can also reduce your chance of dying in a motorcycle accident or even getting hurt on one by 100% if you just quit riding a motorcycle altogether. In fact, don't even leave your house if you don't have to, just go to work and the grocery store and nowhere else. If you really want to be safe, these are things that you should definitely do. Life is risky.
I gear up. I don't really care if someone doesn't want to. I think they are stupid, but that's their right to be an idiot. What I think people forget is that it affects everyone and that's not right. Why should the people that do wear helmets pay more in taxes, bike insurance, and medical insurance because others don't like to wear a helmet?
@1100BlackbirdSuper Almost NO ONE wears a motorcycle helmet in Illinois during the summer months and that's the reality here. Also you won't see anyone wearing leathers in the hot months. Standard motorcycle attire is regular jeans and a t-shirt, no helmet, not even a hat, right or wrong, that's what we wear here. People are always pushing helmets, full leathers, etc. but no one here is listening. Given a choice, 99% of the people in my city prefer to just take the risk and enjoy the ride.
Having spent many summers in Illinois riding I would debate the "NO ONE" wears a helmet comment. I know plenty of riders that do. Either way, it doesn't matter. Like I said, as long as the decision affects other people's wallets it's not a simple decision. If the non- helmet wears would pay more taxes and insurance I'd be fine with it, but that doesn't seem like something that can be enforced.
I can only tell what I see: riders everywhere without helmets. Financial burden? You aren't being realistic in how much a helmet protects a person in a crash. There's no study done that I know of that shows numerous broken bones and orthopedic surgeries as a result of a crash are any cheaper than a head injury. Since a person without a helmet is more apt to die in a crash, it could well be that riders that don't wear helmets cost much LESS on average than riders that do.
@CaneFu LOL!! I guess that's one way to look at it. Maybe it's Nature's way of thinning the herd. You're right. I'm not being realistic at all. What could those darn helmets and gear possibly do? I'm sure all those pro racers just wear it for the fun it. What was I thinking? Thanks for setting me straight.
@1100BlackbirdSuper Of course all that gear protects you, that's not what I'm arguing against. Who in their right mind wants to wear a full leather racing suit in the middle of summer to go to the grocery store? If you use a motorcycle as just a toy & ride around the streets aimlessly & go back home then I guess you can dress however you want to. That's not how most adults around here use them. I ride to stores, restaurants, movies, etc. & being dressed like a Power Ranger isn't going to work.
@1100BlackbirdSuper Imagine what it would be like if you passed a law requiring everyone to wear helmets and full leathers when they ride...
Most people would probably just quit riding, especially in warm weather. With fewer motorcyclists on the road, car drivers would be less aware of them and it would be more dangerous for the remaining bikers. Fewer bikers means less rights and at some point the government could easily decide to outlaw motorcycles altogether. Is that what you want?
@1100BlackbirdSuper Are you also aware that motorcycle helmets are not rated to protect your brain above 14 MPH? Go do the research if you don't believe me. Riding motorcycles is a risky activity, whether you wear a helmet or not. My philosophy is that most everything in life worth doing has some sort of risk attached to it. While I don't go out of my way to take chances, I don't spend all my time locked in my house either even though that would be the safest way to live. Life is very short.
@CaneFu All I can tell you is the statistics I'm reading pretty much negate most of what you say. That includes your comments on it costing more for injuries that people wearing helmets get vs. those that do not. I tried to send you one of several links I've found, but I guess that's not allowed. Just do a Google search under motorcycle helmet safety facts. Ride safe.
@CaneFu - Yes I am reading your posts. I thought you were quoting a fact about helmets. You did say "do the research." I did. Now you keep looking cool and stay away from the Power Ranger look. I know a guy who looked cool, too...right before his face smashed the tar and half of it had to be reconstructed.
@1100BlackbirdSuper I said that helmets are only rated up to 14 MPH to protect your brain - and you chose to ignore that fact rather than address it directly. The point is that there's no guaranteed you'll survive a motorcycle crash even with a helmet on. And what good will the helmet do you anyway when you're likely to break every bone in your body during a high speed crash?
Helmets give one a false sense of security and they only save a rider 37% of the time. Now keep pretending you're safe.
@CaneFu dude your a fool. i crashed my SV650s on the freeway in a corner going fast. I had a helmet, jacket, boots and small gloves on. i was doing a buck ten when i low sided i rolled about 15-20 times before i stopped- almost got hit by a car. my helmet hit the ground, my wrist broke and i had severe road rash on my hands and waist (because the jacket came up) my knee caps were fractured, and my red wings were extremely chewed up. And thats it. So what were you saying?
@Ryknfjor I'm saying that you're a complete fucking idiot for going a 110 mph on a bike and you got exactly what you asked for you moron. It's better to avoid the accident in the first place rather than rely on protective equipment and your accident was totally avoidable you damn idiot. Your license should be taken away and you should be in jail for reckless driving you fool.
@CaneFu That was 3 years ago. i dont ride like that anymore, and yes it was completely my fault. My point is what if i was going the speed limit and i still DID fall? Or better yet a car loses control in front of me? And wheres your 'helmets are only rated up to 14 MPH to protect your brain' statement come into play?
@CaneFu Just to prove you wrong, Motorcyclist did an OVERLY extensive report on such heres a segment heres one part- 'So we decided to kill them. We ran the Z1Rs up the test rig one last time. Not just to the 10-foot, 150-joule Snell test height, but all the way to the top of the rig: 3.9 meters, or 13 feet. This hit would be at 8.5 meters per second, an energy of 185 joules. That's higher and harder than any existing helmet standard impact.' thats 40mph, kid
@CaneFu So to you helmets suck they are worthless even though i survived a crash with one on. And you still havent answered my 'situation' given about the harley man. Of course i read most of the article as i was not going to spend a lot of time relaying info to you, yes its all bout g's to the brain on whether or not you will be brain dead. If you ride long enough like 1100BlackbirdSuper and I have (you i assume without having one on), a day will come were you wish you have had one. Godspeed.
@Ryknfjor I never said helmets were worthless, go back & review my posts. You survived your idiotic crash because you low-sided & never had far to fall, rather you rolled along the pavement & never took a direct hit into a car or wall. My point is people over-rate helmets - they are only 37% effective in motorcycle accidents.
The Harley man is no more at fault than a man who doesn't wear a helmet in an auto accident; 90% of car fatalities are due to head injuries. Why not push for car helmets?
@Ryknfjor Don't try to argue with him. He's manipulating the facts to make it sound like helmets are not a good idea. I gave up. He doesn't get it and no amount of pointing out the facts will change his mind. He's obsessed with the 14 mph idea instead of reading the expert's conclusions on wearing helmets vs. not wearing them.
@1100BlackbirdSuper it seems hes trying to find the reason he doesnt need to wear helmets so it will make him feel better about already not wearing one. "there are 2 types of riders in this world, those who have crashed and those who havent"
@Ryknfjor I don't need a reason not to wear a helmet as they are not required in my state. I do wear them in cold weather and discard them in the hot weather like almost everyone else here does. After 3 decades of riding I have crashed more than once, and never hit my head.
My point is that most riders here discard helmets in the summer and no one wears racing leathers, that's the reality that I'm talking about. Safety gear becomes worthless when most people don't want to wear it.
@1100BlackbirdSuper I'm not obsessed with the 14 mph idea, I'm just posting the facts that the experts have stated. It seems that you are the one that prefers to ignore reality.
@1100BlackbirdSuper The riders that actually cost us a lot more in higher medical costs and insurance rates are those like Ryknfjor that gear up and then go ride 110 mph and crash due to their own recklessness - it's that kind of stupidity that ruins it for all of us bikers. That's who you have chosen to take sides with in this debate - a completely moronic asshole that should have his license revoked.
@1100BlackbirdSuper You said, "He's manipulating the facts to make it sound like helmets are not a good idea. I gave up. He doesn't get it and no amount of pointing out the facts will change his mind." Sorry, but I'm not manipulating the facts, I'm just stating what they are. You on the other hand, have yet to even state any facts. You haven't even bothered to research the facts yet, you're just stating popular public opinion which has been formulated by people that don't even ride motorcycles.
@CaneFu But I have stated the facts. People who don't wear helmets are proven to spend more time in the hospital and require more expensive stays. Read the statistics. The studies have been done and you are not correct in what you say. Look, I don't care if you want to look cool; but by not wearing a helmet you cost all those that do more money. What you do with your body is your business, but not when it affects my money.
@Ryknfjor The helmet may have survived but your brain would not. The damage is done when the brain moves inside the skull, it has nothing to do with the helmet not breaking. Tests have shown that cheaper helmets actually protect the brain better than expensive ones as the cheaper helmets break quicker & absorb the impact that the brain would take by banging against the inside of the skull. You are a fool if you think a helmet will protect your brain if you slam against a concrete wall at 40 mph.
@Ryknfjor If you had actually read that whole article all the way through, rather than just copy & pasting a couple of lines, you would have read that brain injury scientists from all over the world are very critical of the Snell Foundation testing for designing helmets that are too stiff and don't absorb the impact that the brain takes. I have researched this point extensively and you are just now skimming articles for the first time...honestly, "kid", you are just embarrassing yourself now.
@CaneFu You aren't basing ANY of your arguments on facts, only on popular OPINION. The truth is that motorcycles are inherently dangerous, no matter how you're dressed. The only truly safe course of action is not to ride a motorcycle, period. Don't go flying down the highway on 2 wheels and then claim you're being safe because you're wearing a plastic hat with some foam rubber inside.
@CaneFu Financial burden? situation: a Father/Husband is out for a stroll on his Harley (slow and not maneuverable). NO helmet. Then, all of a sudden some car pulls out in front of him. he crashes. and dies. severe head trauma. the family is left mourning and now struggling to make ends meet. Here is south texas that happens. So go and buy your expensive, out-of-reach-financially $150 helmet. PS what kind of bike do you have?
@1100BlackbirdSuper Here's where your argument fails....What makes you think that motorcycle riders that don't gear up cost us anymore over the course of a lifetime? Most people who don't even ride a motorcycle live to be 80 years old and cost us many more trillions in Medicare and Social Security - you will too if you live long enough, it's inevitable. How is that less expensive than a man who dies young on a motorcycle or has a shorter life span as a result of severe injury?
bicycle helmets laws in CT? wtf?!? that don't deserve to be a law, what the next for CT to enforce? seatbelts laws for bicycles? they best not get the ideas of seatbelts for motorcycle riders, because if i get injured, and get dragged while strapped in my bike, they better have huge cash for me once i sue the government for this stupidest motorcycle seatbelt laws, i don't mind the helmets laws, but.. for bicycles... i mean, C'mon, CT needs to wake up
I love how people like to pretend as if their actions are all done in a bubble. Who do you think has to pay for the fire fighters, ambulance workers, coroners, CHP/police officers, doctors, nurses and other hospital staff who have to attend to a downed rider who dies or is severally injured from not wearing a helmet? If you are riding on the public road ways you must abide by the laws. Last time I checked having a license for a car or motorcycle was not a constitutionally protected right..
hey there are many clips on you tube where people crash without helmets and survive and there are equal amounts of clips that show people with full gear crashing then dieing so let the person who is riding the f##king vehicle be comftorable on the bike! i always wear my gear but i agree with freedom of choice when it comes to personal decisions!!
I always wear my gear also, but it is our right to choose. In 1989 the California Guvment took away our right to choose for ourselves. Not only do they "force" riders to wear a helmet, but if they catch someone riding without one, they have claimed the right to legally plunder and rob them of their money.
Here's my 2 cents (from a helmet wearer). Something regarding personal safety, like wearing a helmet, should not have a law made about it. People should be allowed to take the more dangerous method as long as they don't endanger others. If it is about the safety of others, like lane splitting, then there should be laws about it as people should not be able to freely endanger those around them.
MrP00sy 1 week ago
I see some silly comments here... what is more important than your life? Sure, you can die wearing a helmet. But they protect you. What is the big issue with being asked to do something that protects you? You ppl seem more upset about the 'right' being revoked more than actually having to wear one. They save lives. You have the right to do a lot of things, doesn't mean you do them all. I don't understand.
JaalaJ2 3 months ago
I had a crash on my bike this morning... I'm in Australia so I have to wear a helmet. If you live somewhere where you have the 'right' not to wear one, of course it's your 'right' but it's a foolish gamble. If I hadn't been wearing one today I would be dead without question. My helmet saved my life. If you don't care about yourself enough to do something so simple as to put a helmet on, do it for your family and friends. I'm all for freedom of choice... but I'm all for keeping my head intact too
JaalaJ2 3 months ago
helmets can block your vision and certainly your ability to hear things that you normally would , either way helmet laws suck!
master402bbc 3 months ago
@master402bbc That is an old unfounded argument. I believe in freedom of choice. But at least try to be honest.
rkt88403 3 months ago
@rkt88403 unfounded my ass I guess you dont ride.
master402bbc 3 months ago
@master402bbc Uh...Guess again.
rkt88403 3 months ago
@rkt88403 o.k. I guess you ride a yamaha your leather is polished and you bring it to the dealer to get the oil changed!!! cmon dont lie
master402bbc 3 months ago
@master402bbc I had a couple of Yamahas back in the mid '70s. A '72 DS7 and a '72 DT1. Leave it to a dealer to figure out how to sell a oil change for leathers...couldn't resist lol. I guess you ride a Knuckle your leather is a genuine WWII bomber jacket? Dealer can't change your oil because they can't work on anything older than a evo.
I ride a '04 FXSTI since it was new. Was at the dealer once for a fuel gage and fuel pick-up hose under warrenty in 2006. Wear a WHITE 3/4 HJC. :)
rkt88403 3 months ago
@rkt88403 nah, no knuckle got a rigid shovel special construction from back in 99' and a 98' flsts for the long long rides with the ole lady but my leather is back from 88' and still fits pretty good! think I got the shovel sold,(three kids and 1 too many toys not to mention I cant walk right for two days after a good nite on the damn thing) but I will have to post some vid of the heritage anyway I know the stats bout helmets and it takes away part of the ride for me. RIDE ON
master402bbc 3 months ago
@master402bbc LOL about the rigid. Had a rigid Triumph back in the '70s. I was a lot younger back then. Can only imagine what the pain would be today. My oldest son who is close to your age can still remember riding with me from the time he was about 3 yrs old on that triumph. Of course he rides too. All you had to say was a helmet takes away part of the ride for you in the first place. I can understand that. Riding is a sensory experience. Ride Free
rkt88403 3 months ago
Let 'em die if they want to.
davidls11 4 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
smart men wear helmets, stupid men make laws that say you have to
longfootbuddy 8 months ago
If not wearing helmets is illegal, then so should not tying your shoe laces. You could fall down some stairs and crash into a bunch of people.
mrstrings2006 8 months ago
why is it that people seem to put up more of a fight for the helmet laws but not the seat belt laws? thats a choice too right? just a thought.
twmals 11 months ago
@twmals seat belts are more convenient, and seem to be less intrusive. It is just a belt, a helmet is a cage/bucket on ur head.
dirtdemon6 9 months ago
The helmet opponents are against government interference until it's the government paying millions of $ for medical care they need following a serious motorcycle accident injury. Helmet laws are part of fiscally responsible government.
oeyesea 1 year ago 2
Serious accident victims end up having the government pay for their healthcare and need welfare money to take care of themselves so the taxpayers should have a right in determining how they are going to use public roads. You must stop and think what does a fiscally responsible government do. It limits its financial responsibilities and helmet laws reduce those financial liabilities. Furthermore, not all cycle accidents happen at high speeds, plenty happen in parking lots and residential areas.
oeyesea 1 year ago
A person that is obsessed with wearing full leathers--crash helmets fire suits--THEY PROBOBLY SHOULD BE . People die alot of ways--and its not true that anyone regardless or experience level--or STYLE AND REASON FOR RIDING--is "committing suicide" to get on a motorcycle without a helmet. ITS A FREE COUNTRY.. A crotch rocket racer--with full gear WILL MERELY RIDE THAT MUCH MORE AGRESSIVELY . Hit by a train or drunk at 150mph? THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN SPLATTERED ANYWAY--EVEN IN A CAR!!
phantomvibrationsX 1 year ago
If you're stupid enough to ride with out helmet, then you should not be allowed to have a licence.
mcgaugh57 1 year ago
In a Press Enterprise online article published August 23, 2010 the CHP officer says, "...bikers can only be cited if their helmet has a fake department-approval sticker or if they are not wearing one at all, CHP Lt. Mike Soubirous said. ...a federal ruling said there was no way to prove that buyers knew the gear was unsafe...So the law is practically unenforceable," Soubirous said. boltofca.com shows why it is not enforceable, and that "department-approval" stickers don't exist.
BOLTofCalifornia 1 year ago
If your so concerned about saftey
wear one yourself !!!!
AND dont care if others dont!!!
Its their life not YOURSSSSSS!!!!!!
Buncha beuracratic losers that are tied up in moneyyyyyy power and control!!
alextheskaterdude07 1 year ago
Since you guys aren't sharp enough to come up with the answer as to why no one is pushing for car helmets I will tell you. It would be political suicide for any state legislator to enact a car helmet law because the majority of voters drive cars & they don't want to wear helmets either. Motorcyclists are just a small minority of voters so politicians like to pick on them to get votes from the vast majority that don't ride. It's all just politics but you aren't smart enough to see that.
CaneFu 1 year ago
Again, if you will just do some research rather than posting your uniformed opinions and anecdotes here, you will also find that corporations that manufacture motorcycle helmets contribute heavily to the campaigns of those politicians that favor mandatory helmet laws. Remember that NOTHING is ever done in government unless someone is going to get votes or make money for doing it.
CaneFu 1 year ago
@CaneFu Hey - I've been polite to you. Don't start throwing insults. In the first place, 14 mph is an anvil drop test. It is meant to compare helmets; not give a strength. You cannot equate them. Second, helmets are not meant to withstand the impact. They are meant to protect from truamatic brain injury. They will indeed crack. MC accidents are usually "closed" and the brain is traumatized. Helmets are proven to protect against this.
1100BlackbirdSuper 1 year ago
@1100BlackbirdSuper I KNOW that helmets are meant to crack - that's how they protect the brain - UP TO 13.66 MPH from a direct impact!!!!!!! You NEED to be insulted at this point because you don't even comprehend things!!!
CaneFu 1 year ago
@1100BlackbirdSuper I will post the response from the American Medical Association which OPPOSES mandatory helmet laws and believes it should be an individual's choice, go look it up if you don't believe it...........
CaneFu 1 year ago
@1100BlackbirdSuper Claim: The costs associated with unhelmeted motorcyclist injuries & fatalities compel the enactment of mandatory helmet laws to save taxpayer dollars.
Response: The costs associated with the treatment of motorcyclist injuries account for a tiny fraction of total U.S. health care costs. A minuscule amount of these costs is attributable to unhelmeted motorcyclists, the majority of which are paid by privately purchased insurance.
CaneFu 1 year ago
@CaneFu But the studies don't indicate the kind of head trauma in cars that mc riders get. Your arguement goes nowhere. If car drivers received the kind of brain trauma that mc riders get then they would do something about it. Cars have air bags, seat belts, etc. MC riders have helmets. Instead of arguing for car helmets maybe you should argue the opposite for air bags on bikes, eh? They do have them. (And no I'm not for that).
1100BlackbirdSuper 1 year ago
@1100BlackbirdSuper What the hell are you talking about??? YES THEY DO!!! I even have a good friend who was involved in a car accident with severe head trauma and was in a coma for a month. Good god man, if you're going to post lies there's no point in continuing this!!!!
CaneFu 1 year ago
@1100BlackbirdSuper No don't run away now, come back and answer my post with the statement from the AMA as that blows your argument away about non-helmeted motorcyclists costing everyone else more money. The AMA keeps track of those stats, would you care to dispute them??? You want to call people "stupid" and "idiots" that don't wear helmets and then have the nerve to state that you're being polite...you're a real piece of work.
CaneFu 1 year ago
@CaneFu What is your statement by the AMA? I don't see it. Look. Enough. Just answer one question and people can judge for themselves. We both can go on our way believing what we will. Here is your question: If I hit you up side your head with a baseball bat would you prefer to a.)wear a helmet or b.) not wear a helmet? Just a simple a or b in your post is all that is needed.
1100BlackbirdSuper 1 year ago
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@1100BlackbirdSuper
Claim: The costs associated with unhelmeted motorcyclist injuries & fatalities compel the enactment of mandatory helmet laws to save taxpayer dollars.
AMA Response: The costs associated with the treatment of motorcyclist injuries account for a tiny fraction of total U.S. health care costs. A minuscule amount of these costs is attributable to unhelmeted motorcyclists, the majority of which are paid by privately purchased insurance.
CaneFu 1 year ago
@1100BlackbirdSuper You keep ignoring my previous posts - I never said protective equipment could not be beneficial, I am saying it isn't a guarantee of safely & I am saying MOST BY FAR PEOPLE JUST DON'T WEAR IT in hot weather. Why can't you understand that??? You aren't acknowledging reality and it is what it is. I'm not telling you to throw away your helmet, I'm just telling your dense ass that you are calling the vast majority of riders stupid idiots because they don't agree with you.
CaneFu 1 year ago
@CaneFu I'm not going to resort to that level and call names. Debates are good, but when one person starts insulting the other person that doesn't prove anything. Up until the last few e-mails I just took you to be someone with a different viewpoint. You've shown yourself with this last statement, though. People can read what we say, do their research, and decide for themselves who is speaking facts and being clear. I wish you well and will not resort to name calling.
1100BlackbirdSuper 1 year ago
@1100BlackbirdSuper What the hell are you talking about??? From your first post you have been calling everyone "stupid" and "idiots" who disagree with your point of view. Go back and read your own posts you hypocritical self-deluded liar.
CaneFu 1 year ago
@CaneFu Education not legislation, all the ninjua self righteous dudley do-rights holier than thou--always call everyone else morons and idiots.. people without a helmet are not committing suicide at all--there are many factors full ninja gear?--more power to you.. thats fine for you but whoes the top yoda?--who then can ride but nobody else can? there must be one supreme yoda--sitting on the top of the pyramid--in theory everyone else are morons and idiots
phantomvibrationsX 1 year ago
@1100BlackbirdSuper I also just posted the AMA statement again - you may have to scroll around to find it.
CaneFu 1 year ago
It's a fact that you can reduce your chance of dying in an automobile accident by wearing a helmet in your car so why don't any of you??? You can also reduce your chance of dying in a motorcycle accident or even getting hurt on one by 100% if you just quit riding a motorcycle altogether. In fact, don't even leave your house if you don't have to, just go to work and the grocery store and nowhere else. If you really want to be safe, these are things that you should definitely do. Life is risky.
CaneFu 1 year ago
I gear up. I don't really care if someone doesn't want to. I think they are stupid, but that's their right to be an idiot. What I think people forget is that it affects everyone and that's not right. Why should the people that do wear helmets pay more in taxes, bike insurance, and medical insurance because others don't like to wear a helmet?
1100BlackbirdSuper 1 year ago
@1100BlackbirdSuper Almost NO ONE wears a motorcycle helmet in Illinois during the summer months and that's the reality here. Also you won't see anyone wearing leathers in the hot months. Standard motorcycle attire is regular jeans and a t-shirt, no helmet, not even a hat, right or wrong, that's what we wear here. People are always pushing helmets, full leathers, etc. but no one here is listening. Given a choice, 99% of the people in my city prefer to just take the risk and enjoy the ride.
CaneFu 1 year ago
@CaneFu
Having spent many summers in Illinois riding I would debate the "NO ONE" wears a helmet comment. I know plenty of riders that do. Either way, it doesn't matter. Like I said, as long as the decision affects other people's wallets it's not a simple decision. If the non- helmet wears would pay more taxes and insurance I'd be fine with it, but that doesn't seem like something that can be enforced.
1100BlackbirdSuper 1 year ago
@1100BlackbirdSuper
I can only tell what I see: riders everywhere without helmets. Financial burden? You aren't being realistic in how much a helmet protects a person in a crash. There's no study done that I know of that shows numerous broken bones and orthopedic surgeries as a result of a crash are any cheaper than a head injury. Since a person without a helmet is more apt to die in a crash, it could well be that riders that don't wear helmets cost much LESS on average than riders that do.
CaneFu 1 year ago
@CaneFu LOL!! I guess that's one way to look at it. Maybe it's Nature's way of thinning the herd. You're right. I'm not being realistic at all. What could those darn helmets and gear possibly do? I'm sure all those pro racers just wear it for the fun it. What was I thinking? Thanks for setting me straight.
1100BlackbirdSuper 1 year ago
@1100BlackbirdSuper Of course all that gear protects you, that's not what I'm arguing against. Who in their right mind wants to wear a full leather racing suit in the middle of summer to go to the grocery store? If you use a motorcycle as just a toy & ride around the streets aimlessly & go back home then I guess you can dress however you want to. That's not how most adults around here use them. I ride to stores, restaurants, movies, etc. & being dressed like a Power Ranger isn't going to work.
CaneFu 1 year ago
@1100BlackbirdSuper Imagine what it would be like if you passed a law requiring everyone to wear helmets and full leathers when they ride...
Most people would probably just quit riding, especially in warm weather. With fewer motorcyclists on the road, car drivers would be less aware of them and it would be more dangerous for the remaining bikers. Fewer bikers means less rights and at some point the government could easily decide to outlaw motorcycles altogether. Is that what you want?
CaneFu 1 year ago
@1100BlackbirdSuper Are you also aware that motorcycle helmets are not rated to protect your brain above 14 MPH? Go do the research if you don't believe me. Riding motorcycles is a risky activity, whether you wear a helmet or not. My philosophy is that most everything in life worth doing has some sort of risk attached to it. While I don't go out of my way to take chances, I don't spend all my time locked in my house either even though that would be the safest way to live. Life is very short.
CaneFu 1 year ago
@CaneFu All I can tell you is the statistics I'm reading pretty much negate most of what you say. That includes your comments on it costing more for injuries that people wearing helmets get vs. those that do not. I tried to send you one of several links I've found, but I guess that's not allowed. Just do a Google search under motorcycle helmet safety facts. Ride safe.
1100BlackbirdSuper 1 year ago
@1100BlackbirdSuper How can statistics negate what I say? That people don't want to look like Power Rangers??? Are you even reading my posts?
CaneFu 1 year ago
@CaneFu - Yes I am reading your posts. I thought you were quoting a fact about helmets. You did say "do the research." I did. Now you keep looking cool and stay away from the Power Ranger look. I know a guy who looked cool, too...right before his face smashed the tar and half of it had to be reconstructed.
1100BlackbirdSuper 1 year ago
@1100BlackbirdSuper I said that helmets are only rated up to 14 MPH to protect your brain - and you chose to ignore that fact rather than address it directly. The point is that there's no guaranteed you'll survive a motorcycle crash even with a helmet on. And what good will the helmet do you anyway when you're likely to break every bone in your body during a high speed crash?
Helmets give one a false sense of security and they only save a rider 37% of the time. Now keep pretending you're safe.
CaneFu 1 year ago
@CaneFu Yeah, okay, sure - whatever.
1100BlackbirdSuper 1 year ago
@CaneFu dude your a fool. i crashed my SV650s on the freeway in a corner going fast. I had a helmet, jacket, boots and small gloves on. i was doing a buck ten when i low sided i rolled about 15-20 times before i stopped- almost got hit by a car. my helmet hit the ground, my wrist broke and i had severe road rash on my hands and waist (because the jacket came up) my knee caps were fractured, and my red wings were extremely chewed up. And thats it. So what were you saying?
Ryknfjor 1 year ago
@Ryknfjor I'm saying that you're a complete fucking idiot for going a 110 mph on a bike and you got exactly what you asked for you moron. It's better to avoid the accident in the first place rather than rely on protective equipment and your accident was totally avoidable you damn idiot. Your license should be taken away and you should be in jail for reckless driving you fool.
CaneFu 1 year ago
@CaneFu That was 3 years ago. i dont ride like that anymore, and yes it was completely my fault. My point is what if i was going the speed limit and i still DID fall? Or better yet a car loses control in front of me? And wheres your 'helmets are only rated up to 14 MPH to protect your brain' statement come into play?
Ryknfjor 1 year ago
@Ryknfjor Do the research, you're completely clueless about the safety rating for helmets. The fact is that helmets are only rated for 14 mph.
CaneFu 1 year ago
@CaneFu Just to prove you wrong, Motorcyclist did an OVERLY extensive report on such heres a segment heres one part- 'So we decided to kill them. We ran the Z1Rs up the test rig one last time. Not just to the 10-foot, 150-joule Snell test height, but all the way to the top of the rig: 3.9 meters, or 13 feet. This hit would be at 8.5 meters per second, an energy of 185 joules. That's higher and harder than any existing helmet standard impact.' thats 40mph, kid
Ryknfjor 1 year ago
bad calculation its 19 mph still more than 14 and they say it still held up.
Ryknfjor 1 year ago
@Ryknfjor The correct rating is actually 13.66 mph but I like to say 14.
CaneFu 1 year ago
@CaneFu So to you helmets suck they are worthless even though i survived a crash with one on. And you still havent answered my 'situation' given about the harley man. Of course i read most of the article as i was not going to spend a lot of time relaying info to you, yes its all bout g's to the brain on whether or not you will be brain dead. If you ride long enough like 1100BlackbirdSuper and I have (you i assume without having one on), a day will come were you wish you have had one. Godspeed.
Ryknfjor 1 year ago
@Ryknfjor I never said helmets were worthless, go back & review my posts. You survived your idiotic crash because you low-sided & never had far to fall, rather you rolled along the pavement & never took a direct hit into a car or wall. My point is people over-rate helmets - they are only 37% effective in motorcycle accidents.
The Harley man is no more at fault than a man who doesn't wear a helmet in an auto accident; 90% of car fatalities are due to head injuries. Why not push for car helmets?
CaneFu 1 year ago
@Ryknfjor Don't try to argue with him. He's manipulating the facts to make it sound like helmets are not a good idea. I gave up. He doesn't get it and no amount of pointing out the facts will change his mind. He's obsessed with the 14 mph idea instead of reading the expert's conclusions on wearing helmets vs. not wearing them.
1100BlackbirdSuper 1 year ago
@1100BlackbirdSuper it seems hes trying to find the reason he doesnt need to wear helmets so it will make him feel better about already not wearing one. "there are 2 types of riders in this world, those who have crashed and those who havent"
Ryknfjor 1 year ago
@Ryknfjor I don't need a reason not to wear a helmet as they are not required in my state. I do wear them in cold weather and discard them in the hot weather like almost everyone else here does. After 3 decades of riding I have crashed more than once, and never hit my head.
My point is that most riders here discard helmets in the summer and no one wears racing leathers, that's the reality that I'm talking about. Safety gear becomes worthless when most people don't want to wear it.
CaneFu 1 year ago
@1100BlackbirdSuper I'm not obsessed with the 14 mph idea, I'm just posting the facts that the experts have stated. It seems that you are the one that prefers to ignore reality.
CaneFu 1 year ago
@1100BlackbirdSuper The riders that actually cost us a lot more in higher medical costs and insurance rates are those like Ryknfjor that gear up and then go ride 110 mph and crash due to their own recklessness - it's that kind of stupidity that ruins it for all of us bikers. That's who you have chosen to take sides with in this debate - a completely moronic asshole that should have his license revoked.
CaneFu 1 year ago
@1100BlackbirdSuper You said, "He's manipulating the facts to make it sound like helmets are not a good idea. I gave up. He doesn't get it and no amount of pointing out the facts will change his mind." Sorry, but I'm not manipulating the facts, I'm just stating what they are. You on the other hand, have yet to even state any facts. You haven't even bothered to research the facts yet, you're just stating popular public opinion which has been formulated by people that don't even ride motorcycles.
CaneFu 1 year ago
@CaneFu But I have stated the facts. People who don't wear helmets are proven to spend more time in the hospital and require more expensive stays. Read the statistics. The studies have been done and you are not correct in what you say. Look, I don't care if you want to look cool; but by not wearing a helmet you cost all those that do more money. What you do with your body is your business, but not when it affects my money.
1100BlackbirdSuper 1 year ago
@Ryknfjor The helmet may have survived but your brain would not. The damage is done when the brain moves inside the skull, it has nothing to do with the helmet not breaking. Tests have shown that cheaper helmets actually protect the brain better than expensive ones as the cheaper helmets break quicker & absorb the impact that the brain would take by banging against the inside of the skull. You are a fool if you think a helmet will protect your brain if you slam against a concrete wall at 40 mph.
CaneFu 1 year ago
@Ryknfjor If you had actually read that whole article all the way through, rather than just copy & pasting a couple of lines, you would have read that brain injury scientists from all over the world are very critical of the Snell Foundation testing for designing helmets that are too stiff and don't absorb the impact that the brain takes. I have researched this point extensively and you are just now skimming articles for the first time...honestly, "kid", you are just embarrassing yourself now.
CaneFu 1 year ago
@CaneFu You aren't basing ANY of your arguments on facts, only on popular OPINION. The truth is that motorcycles are inherently dangerous, no matter how you're dressed. The only truly safe course of action is not to ride a motorcycle, period. Don't go flying down the highway on 2 wheels and then claim you're being safe because you're wearing a plastic hat with some foam rubber inside.
CaneFu 1 year ago
@CaneFu Financial burden? situation: a Father/Husband is out for a stroll on his Harley (slow and not maneuverable). NO helmet. Then, all of a sudden some car pulls out in front of him. he crashes. and dies. severe head trauma. the family is left mourning and now struggling to make ends meet. Here is south texas that happens. So go and buy your expensive, out-of-reach-financially $150 helmet. PS what kind of bike do you have?
Ryknfjor 1 year ago
@1100BlackbirdSuper Here's where your argument fails....What makes you think that motorcycle riders that don't gear up cost us anymore over the course of a lifetime? Most people who don't even ride a motorcycle live to be 80 years old and cost us many more trillions in Medicare and Social Security - you will too if you live long enough, it's inevitable. How is that less expensive than a man who dies young on a motorcycle or has a shorter life span as a result of severe injury?
CaneFu 1 year ago
Honda V65 magna at 1:16
terragyamaha 2 years ago
let those ride, decide......
terragyamaha 2 years ago
there is no point in protecting a head that is already dumb enough to not wear a helmet when riding.
lasive 2 years ago 2
its so stupid in CT, there is no motorcycle helmet law, but there is a helmet law for bicycles. so dumb
WIGTRON5000 2 years ago
bicycle helmets laws in CT? wtf?!? that don't deserve to be a law, what the next for CT to enforce? seatbelts laws for bicycles? they best not get the ideas of seatbelts for motorcycle riders, because if i get injured, and get dragged while strapped in my bike, they better have huge cash for me once i sue the government for this stupidest motorcycle seatbelt laws, i don't mind the helmets laws, but.. for bicycles... i mean, C'mon, CT needs to wake up
SpiritsoftheWolf 2 years ago
i kno its so stupid. its not enforced, unless you catch a cop on a bad day or something
WIGTRON5000 2 years ago
I love how people like to pretend as if their actions are all done in a bubble. Who do you think has to pay for the fire fighters, ambulance workers, coroners, CHP/police officers, doctors, nurses and other hospital staff who have to attend to a downed rider who dies or is severally injured from not wearing a helmet? If you are riding on the public road ways you must abide by the laws. Last time I checked having a license for a car or motorcycle was not a constitutionally protected right..
d0gM3at 2 years ago 2
hey there are many clips on you tube where people crash without helmets and survive and there are equal amounts of clips that show people with full gear crashing then dieing so let the person who is riding the f##king vehicle be comftorable on the bike! i always wear my gear but i agree with freedom of choice when it comes to personal decisions!!
fitzmorris 2 years ago
I always wear my gear also, but it is our right to choose. In 1989 the California Guvment took away our right to choose for ourselves. Not only do they "force" riders to wear a helmet, but if they catch someone riding without one, they have claimed the right to legally plunder and rob them of their money.
flipsidevideo 2 years ago