Safety Poll

None of the choices are exactly how I feel, but I do think half helmets CAN protect from some injuries...just like full-face helmets CAN cause some injuries. Are either case 100% one way or the other? No. Few things are. The chances might be pretty good or they might be pretty slim. Strange things happen sometimes.

For the record, I think helmet laws and seatbelt laws should be repealed. I wear helmets and seatbelts though. I just don't think it should be a govt mandate. The law doesn't make everybody in Florida put storm shutters and hurricane-resistant roofs on their house, or everybody in a floodplain to build their house with a boat hull as a foundation (like many Amsterdam and Seattle houses), yet those who don't cost others lots of money in property insurance premiums. If you don't want to wear a helmet or seatbelt, it should be your choice...to pay jacked-up insurance rates or be denied claims.

I think every law-abiding adult in this world should be able to own/carry a firearm too. It shouldn't be mandatory, but no govt should be denying law-abiding citizens the right to defend themselves in dire situations if they so choose.

I also don't think traffic tickets should be issued unless one causes a collision. Hell, in Italy, one doesn't even need a driving license until one is involved in a collision.

Yes I wear a full face helmet always, knock on wood haven't needed it yet, also wear a parachute when flying my t6 Texan wwll trainer haven't had to use it yet either. Down and dirty mountain biking have gone throughout a couple, wouldn't be here if I wasn't wearing one. Riding motorcycles has risks, like everything else, just try to reduce them as much as possible.

Kommando,

Valid argument. What would you like me to add to this poll? Are there any others who would like their questions to be added? Lets keep it safety related and not argue the law for now since many are in different countries and they don't necessarily share the same laws with others.

Cheers,

Chris

Not wearing a helmet is much like smoking tobacco products.

Both rider & smoker know the out come of their risk & want to continue the risky behavior.

Adults don't have to create drama & lies about the safety of not smoking, anymore than wearing a helmet.

We all agree about other types of risky behavior, so let's waste no more time on forcing adults to wear a helmet.

Which means render not an ear to any stupid argument.

So who likes recycled oil over synthetic oil? And who really cares?

I'm an ATGATT guy myself. My gear saved my hide a few years back. I had a lowside in a righ hand curve. I slid aprox 100+ feet down the road on asphalt. If I hadnt been wearing my gear I'd have spent quite a bit of time in the hospital having road rash taken care of. As it is I walked away from the crash with nothing more than a bruise on my hip.

Gear threads crack me up.
It brings out the crackpots (maybe I am one) but for the subject and points sake, I shall continue.
It is like survivors of anything, who from one instance boast they are "experts" and "see how I survived" from my own stupidity? Because we all know many crashes are not anyones fault but the rider. It is his hinnie, his bike and his spot to leave parts of what ever touches the ground.

Before seat belts I crashed more cars than most of you will in your lifetimes. Before helmets I rode bare footed and bare legged and crashed too. I don't have one scar.

The point is your opinion is not all that important. What is important is the riders opinion for "himself" or "herself". No one lives in that body but them, no one has any more power than the person chooses to allow them to have.

A guy falls off a cliff and survives and tells everyone it is because he knew how to tuck and roll, then the same guy falls off a curb and dies! YUP, it actually happened.

I do support ATGATT, however I ride in jeans and tennis shoes almost everyday.

I also support the right to choose your own level of safety. I dislike the government seatbelt laws and helmet laws. But in all honesty and truth I simply dislike government.

You were lucky

Wanna know the best way to avoid getting injured in a motorcycle accident and lower your insurance rates? Sell your fucking motorcycle. That's what anybody who actually placed that high of a priority on their personal safety would do.

Go look up the NTSB study and get back to us. IIHS studies are slanted and twisted CRAP.

hows that, smoking one cigarette puts tar in yer lungs and nicotine in yer blood, the damaging substances acumulate


not wearing a helmet does nothing,

the risk does not accumulate each time you ride without a helmet


not wearing a helmet is comparable to not wearing a seatbelt or a hard hat on a construction job

tobaccowhat you been smokin

I was looking at some actuarial data (can't recall the source offhand) and it turns out the number one impact point for life ending or changing head injuries was not covered by half helmets.

I do agree that this poll is full of holes and will yield noisy data of little use...

hmmmm ... the old helmet debate rears it's ugly head once more

Only ever had one moderate speed crash (the others were driveway type offs) and I remember banging my helmet clad head on the ground ... sure was glad it was there to provide a buffer between the bitumen and my stupid noggin ... I need to preserve what few active neurons I have :eek1

I know it goes against the grain for us freedom lovers to submit to a reaming from the law makers ... I mean the whole wind in your hair, bugs in your teeth mantra of freedom in the face of the tyranny of nanny-state bleeding hearts and all ... but when my noggin hits the dirt I want some sort of sock absorber there. I know it won't save me from the very worst stupidity I can muster but better than nuthin

Besides which my helmet keeps my ears warm

I have never owned any gear except a helmet and leather jacket, but once had some good boots for a few years when I did some enduro's.
I would rather wear a helmet, I like them better then ear plugs, and the head is sort of fragile and easy to damage.
I tend to think riding in jeans, sneaks and a polo shirt makes me use a bit more caution if I KNOW I will be hurting if I dump a bike on the street.
That has worked for me for 35 years, the bad dirt crashes that had me in the hospital were at an older age and no gear would have helped me, the bone structure just could not support the impact force.

In all those 35 years, cross country rides, riding to work, just riding for fun, dirt riding, I am glad I got to ENJOY the ride without having to deal with all the gear and its discomfort.

I was up New Hope PA a month ago, on my little TU250, at frans pub, having a cold one, when a couple pulled up on big bmw dual sports wearing every piece of gear made, in 95F 95% humidity. I would have been hot in the winter wearing all that crap.
They had to sit at the outside bar wearing their thick bulky riding suits and I just felt sorry for them.
It would not be worth it to me, get a sports car or something....
I kept thinking they were doing it wrong, big heavy expensive dual sports, lots of very expensive gear, to swelter through traffic. How much fun is that?
They dressed for the crash, I dress for fun and it has worked for me for a long time.
If I was to dress like a power ranger, I might be tempted to ride places where I know its unsafe, because if I go down, I am going to be ok. Maybe I could take turns faster, if I low side I will be ok with all the gear on.

I never ride in shorts, but short of that, put on helmet, hop on bike, turn key and go.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Great attitude! They can ride how they want and you can ride like you want. F'em if they even suggest I "should" or "better" ride wearing the latest financial rip-off gear. I have ridden dressed both ways and like riding dressed for the crash and for fun. Life is awesome.

everyone... please ride safe!

over the car - landed on her face

Not attacking her, but wouldn't a defensive riding class kept her safer, rather than simply planning for the impact?

That does not prove helmets prevent as many injuries as many people would like to believe they can prevent.

A helmet is a piece of safety gear that be of significant value in the event of a certain type of incident ...

For the remainder of the time, helmets are nuisances that can give some people a false sense of security.

Six pages of comments and this has to be the most absurd one of all. ​

Let me make you a deal. I hit you on the head with a 2x4, whatever angle, whatever direction, and in whatever scenario of your liking, and if you survive the blow, I’ll let you hit me in a head with my helmet on with a steel bar however you want to.
Stop with the "certain types of accidents" already, nobody I know ever put on a helmet and think they can ride like Valentino Rossi, maybe that “some people” that you're referring to is "you". Otherwise look at the poll, only 3 percent of the poll takers believe what you're preaching. Maybe they are all on crack!

It's less absurd than it is accurate.

Helmets offer around a 35% decrease in death rates. They do nothing, literally nothing, to prevent rotational injuries to the brain, which are inflicted by whipping the head around violently. Wearing one is safer than not wearing one, but wearing one does not mean that you are protected from brain injury, only that you have slightly mitigated the risk. It prevents skull fractures from hitting the pavement and offers some abrasion protection. That's it.

Edit: for the record, I never, ever ride without one. Not once. However, I also like to be realistic.