Why's he stopping?

Bullshit.

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Neurology/HeadTrauma/tb/9793

Freedom is great, and you everyone rolls their own dice, but non-helmeted riders are welcome to stay off my insurance policy.

Interesting. The poll that was conducted here re: whether crashing is inevitable or not clearly shows that the majority of those polled agree that crashing is inevitable- of which I certainly agree. The most observant rider can't take into account the idiot pulling out of a driveway right in front of you. When I'm about to make a stupid decision that could get me in legal/physical danger I HOPE someone suggests a safer alternative. I don't walk up to strangers wearing sneakers, etc, and preach ATGATT- but I laugh at any friend of mine when they choose to compromise.

As was already stated, less gear = more traumatic injuries = more & longer hospital stays = higher costs for me, the consumer, in insurance.

Besides, as was also stated, I don't want a buddy/ father/ son to be crippled/ killed while riding. Helmets save lives, statistically.

From World Health Organization:
"Wearing a helmet is the single most effective way of reducing head injuries and fatalities resulting from motorcycle and bicycle crashes. Wearing a helmet has been shown to decrease the risk and severity of injuries among motorcyclists by about 70%, the likelihood of death by almost 40%, and to substantially reduce the costs of health care associated with such crashes."

From the National Center for Statistics and Analysis, Washington:
"...Motorcycle helmets are currently estimated to be 37% effective in preventing rider fatalities... Despite the improved performance of helmets, the incidence of fatal motorcycle crashes in the US has been increasing in recent years, as percentage of riders who use helmets has fallen from 71% to 58% nationally."

From the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
"Motorcycle helmets are 67% effective in preventing brain injuries."
"Un-helmeted motorcyclists are 3x as likely to suffer a brain injury as were those who were helmeted."

Etc. etc. Sure, I can agree that personal freedom is sacred and people will always find ways to maim/kill themselves with stupidity (Darwin Awards), but why do we even have licenses at all? Because it is in our own best interest to know how to properly fire a gun or drive a car or ride a motorcycle. If helmet laws convince your son/ brother/ father who would otherwise not wear one and it saves his life, how the f*ck is that a bad idea??

it always amazed me that women are willing to be passengers and wear almost no clothing. If I screw up myself that's bad, but having someone else screw up for you.


Of course when I take passengers I give them my best advice on how to dress, and let them decide for themselves. Sometimes it's a helmet and Mini skirt

READ MY POST!!! I SAID BICYCLE, NOT MOTORCYCLE.

Insurance companies obviously don't agree with you else they'd rate based on helmet use. Besides, how does your insurance on your BIKE BIKE BIKE!!!!! change based on helmet use????

Can you read or only get into rages?

June bugs cured me of anything but full face helmets. 1/10th of an ounce of hard shelled green bug imapcting your upper lip at 80mph kinda sucks.

4-5 ounces of rock would kinda bite too.

But hey, I don't give a good shit what other people do.

too many bugs and crap when I'm riding to go helmetless. I wear gloves, jacket, pants and boots too! Given the amount of stuff that seems to hit me - wasps, bees, flies, rocks and other debris, I'd be flinching almost non-stop at times. I often have my visor open, but I've been hit by stinging insects and had to stop in a hurry. We have helmet laws here, but if someone else wants to ride without, then go ahead, I have seen too many head injuries from many types of activities, I have limited sympathy for those who choose no helmet and then get injured. Each to his own though.

It's still bullshit. Look, you can make up whatever justifications you want to, but the facts from multiple peer-reviewed studies simply don't jive with your assertion that injury rates are HIGHER among helmeted bike (motorcycle OR bicycle) riders. So yeah, it's intellectully dishonest, ergo, bullshit.

To wit.
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/308/6922/173

See also: any one of a dozen similar studies found from a 30-second Google search. I don't have time to slum around on the medical journal databases today, but I'm sure you'd see the same.

Look, make up your own opinion all you want, but you can't make up your own facts.

A magazine in the western US, ThunderPress, is promoting the idea of a universal signal that bikers can use to inform other riders of their needs when they are stopped on the side of the highway. I find it frustrating when I approach a biker stopped along the road in that I don't know why, and I don't know whether he needs help. I want to stop and help any fellow biker because it's the right thing to do, and I hope anyone seeing me stopped would offer help. But how do you know? Is he stopped to peel a layer or add a layer? Is he stopped to look at a map? Is he stopped to pee? Is he stopped because he's broken down or out of gas? So, ThunderPress is promoting the idea that,

If you are stopped and want assistance, hang a brightly colored bandana or cloth from your left grip. It is clearly visable to all who come up from behind, plus it acts as a warning flag to the rest of traffic.

If this makes sense to you, start carrying a bright colored bandana in the bottom of your stuff, and hang it out there next time you need help. Plus, tell all you friends and riding buddies.

Do you have a source for this claim. It certainly seems contrary to the data here: http://www.helmets.org/mandator.htm

or here:
http://www.iihs.org/research/fatality_facts_2006/bicycles.html
particularly the statement: Ninety-five percent of bicyclists killed in 2006 reportedly weren't wearing helmets.

In my experience, helmet use is much higher than 5% so helmeted riders are certainly under represented in fatalities.

There certainly is the argument about people adjusting their behavior to maintain constant risk:
http://psyc.queensu.ca/target/index.html#contents

I have read the book, but he has no examples about bicycle or motorcycle helmet usage.

i live in NY where there is a mandatory helmet law. when i cross in CT, there is no helmet law. i still keep my helmet on because the pavement in CT is just as hard as it is in NY.

I'm gone for a month on a ride and I come back here and the first thing I see is another helmet nazi thread. Sheesh.

Who's the helmet nazi? This is a discussion.

I REALLY don't care who does or doesn't wear a helmet.

But you should see the faceshield of the hat I was wearing when I hit the highway at 55mph. I could deal with being dead but I couldn't deal with HAVING NO FACE.:eek1

I oppose helmet & seatbelt laws.
I wear a helmet and I also wear a seatbelt.
Just don't think it's anybody elses business what I do.

Folks say it IS their business because head injury people become a burden on society. I say B.S. the folks killed and not drawing social security more than cancel out the others.
Same with smokers.


If you mind your own business, you'll be busy all the time.
Hank Williams

The real question is should you wave or not wave at other riders if they are or are not wearing a helmet, and if you are or are not wearing one yourself?

Oh, by the way what kind of oil should I use and will high octane make my bike faster?

Personally, I prefer a full face helmet, bikini, and flip flops for summer wear:

that's fine for you. my shifter foot gets rubbed when I wear anything less than house shoes. Maybe if I had a heel shifter that wouldn't be a problem.

some folks think riding without a helmet is dangerous and we should legislate a fix, some folks think riding is dangerous...

I hate politicians and excessive legislation. I just think you should wear a helmet when you ride.

A guy I know was doing good. Got a great job, great wife, had some great kids, got a great house in the country with some great land. Got himself a Harley. A nice, shiny new one like he always wanted.
Then he de-delineated some delineator posts with his melon. Woke up two weeks later a total prick who couldn't remember anything about the great life he was having and he was too permanently pissed off to care anyway. Got divorced, lost all his stuff. His life sucks now.
If you ride without a lid, the message you're sending is this:

The breeze in my hair and wind in my face is more important than the people who care about me or depend on me. Screw my family and friends, I'm selfish and that's just tough feces. :fyyff

Years ago when I got my first bike, we rode with ballcaps on backwards (I was about 14 at the time). That only went for a season before my parents laid down the law about helmets, and I've never been without one since. I've seen more snowmobile accidents than bike accidents though, and back home (where my parents still live, rural Canada) there are often reports of people getting killed on sleds, and ATVs, usually helmetless.

When I moved to the city I friend of mine took up bicycling to work. The city put in a helmet bylaw, so he bought the cheapest helmet he could find ($15) and bragged about it. I asked him why he thought his feet were worth over $100 in terms of his Nikes, but his head was only worth a discount store lid.

A couple days ago I was passed by cruiser with the not-so-unusual running shoes, T-shirt, and half helmet. What caught my eye was that the young girl on the back was wearing exactly the same rig. I tell you, some people's ability to assess risk is thoroughly messed up. Especially when they're making decisions for their kids.

And I was passed, before anyone says anything, because I was in the car due to the full baby seat in the back.