I went to the web link that is here and I cant find a thing about this article, maybe I missed it. Could you please repost that article, Thanks.

 

I don't wave at other bikers.

 

I live east of Gettysburg and hardly wear a helmet. In my opinion and its only an opinion, it adds another dimention to the ride experience. Since I live in Southern Pa, when we cross state lines we don the helmets and immediately feel the closed in effect even when on the bike.

The argument about seat belt and helmets are all about money. Lets face it our governing officials could give a rats tail about whether you hit the curb with your head or not. It comes down to what the cost of rehab and insurance payouts have to be.

Under the new Barry plan the governmnet will be the insurance provider, and will mandate this law on a federal level. I can see this one coming like a frieght train. Once our government gets its collective act together on the insurance rules, laws and payouts in bennies, helmet laws, seat belt and I would even imagine the age of your transportation will be a factor. In Europe the government mandates that older cars are removed from service.
Hold onto your ankles it comin and there is no stopping the Barry train.

 

Dude it is an internet discussion forum. Get over it.

 

I agree. A helmet can save you anytime. I have seen people go down in triple digits on track days and walk away...very slowly. My point was the most likely time a helmet would make a significant difference for the average rider is in low speed "fender benders" in town. I frequently hear riders say, "If I am just running errands around town I don't wear a helmet."

 

Excellent point! Most(all?) riders spend significantly more time 'low speed around town' then they do in situations of '60-75mph slide, roll, tumble on the pavement'.

 

I remember having a helmet/jacket/jeans discussion with a neighbor years ago. He was a shorts/sneakers/t-shirt rider. He used to shake his head when he'd see me gearing up before a ride. In the end, I just asked him what he'd choose to be wearing if I threw him out of the back of my pick-up at 35mph...what about 65mph? There's no guarantee that a helmet will save me at any speed...but I like my chances of meeting my grandchildren someday better when I wear one... No, he never changed...his choice...

 

Two words...Gary Busey

He was already weird but after he fell off his bike at a stop sign and hit his head on the curb he was completely goofy.

 

Come on now. If you're a REAL "investigator" then tell the whole story.

Okay then, I will:

"Registrations have skyrocketed 53 percent since 2003. More motorcycles mean more crashes and more fatalities, Umbenhauer said. PennDOT records show 5.19 deaths per 10,000 motorcycle registrations in 2012 and 5.92 for 10,000 in 2003."

http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/4...#ixzz2kPD2iVkm

That excerpt was taken from a reliable news source and the information is based on PennDOT statistics.

So, it seems since the helmet law repeal there has actually been a statistical DROP in rate of fatalities.

 

I agree, none of the stories/reports about helmets as they relate to accidents tell the 'whole story'. They don't mention how, usually helmetless, riders suffer head injuries and don't die(fatalities). They instead face a, some a real difficult, struggle with life. Trust me for some, most(?), people with head(brain) injuries, death is the easy way out.

And in the long run, much better for their families or whoever takes care of them. Except, of course, for the doctors or caregivers that are getting paid for their service. And this, especially in cases of a head(brain) injury, can mean a huge expense.

But I never seen, because it obviously would be very difficult/impossible to perform, a follow up on the lives of people that have accidents. That is a comparison of the lives of helmeted vs. helmetless riders that lived through an accident. That could/should also be broken down by the severity of the accident.

"PennDOT records show 5.19 deaths per 10,000 motorcycle registrations in 2012 and 5.92 for 10,000 in 2003."

The above statement doesn't mention what I consider a more important consideration, head injuries. The PennDOT records also don't take into account the fact that just because a motorcycle is registered, that doesn't mean the riders know what they are doing, or actually ride very much. More important, were the deaths because of a head injury, or some other cause? This can skew the results. Without knowing these factors, PennDOT's statistics are worthless when considering the value of a helmet.

It would be nice to know the 'whole story'.

Ron