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Additional issue, NY state is using Federal NHTSA funds, in the name of "safety", to support state and local code enforcement. Helmet use in NY is a state law not Federal. For that matter so is licensing, registration, insurance, inspection... If this is really about safety? Do officers check tread wear, PSI, fall away, bearings, brakes, etc.? Are officers qualified motorcycle mechanics capable of identifying safety measures on bikes? Are they informing the riders about road conditions in the area? OR Is the government looking to regulate motorcycle riding in the same manner as interstate trucking, rail transportation, air traffic, etc?

If you disagree that Fed tax dollars can be used to fund state and local code enforcement then write a letter to your US Congressman and voice your support for H.R. 904 which prohibits your Fed tax dollars from funding local budgets via motorcycle only checkpoints.

 

it is a republic so far , and that is why some want to change the helmet laws, you want a socialist big brother is gonna to tell you how to take care of yourself goverment with attitude like that , again wearing a helmet does not have any effect on anyones elses safty but the person making the choice , so the goverment doesn,t need to be involved, MSF is good and is required in many locations, but this was a thread about helmets and so called safety checks , which also violates our republics constitition. and name calling show a really advances level of maturity to support you claims too.

 

People like you are a danger to our society. Elect someone to change it? Just like that? And no freedom of speech? OK, then STFU

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This all began w/ Big Insurance lobby money. To minimize the cost of payouts on insurance claims. All the sensationalized media hype and schemes and government programs to convince the public that their insurance premiums were so high because of motorcyclists w/o helmets. The helmet manufacturers' lobby assured that DOT would insist on everyone buying their more expensive (partly because of red tape) equipment.

Then politicians, from the president on down to the governors and mayors, direct LE to increase the size of their force and go after the EZ money. As a group, motorcyclists cannot defend themselves against the majority, who have been BS'd into thinking they are "doing the right thing".

Our freedom of choice was taken away from us because of greed. And it is simply shameful for LE to pursue enforcement of such morally twisted laws.

 

I don't get why if your going to wear a helmet, why not wear a DOT helmet?

 

Call me cheap, but I'll just keep wearing my DOT helmet.

 

Hell my helmet was a better helmet than the best DOT approved Bell helmet on the market. It was a Davida made in the UK leather lined, I used it in both a crop duster andriding my bike, it matched my color scheme on my bike. I liked it because of the audio package which worked on both the bike and the cropduster, but hell Louisiana is the same way you got to go find a cheap helmet with a DOT sticker or get your bike towed.
Why don't the lazy SOB donut eating cops watch for speeders, stop light runners, and dope heads instead of working these worthless road blocks wasting our time.
It's these damn liberals like Daddy-O that cause all the problems for us.
Don Enlow (FlyLow)

 

I just read an article in the RG forum where ABATE was holding a protest ride in NY this weekend and one of the protesters on a 93 HD had an accident, hit his head on the pavement, and is now dead. Such an irony, protesting the helmet law, then getting killed where a helmet would have most likely saved him...smh.

 

From Surfguitar141:
"So what you're saying is, there should be no driver education before handing a teenager a driver's license.....?
No safety course or test before handing someone a motorcycle license.....?
Besides the use of a helmet should not be dictated by the state, it should be personal choice, and as I discussed in another topic, DOT standards are total bullshit and outdated, there are a few so called novelty helmets on the market that in my opinion are far superior to many DOT rated lids....
This country was founded on freedom of choice and taking personal responsibility for one's self, unfortunately lawyers and politicians have destroyed that concept.
I live in a state that does not respect my 2nd Amendment rights, are you saying I should abide by those draconian gun laws and live in fear of criminals, rapists, car jackers, and home invaders, or do I exercise my God given rights to self protection.....there's more than one way of looking at things...... "

The whole point of my message went right over your head. Maybe I wasn't clear, I'll try again.
Yes, there should be driver's education for new drivers, but it ain't the state's responsibility damnit. It's yours. If you want to drive, learn how. If you want to fly, learn how. if you want to ride a motorcycle..learn how. But do them all according to the law of the land. (oh no, I opened another can of worms didn't I?....and if you don't like the laws, work to change them or move)

And yes, I agree wearing a helmet should be the rider's choice. I said that to. I know a helmet probably won't make a helluva lot of difference if you crash at highway speeds but barring any other life threatening injury...if your head is cracked wide open and you're a vegetable for the rest of eternity, it's hard to argue a helmet would not have been a wise choice. But who was responsible for teaching you that? Not the state...that's all I'm saying.
Oh, and if you live in a state where you can't even own a firearm...well, that's your fault to. U Haul will be glad to rent you a moving truck.
Ride Safe

 

If you can't take a DOT helmet with you when you ride thru a helmet state, it's your own fault if you get towed.

 

I don't believe here in the US OF A that they can make you remove your helmet unless you are under arrest or they have a warrant.