I live in Florida, pro choice state for helmets. I personally have ridden with my helmet as well as without it. I entirely understand the more freedom debate but the point of this thread I really think is safety. Are you less likely to have a traumatic brain injury or death wearing a helmet v.s. not wearing a helmet? I think its fair to say that we all agree helmets do protect your head significantly better than riding without one.

Choice or lack thereof really shouldn't be the focus, protecting your head including the brain in it should be. Its nice to ride without one but we all know catching a bug to the face or even a pebble hurts. If you had a helmet on that wouldn't have hurt at all, your ears would face a less sharp exhaust tone saving your hearing as well, and keeping you more insulated from the elements. Helmets save lives.

If you get in an accident and end up as a vegetable even with a helmet that sucks big time, would you likely be totally dead without a helmet on? Probably. Smaller accidents you have a much better chance of standing up and walking away afterwards with a helmet compared to not. You don't see moto gp riders whining about not being allowed to ride with just goggles on do you? They lay their bikes down at speeds most of us likely wont ever hit and they all wear helmets and almost all thank God they had them and riding gear on.

Safety is what this discussion should focus on, not how the man is putting me down making me wear a helmet.

Also quick side note getting chemo sometime this week, waiting on insurance approval the scheduling the treatment.

 

I agree with your above post, except with the use of 'probably' in the part I quoted. And the reason is logical, and very simple.

Some people, in their attempt to show that a helmet doesn't always matter, claim their head never hit the ground. And this is believable. Some people do win lotteries, but most just tear up their losing tickets.

So, in the vast range between a head never hitting the ground and a head hitting the ground, and popping like a grape under a boot, there are an infinite number of variations of possible damage that can occur to a person's head/brain.

My point is that a person can't depend on "would you likely be totally dead without a helmet on? Probably". Sometimes, usually probably considering odds, the injury is much worse then death. IMO

 

I look the same on my Sportster as I do on my ZX14 or Goldwing, either a gloss black HJC modular helmet or my Bell Revolver. My 'costume' is mine and not dictated by the brand of machine I ride.

 

In the same way it can't be known with the silly figure that people are trying to sell in this debate that you have a 37% better chance of surviving a potentially fatal motorcycle accident vs a non wearer. Most people who die in car crashes die from blunt force trauma to the head or body yet nobody in a cage wears a helmet or body armor. Why don't they? At best all we have is hope that a helmet might protect or save us in an accident. The greatest piece of safety equipment a rider can wear is between their ears and not what you wear over them. I've been wearing steel toed shoes for over 35 years and haven't smashed my toes yet . Your odds of acquiring heart disease in our lifetime or cancer is the same or greater of being involved in a motorcycle accident for what its worth. Getting out of bed is inherently dangerous. Plan accordingly



You said only a few die immediately. Thats speculation on your part.

 

It won't be long before NFL football is touch instead of tackle It's obvious that the helmets are not preventing brain injuries in the long term by as many concussions that have occurred over the years. Boxers brains are cooked by all the blows they take but you know what boxers and full contact football will never go away. You referenced professional moto racers. They are high risk riders where the majority of us cruiser riders are not and these tracks are designed expecting riders to crash where as our riding element is not.. You really can't use professional road racers as being comparable when you reference safety.

Relatively few people choose to ride a motorcycle. Most that do are individualist that know how to enjoy life to the fullest day by day. Helmets save lives in the same way that condoms and air bags do. Wearing a helmet does not make for a safer or smarter rider ultimately. I don't think people get it. All these folks in Ohio riding without are smiling , having fun doing what they want without anybody interfering with choice at at over 50 i'm cool with that. Isn't it ironic that health care costs of some injured riders come up but its ok that they take my tax dollars to pay the bills of welfare recipients? I'd rather my taxes helped pay a persons medical bills then people on a free lunch ticket.

People would be better off focusing on the here and now vs focusing on possibilities. I wish you the best towards your health.

 

And your first point above means? That it is better to 'hope' for death or injury?

As for your second point, yes that is speculation on my part. Coupled with personal experience and observation. Would it more believable, on your part, to post "not everyone that receives a head injury dies immediately"?

Actually the "only a few die immediately" was based on the obvious result from there being many more points, on a person's skull/brain, that can cause 'merely' a brain injury as opposed to death . It is more scientific(odds) then speculation.

 

Unfortunately, possibilities sometimes become realities. Sometimes preparing for a possible future event is a good idea.

Do you live your life by the 'focus only on the here and now' in all aspects of your life?

 

I've wrecked motorcycles before. Most were off road and one when i was drunk. My head never contacted the ground in any of these accidents. I've wrecked my bicycle as a kid , slammed my head on the ice. Jumped 15 foot dirt hills in jeans an tennis shoes, fell 12-14 feet landing on my head suffering a hairline skull fracture, Been hit by two cars, served in the U.S. military in countries where other brothers were murdered by terrorist yet i'm still freaking here. I love to drink beer and whiskey but you know what im strong as an ox and pretty freaking fit for somebody over 50. I could wake up tomorrow, suffer a massive heart attack and die but oh well. My life is to short to worry about anything.

Would you like to discuss risk with me any more? I'm not invincible but i am real.Your debate is based on possibility as are most pro helmet advocates. From a probability fact more people die on motorcycles wearing a helmet they those to don't wear. Many medical professionals would state that they wished there mangled clients who would of died without a helmet are now in a vegetable state because they did wear.

I'm glad you think that one day your helmet may in fact save your life or prevent major head trauma or will it? The answer is you don't know and neither do i.

 

Not exactly in the same way. So you are of the opinion that condoms and air bags aren't good either? Air bags may prevent a head(brain) injury, but condoms are for an entirely different purpose.

Of course since some STDs can affect the brain, you may have a point.

Never mind.

 

If your head "never contacted the ground", you don't have any idea how a helmet can help. Please post some links to the " Many medical professionals would state that they wished there mangled clients who would of died without a helmet are now in a vegetable state because they did wear".

Or just 1 link.

Either way, get over your obsession with death, it is NOT that important. And, again from personal experience and observation, I'll debate 'risk' with you. Again, do you live your life by the 'focus only on the here and now' in all aspects of your life?