Originally Posted by rjg883c

What about a crash under 40 mph? Motorcycle racers, in different venues, crash at speeds greater then 40 mph and get up and walk away. Some are carried away to the hospital, but they have survived their accident. An even more important thing that a lot of people don't understand about helmets is that saving your life is not the important issue, at least IMO. When you are dead your family may suffer, or friends may feel bad, but you won't know.

If you fall off your scooter, regardless of speed, and your head bounces off something solid, it may leave you with a brain injury. Or if you slide face down on the street it may grind your nose, or entire face, away. This opens you up to a world that is difficult to understand until you are living with your injury. But then it's too late to reconsider your choice.

I won't attempt to suggest, or even intimate, whether anyone should or shouldn't wear a helmet. I don't really care. But consider this when making your choice: Whatever reason anyone has for not wanting to wear a helmet is really only a factor while you are actually wearing a helmet.

And that is what, usually only for a few minutes to a few hours at a time? A few times a day?
A head injury, and it's effects, are there 24/7 for the rest of your life. You may, or may not, improve over time. But depending on the severity of your injury, your life may have some difficulties that you can work through or it may result in needing help with almost everything you do.

Possibly the worst part about that, needing help with everything you do, is that you are aware of what is happening but are unable to alter the way your life turned out. Again, I DON'T CARE IF ANYONE WEARS A HELMET OR NOT, but I just don't want anyone to make their choices under the belief that death is the worst thing that can happen in the event of a crash on a motorcycle.

Or that helmet use reduces vision or hearing. It doesn't if you get one that fits correctly. At least not to a degree that is really meaningful. And no I am not scared. Having been to hell and most of the way back, done some serious off road riding and racing which takes more physical skill then most street riding, and decades of street riding in big city traffic I have nothing to fear or lose. I only post to refute the nonsensical reasons some people use to justify their choice to not wear a helmet. Have some empathy for the newbies here looking for advice.

Ron