For those of you in mandatory helmet law states, I just want to share with you guys whats going on here in VA. This weekend is the Virginia Beach Bike Classic down in Virginia Beach. Travis Trit was playing yesterday so me and my buddy decided to ride down from Richmond. A few miles from the event we got pulled over. Traffic was moving slow, cops were EVERYWHERE and they had bikes pulled over like fleas on a dog.

Now, we passed these two motorcycle troopers who looked directly at us and pulled right out after us. Both cops surrounded my buddy. They pretty much ignored me, and I easily could have kept going, but you don't leave your wingman (LOL, Top Gun reference). Anyways, like I said, they both went right to my buddy and explained to him this was a "Non DOT helmet stop" That he was being cited for wearing a non DOT helmet. Here's the kicker. HE WAS WEARING A FULLY CERTIFIED DOT HALF HELMET!!!!!!! I $hit you not. He took off his helmet, handed it to them and they did a full inspection. Verified the DOT sticker, squeezed and tugged on the helmet to make sure it wasn't a plastic toy or replica and handed it back to him, surprised. The one cop said my buddy was lucky as thats one small DOT. Smaller than he had seen in the past.

So they bent down, checked his inspection sticker, checked his plates were not expired and said to take off. Then the one cop walked over to me. I was about twenty feet back, visually bent down and verified my inspection sticker and plates and said "your free to go". I had my 3/4 open face DOT Buco and he didn't even look twice at it. It had the sticker in plain sight anyways.

So there you have it. YES, the cops were out doing full DOT helmet checks. Believe me, once we got pulled over we saw TONS of other bikes pulled over and I guarantee it was for helmet checks and not a damn thing else. Neither one of us were ever asked for our drivers license, registration nor our insurance cards, and the cops made it very clear this was a DOT helmet stop. This has never happened to me as I thought they never really checked that stuff, but be aware...... at least in Virginia, it's going down, NOW.

 

Now we all want to know what brand of helmet that was..

 

I'd personally be writing my Rep about this saying how much, as a law abiding, tax paying citizen you enjoy being targeted by police. I'd also be talking to Virginia ABATE about this and see what they can do. The only way you stop this stuff is to organize and fight back.

 

It sounds like a very legitimate safety inspection, and not the oft discussed "revenue generating, non stock muffler thing." LEOs see me and never stop me because I prefer a FULL coverage helmet. I know it's my own choice, but it makes me feel more secure. To each his own.

 

In this economy it was a revenue generating stop. Local governments are hurting.

 

Excellent idea. I just sent an e-mail to my buddy to either snap a pic or send me one he has with it on his melon. Once I get it, I'll post it up.

 

sounds like a crock of crap if you ask me.

 

Jeezzee. get over it. You guys should get an FAA ramp check or line check and have some FED who dosent know his *** from a hole in the ground crawl up your *** with a flashlight!

Your state has a helmet law. the helmet needs to be DOT. The trooper had a feeling your buds was not DOT. He stopped him to check. He let him go after investigation proved it was DOT. Trooper did what the taxpayers hired him for.

Now you want to write your rep and complain? WTF?

 

then cops should pull over cagers and check their tires for being DOT, not blems and have the correct load capacity.. what about all the ricers running around with clear tail light lens on them. even if they have the correct colored bulb lens inside the clear housing, it may not be DOT approved(needs to have correct reflector capability per fed standards)..

can't stop one with out stopping all..

 

This is my personal opinion, but I believe that a better use of the troopers time would be giving citations to all the texting drivers that I observe everytime that I am out riding. Just saying......!