I control it by not riding on the HWY. I'm a back road cruiser. That's not to say I never see a car. You are right, it is a chance I take, but the way I see it, you take a chance just getting out of bed in the morning. I also hapen to believe things happen for a reason. If it's your time, it's your time. I agree with to each his own. For me, it's a non-dot helmet.

 

Well lets see now. Abate says they are still working on defending our rights, and how long have they been doing this with little or no results? Sounds like a nice cushy job to me. Sorta like finding the cure for cancer so the research funding will stop rolling in.

What we really need to do is hire an abortion rights attorney to get rid of the helmet law. Ya know, the rights of the mother should easily transfer over to the rights of the biker. Now they seem to get the job done effectively and permanentlyand for all states, plus make the tax payer pay for our scooters somehow.

 

NC is not rewriting federal law at all. Here is a pamphlet published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (the organization who wrote FMVSS 218) http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/inju...s/page2.htmThe Pamphlet attempts to explain DOT standard. I think it does this poorly. It does explain where NC LEO's are getting the 1 inch thick liner idea. by the way the pamphlet is not the Law, fmsvv 218 is the law.

 

The new helmet law didn't go into effect until January 2008.

 

Exactly the same way they mandated the 55mph speed limit a few yrs back. Im not for it at all! But I see it as inevitable. Big brother goverment is gonna protect us from ourselves! Yeah right! Im betting someone is already sitting on something of a federal helmet law or something that would force states to have one. Theyre just waiting until they figure out how to make the most F*cking money off of it!!!!!!!!

 

FMVSS 218 is not a law, it is a standard for testing and it is notfor consumers. The standard is for the manufacturers to have the right to put the DOT certification of compliance on their product to show that it provides what the NHTSA says is the minimum. It is not written in a way that converts to an enforceablestatute (law). Once the original design and prototype passes and the helmet model goes into production there is no way to prove it still meets the standard without sending every helmet back to a lab to be tested periodically. That would be the same as making every car remain w/in the FMVSS for its life cycle. This means NO alterations like sub-frame connecters and other stiffening mods that alter the crash characteristics. There are no laws that forbid this type of part or its use and no post consumer purchase inspection that enforces this type FMVSS criteria. I know there are safety inspections in some states but this is not their purpose.

Another point for clarification that I can't resist: the DOT symbol mentioned in the FMVSS is not part of the test; rather it is just a standard for common marking. Therefore the comment about not altering the helmet mentioned in the information to the consumer required by the standard does not mean the symbol can not be removed by the consumer to customize their PRIVATE property. It means don't alter the parts of the helmet that provide the tested protection if you want it to remain w/in the standard (or a close as possible due to deterioration from normal wear and tear). So IMO if you choose to cut eye holes in the back of the helmet and wear it backwards as long as it is securely fastened per the NC statue then it should be as legal as any other mod done to vehicles in rod shops and back yards all over this nation.

This is why I think this law would not meet the constitutionality test.

I'm done w/ my nightly rant now.

 

An interesing point about foam thickness. You'll find that *most* manufacturers use the same size outer shell for their various size helmets. They just use thicker foam for the smaller sizes for fitment. When someone a few posts back said they couldn't find a helmit that didn't make them look like a mushroom head I agree. An XL helmet looks a lot smaller on the large head and body than a small size does on a small head and body with the same size outer shell.

 

Could be worse, just ride through Denver with a nice set of loud pipes and see if you can escape town without a ticket. At least with a helmut you're protecting something and promoting safety, writing tickets for noise on a scoot just flat out sucks!

 

I think you'all are missing the deal here in NC. My take on the whole thing is this. All summer long there are numerous poker runs in our area, and this has been getting alot of attention. There was a spot on the news about how much drinking goes on during these runs, and towards the end of last summer we had the presence of some leo's with us a couple times. I think part of the reason for the crack down is so they have a better reason to pull you, and check for dui's. I just dont think the helmets are the whole reason for this crack down.

 

Here is a link to help anyone receiving a ticket in NC for non compliant helmet: www.bikercourt.com
Also a phone # 919-342-0403. This is advertised as a free service through a regional publication called Full Throttle magazine.
Good Luck and Ride Safe
SteveB