Who rides with or without a helmet? The wife and I were out and about today and noticed about a 50/50 split. I agree it should be the riders' choice, but it still bothers me to see people riding without them. I'm sure the emergency workers don't want to scrape brains off the highway. OK, I'm ready, let me have it.

 

It's your choice.

I ride with a helmet on the highway. But, I am not going to wear one when it's 105 outside and I'm just crusing in town.

I don't care for the little half helmets, I wear a full face.

It bothers me more to see girls on the backs of bikes wearing short shorts and sandels then to see them without a helmet.

At least wear some gloves. First thing you do in a fall is put your hand out. Jeans are only good for about 15 feet. But that's 15 feet more then flesh is rated for.

 

I choose not to wear one, WA state requires and AZ does not.
The funny part is that I always wear jeans, boots, gloves and eye protection...After wearing a helmut for 8 years in WA, I find I have better peripheral vision and less neck and shoulder fatigue not having to wear one in AZ...Not to forgot a better sense of oneness with my bike and surroundings...However, I still wear my full face when the weather turns foul.

My old lady stopped wearing shorts and fashion skirts while riding due to some untentional pipe burns...I figure the most probabable hazards encountered on a regular basis ie rocks/gravel, hot engine parts, sweating palms and getting rubbed by a cage are more of a concern for me than a accident...At which point Im basically screwd any way.
The're convincing arguments on both sides of the helmut issue...But I still prefer to have options.

Also of note...we prefer to wear a helmut when we need it the least...probablity of getting in a wreck are increased at slower speeds, turning and sitting in traffic (when a helmut should do us the most good) is just the time when one would not want to where a helmut...go figure

 

Motorcycle accidents suck big time. I layed down a Honda in 85. I was wearing a full face helmet and leather head to toe. I still suffered a skull fracture, broken nose, broken jaw, concussion, severe abrasions on 75% of my body, a broken right arm, 2 dislocated shoulders, a shattered right hand, 3 cracked vertebrae, 2 ruptured discs, a broken left femur, a broken pelvis, a collapsed lung, assorted internal trauma and 3rd degree burns on the back of my calves from the exhaust. My heart stopped in the ambulance on the way to the hospital and again in the ER. I spent 12 weeks on my back in a hospital and it took 2 years for me to fully recover. Even when I ride a Harley around town I wear a full face helmet and leathers because I wouldn't be here otherwise. It may look cool wearing jeans, muscle shirt and sunglasses but when that moron pulls out in front of you or you hit a slick spot and lay that bike down it's gonna suck big time. I've been in four major vehicular accidents in my time and I am all for 3 point seatbelts and helmets. I'm still kinda undecided on airbags. They saved my bacon in two high speed crashes but I think they have potential to injure you in a low speed crash. That and they can triple a repair bill. I still ride when oppurtunity presents itself and I have ridden in all conditions. Motorcycle riding is inherently risky and you need to enjoy that risk responsibly. My fiancee was riding behind me and she was wearing a partial helmet and denim. When the bike went down she slid to the left and slammed into a bridge abuttment and died a few hours later. I slid more or less straight and nailed the back of a car that had seen the accident and stopped to help. The bike caught up with me and crushed me. We were traveling at better than 80 mph. I remember most of the crash, the ambulance ride, and the ER. I was fading in and out of consciousness which is a good thing. The stuff they do to you in an ER hurts way more than the injuries from the crash. The worst part is that they will try to hold off pain meds as long as possible in order to make a good complete diagnosis. Trust me you do not want to be there. WEAR SAFETY EQUIPMENT!!

 

I think the (if I have the facts straight) leading donors for heart transplants are motorcycle riders without helmets.

It is fairly easy to seriously injure or kill someone by flipping them down and bouncing their head onto a cement walk or curb. Never mind the injuries at 30+ mph (44 ft per second) into a solid object.

Sorry to hear about your fiancee., it is amazing anyone survived from an 80 mph dump near a bridge.

 

I still carry A LOT of guilt. I was driving and the road was wet. We should have stayed home. It's one of those things where your life changes, forever. You have no idea what akward is until you try to explain what happened to her parents. I was being stupid and showing off and she paid the price.

 

I am so glad you posted that --- it really puts it into perspective. I've put many a mile on motorcycles and I just can't understand how someone can ride without a helmet. I vividly remember a friend showing off on his V45 and wrapping the bike around a telephone pole. I also vividly remember laying my bike down on the expressway in the rain, cars going in every direction trying to avoid running me over and I'm really glad I had a helmet on.

I think if someone chooses to ride without a helmet they should have to pay higher insurance premiums to make up for the added health care costs from accidents.

 

I have been an "Emergency Worker" for 12 years now, i can honestly say that in town driving they are a god send. i have seen
guys and gals crack their helmets Brands such as Bell and walk away.(although your frontal bone ,Forehead is the hardest bone you have it isnt as tough as a bell helmet). The rest of your skull
is actually soft as bone goes. Broken limbs and fractured organs
spleens,kidneys,and now even livers can be repaired in certin circumstances,but once your brain starts to swell and you get
little "Bleeds" in your brain because of it,your a cucumber,thats the long and short of it. on the hiway at 75 mph it is a open/ closed casket option. Is it a matter of personal choice you bet!!!
and i agree with the right to choose. I have seen many deaths
that didnt need to happen if the right saftey equipt. was used,
turning the infant facing backwards away from the airbag,or
turning it off,helmets, seat belts, or calling a cab,yes i consider a cab to be safety equipt. after a night of gin and tonic. but accidents will happen and good people who havent done anything
but made a choice whether it is considered wrong or right based
on perception will die and that is the nature of life,and in my case
work.......great thread, thanks,Dave..............................

 

Kinda of seems like protecting whats inside really does depend on what's inside.

 

No worries here in NC. You have to wear a full surround helmet. It's the law. Not that I have a bike. I just thought I would toss in that info.

 

Here it's mandatory to wear a helmet. I would wear one anyway but I support the right to choose based on principle. They just keep taking one freedom at a time. If higher insurance rates are the answer so be it. That's the way these things ought to be done. The same with seat belts. The only excuse there is for these laws is the insurance rates so let them make mine higher if I chose not to wear one. Don't let big brother make my decisions for me when they affect noone else but me. If it was a legitimate safety concern for others I would understand but in all but maybe 1 in a 1,000,000 cases it's not.

 

A few years ago I put my bike down at about 50 mph.
I got a concussion and the side of my full face helmet was almost worn right through from dragging on the pavement. If I wasn't wearing my helmet I doubt I would have survived. If I did I'd be even uglier than I am now
There is no way I'll ride a motorcycle or snowmobile or race my stock car without a full face helmet.

 

I ALWAYS wear a helmet when I ride my bike, whether it's my Honda 450 or my dad's honda 750. Ever since I personally watched a friend of mine crash his BRAND NEW Buell leaving the golf course one day, I make a conscious effort to always wear one. That was without a doubt the most horrible thing I have ever seen.

 

Those were some good replies. Bobby, I am sorry about your ordeal. I am a volunteer firefighter and I guess I equate riding without a helmet and proper clothing to me going inside a burning house without my Nomex turnout gear, helmet, gloves and Scott Air Pac. I have seen enough severe burns to know that's not for me. I get scared being on the highway with some of these morons and I'm on 4 tires and surrounded by steel and wearing a seat belt, let alone a bike.

 

my dad has been in 3 motorcycle accidents. one time he took an exit ramp too fast in the rain and hit the gaurd rail, he was found unconcious about 100ft from his bike. fortunately he was wearing is helmet. i know that if he wasn't wearing his helmet, i would not be here today.