ChelseaAdams
Ventura CA
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I received an essay in my e-mail today from Dave “Lockdown” Rich, State PR/Communications Trustee at ABATE of Florida, Inc.
In his essay he discusses the feeling of safety that a helmet gives a rider and whether or not this feeling should be embraced or questioned. He also talks about helmet laws in comparison to seatbelt laws and whether or not riders should be given a choice when it comes to helmet usage and their own safety. (Read the full essay at: http://www.americanrider.com/output.cfm?id=2392939)
Helmet usage has been a conversation with lots of passion for years: what do you guys think?
I know I would never get on a motorcycle without a helmet. I absolutely beleive in the testing and technology that goes into a good-quality helmet. Although I don't believe helmets are magical tools that guarantee you will not find yourself in a fatal motorcycle accident, i DO believe they significantly increase the chances that you will walk away from a crash with your brain mostly in tact.
- Chelsea
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Ride_Slow2004
Northwest
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I can't get the link to work, please repost....
Without reading the essay, I will respond:
The helmet has very little to do with my feeling of safety. When I operate the motorcycle, I don't feel safe. I had to think about that for a minute, but I realized, I really do ride as if the other drivers are trying to kill me, the road is trying to trick me, and the motorcycle is going to throw me. Then why ride???? It is an art to find a balance between all the events that go into the operation, and I truly enjoy finding that balance. Realistically, not every foot of distance traveled is in High Tension, but every second on the bike is at least Condition Yellow. And I do sometimes drop my guard, just ask my daughter about the Buick outside of Scappoose, OR, sometime....
Helmet and seatbelt laws are the cost of doing business in our crummy, lowest common denominator, litiginous society. If ya don't like it, move to the Yukon Territories.
Sure we should have choices about this stuff, but what makes us so special or smart?
Everyone has stories about how a helmet or seatbelt saved/caused a wreck, I know I do....
And, just for the record, I did unbuckle a few dead people, notwithstanding the commercial from a few years ago.
So, where do I stand?
I will wear my helmet. I wasn't smart enough to wear one in 1967, but I do now. If it had been the law then, I would have grumbled, but done it.
I think too many laws are on the books now, but I see that as a civilized society, we need standards. I am OK with these.
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"If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles."
-Doug Larson
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oldwingratbike
near everything
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Glad my state has a law
I'd be pretty tempted to go lidless on a hot day
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Blatherbeard
Austin Tx
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Ive ridden on both sides of the fence, both crashes ive had were helmetless.
After this last crash though, i believe i will be wearing one more often than not, especially on a long ride. After my crash a month ago, i had a headache for about a week. A helmet may or may not have saved me a headache, but i feel that feeling it on my head would have prevented me looking from side to side like i do when i dont wear one.
I dont like how the helmet catches the wind when i look behind, or to the side of me. I dont like how it feels on my chin when choking my neck, or tied to me. But, i also feel, that uncomfortablity, NOT THE HELMET, will save me from being too comfortable, and thats what nearly got me killed this time. Too comfortable.
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RoyalStarRider
Pittsburgh
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I have to say that there is a lot of funny things associated with riding. You can get a permit and a 1000cc crotch rocket and kill yourself with or without a helmet. I, most of the time wear one, especially on the longer rides. Short jaunts, hot, hot days, local, not always. Is it just a false sense of security that nothing will happen crusing to a friends house? Who knows. I do know that, god forbid, if something happens, I know that my chances are better with it, than without. Guess, for all, it's a personal choice.
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92lowrider
Bothell, Wa.
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Always watch out for old men in hats driving buicks and Soccer moms in mini vans talking on cell phones.
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steveb2071
Massachusetts
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Myself. Always!! But that's just me.
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ChelseaAdams
Ventura CA
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Here is the link to the article in case you were not able to read it the first time
It is also posted in the Latest Headlines section of AmericanRider.com.
- Chelsea
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ChelseaAdams
Ventura CA
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Booo!!! the link didn't work there! We need to enable HTML in these forums!
copy and paste:
http://www.americanrider.com/output.cfm?id=2392939
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Ride_Slow2004
Northwest
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ChelseaAdams wrote:Booo!!! the link didn't work there! We need to enable HTML in these forums!
copy and paste:
http://www.americanrider.com/output.cfm?id=2392939
I am afraid if they did any updates, we would loose the FotK thread, lots of good info in there....
I have never seen a thread with 558,179 views and 12,885 replies.
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