 Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Should be Riding
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OP
Should be Riding
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,126 Likes: 13 |
Do news reports always have to make mention of the fact that the biker was not wearing a helmet? Can't they write that the biker was loved and will be missed by a very large community/fellowship? Can't they write that the cager who turned left was not wearing his thinking cap? Why is a choice deemed so important that when the choice is made to not wear something those who have no idea of what the wind is, feel like they have it all figured out and imply their judgment indirectly?
Instead those talking heads in the news media should take a pointer or several from Patrick Chambers, a retired leo who heads up a loose band of motorsicklist called the 'Misfits' who pens it,
"On Wednesday night at 9:45 PM, Felipe "Phil" Antonio was on his way home in Palm Bay. He was riding his trusty Harley that he and long time soul mate and companion Emily had just paid off. A cager failed to yield and turned left in front of Phil; he crashed and died at the scene."
R.I.P Phil
On the wings of a snow-white dove
He sends His pure sweet love
A sign from above
On the wings of a dove
Blowing gravel off rural roads
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Banned
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Banned
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Adjunct
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I agree with you Moe. Here in NC, helmets are mandatory so you don't read that as much when a local crash is reported. Sometimes the article will just say that the rider was wearing a helmet, as if that's even an option around here. If it's a South Carolina crash and the rider wasn't wearing a helmet, that will always be mentioned in the neews. Same with seatbelts when a car crash is reported, especially when a fatality is invovled.
Will
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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Ok ,  ...... helmets are a personal choice.... looking at friends and aquaintences who have passed , and people in the emergency room when my wife was an M.T. at a local hospital, the number one cause of death ( no , cell phones should have been listed) was "blunt force trauma to the torso" .... and when a helmet was worn it just ment we were able to have an open casket funeral.....I like to wear a helmet sometimes, and somtimes not.... but I've seen far more injuries from mangled hands , feet and horrendous road rash from no gloves, boots & jackets.... in fact one young man that passed away last year from a sport bike wreck died from a broken neck.... "hint" that extra 15 lbs of weight on the head ( yes he was wearing a helmet) ....Motorcycling like flying ( I do both) are inherently dangerous...... and having misshaps in both means of transportation I have learned the "safest" form of transport is in a big SUV.... but wanting to live life with gusto and not constant fear is not what some people (reporters) will do, instead they(the world is over gang) push there will onto the unwilling with onerous laws and regulations..... as in the Rush song , I will choose free will !  ................ok, lets go take a ride,  .... it is rather cool this morning,,, I'll choose to wear my helmet !!!!!!!!!!!! 
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Banned
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Banned
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This morning I wore my genuine USMC issued cold weather helmet liner and nothing else on the ole grape.Ya know,,,,,,,some of the best stuff I own are things I "forgot" to turn back in when I was discharged.
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Bar Shake
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Bar Shake
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Quote:
that extra 15 lbs of weight on the head ( yes he was wearing a helmet)
My full face modular helmet weighs about three pounds.
Frankly, I think saying or implying helmets cause more deaths than they prevent is rather irresponsible and in fact not true.
Of course there are other causes in a crash such as internal injuries, severe road rash causing massive shock and/or bleeding.
And the injuries to hands, feet etc. can be debilitating, but not as much as head injuries.
I know a woman who is a recreational therapist. She helps people with mental disabilities to get out and participate in different activities; bowling, tennis, movies etc. Fully 50% of her clients are head trauma victims, they were just normal people enjoying life until they received a head injury that forever changed them, essentially making them mentally retarded/lobotomized. Of that 50% about 10% are injuries from not wearing a helmet while crashing a motorcycle.
The simple fact is that if you are involved in a crash on your bike your head is the most vulnerable part of your body and if it hits the ground or any hard object; tree, fence, rock, fire hydrant etc.,etc., you can count on dying or being a rutabaga and a burden to your loved ones for a long time.
We all know and accept those risks, so choose how much risk you want to take, if that means no helmet and it's legal where you live then more power to you. Of course, then for you that 20mph low/high side due to some slippery sh!t on a turn, or being rear ended by a ditz on a phone while sitting at a red light may just be fatal.
I'll have a damaged bike and walk away.
As for newspaper reports; kind of silly to mention that the rider was wearing a helmet in states where it is required by law. But by reporting that he was not wearing a helmet may serve to educate some people and encourage them to wear one.
In states that don't require helmets, it should be reported either way, wearing or not wearing.
So it's a choice. Make your choice.
My choice? ATGATT
Contra todo mal, mezcal; contra todo bien, también
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Joined: Mar 2010
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Greenhorn
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Greenhorn
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Thank you
I think it should be reported if the rider was wearing a helmet or not
It shows a lack of personal responsibilty and lack of forethought (IMHO) to ride without one
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Monkey Butt
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Monkey Butt
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Now that you are on the slippery slope, I think it takes a lack of personal responsibility and lack of forethought to ride a motorcycle. No airbags, doors, intrusion beams, seat belts. Nothing! Why not just outlaw bikes for the above inherent danger? It is statistically accurate that folks in cars do not suffer head trauma from motorcycle accidents. Think of all the lives we could save! Maybe you should buy a Volvo.
I try to aggravate one person a day. Today may be your day.
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
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Well folks, I kind'a look at this issue this way...
Even though I believe I'm smart enough to wear a helmet whenever I ride, I couldn't care less if in MY obituary it says somethin' like:
"Dwight Argo, loving husband, avid motorcyclist, and overall a general smartazz to all he met in his life, died of lung cancer last Thursday, April 17, 2016 at age 64 because the dumbazz, still to almost the very end, smoked a pack of cigarettes a day."
And regarding how my FAMILY might feel about reading something like THAT in MY obit? Well, the way Judie feels about my smoking, I'm almost SURE she'd INSIST that it read EXACTLY like that and would have absolutely NO qualms about it EITHER!!!
In OTHER words...When people do "less than smart" things in their life, like NOT wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle OR continuing to smoke, despite ALL reputable data which PLAINLY has shown over the years that to help prolong one's life one should probably wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle AND that one probably should not smoke cigarettes, and IF that person still CHOOSES to ignore that reputable data during their lifetime(and...yes, yes, yes, YES, folks...I still BELIEVE in my RIGHT to CHOOSE!!!), then MAYBE their obituary SHOULD INCLUDE that portion about the deceased's choices in their life TOO....HUH???!!!
(yep...it might be called: "Getting a more COMPLETE PICTURE of a life in passing"!!!)
Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Joined: Apr 2010
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Adjunct
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Adjunct
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When I read of an accident, especially one which ends in a fatality, I'm always interested to hear if alchohol played a factor and also if they were wearing a helmet. There are of course many accidents where the poor ****** on the bike didnt have a prayer and those I hate to read about those but, the majority of deaths seam as though they could have been prevented. I know that there are dangers in riding a bike, some can be controlled and some cant. I prefer to control as much of the risk as possible.
06 Speedmaster
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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The manner in which Phil came to meet his maker is the problem, not weather he wore a helmet or not. If he had worn a helmet the result (unfortunately) would have been the same.
Tom
Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin, US author, diplomat, inventor, physicist, politician, & printer (1706 - 1790)
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Joined: Feb 2005
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Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
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Quote:
The manner in which Phil came to meet his maker is the problem, not weather he wore a helmet or not. If he had worn a helmet the result (unfortunately) would have been the same.
Tom
Hmmmmm...interesting, Tom. Now admittedly I MIGHT have missed where in moe's little rant he happens to mention the SPECIFICS of poor Phil's fatal injuries, like say for instance where it might've mentioned that it WASN'T at all any EXTREME HEAD/BRAIN TRAUMA which might've been the basic cause of his fatality?!
(...well, of course, OTHER than that seemingly semi-blind CAGER who pulled the F*** into his path, anyway!)
And so, give me a minute here while I go re-check moe's original post...I'll be right back................
Nope, sorry Tom. The SPECIFICS of poor Phil's fatal injuries were NOT mentioned at all in moe's post. Which leads to the question: How can you possibly say that poor Phil's fate, i.e., his death(I presume you mean) "would have been the same"?
(...maybe yes, and maybe no I'd say...especially without any further information supplied to us...right?!)
Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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My 2 pence Helmets are a legal requirement over here, however, I found out yesterday that it is only a £30 fine if you don't wear one, but I would still wear one anyway for the built in eye protection. Sure, I could wear shades, but that would limit my riding to day light only, and I have enough limits on my riding time as it is, thank you very much work. Of course, I could always get goggles, but goggles on their own look rather silly, which defeats the object of not wearing a helmet in the first place. Those of you who choose not to wear a helmet, I respect your choice, and am slightly jealous of the fact you have a choice, but don't come running to me complaining that that choice caused you pain. Not that I hope you will ever need to  Nearly turned into a rant, so I'll end with 'Ride free and safe, brothers and sisters' 
Too old to die young, too ugly to leave a good looking corpse
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Monkey Butt
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Monkey Butt
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Dwight the Palm Bay paper says he hit the passenger door.
I think, its been a while, the speed limit there is 35ish.
Drive your body at 35MPH then throw it forward into steel and handlebars. It doesn't end well. That is a high speed accident for those of us that understand speed like you do.
Exactly Tom. If it was a serious head injury they would have said it. I suspect it was not. Heaven forbid they may need to say the helmet played no role in this fatality. I suspect serious cervical fractures with big internal injuries.
But, there is always a but. The pro helmet law makers will argue, he would not be dead if he had a helmet. Regardless of the injuries.
I wear my helmet about 1/3 of the time when I ride my death trap motorcycle. I then go out among the drunk and inattentive cagers. I stop and see my drinking and smoking friends as we over eat then ride our death traps home to die of something either on the way or when we get there.
If I survive today, the scary part is I may do it again tomorrow. Wow! the law of averages are hard at work, something is gonna kill me one day.
I think health service warnings should be left to menus and advertisements. The guy is dead but as a society we can't even manage to be nice after they die.
I never read that morbidly obese Joe Smith died of T2 diabetes complications. The coroners report said he was a big over eater and didn't take care of himself at all. Translated to the fat pig ate himself to death.
Now that shows a lack of personal responsibility and lack of forethought (IMHO). But those helmets! oh boy, they need discussion in the newspaper.
Anyhow, its a personal choice, like owning a bike to begin with, smoking, drinking, marriage, adultery, and diet. All of which can kill you.
I try to aggravate one person a day. Today may be your day.
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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Quote:
Nope, sorry Tom. The SPECIFICS of poor Phil's fatal injuries were NOT mentioned at all in moe's post. Which leads to the question: How can you possibly say that poor Phil's fate, i.e., his death(I presume you mean) "would have been the same"?
I didn't know Phil personally, but I did ride with him and the Misfits on occasion. I am not against helmets (I wear one almost all the time), but when you hit something at 35 - 45 MPH having a helmet on won't make much of a difference.
Accidents happen and a lot of times having a helmet really does help, but other times it just doesn't matter. In this accident mentioning that Phil didn't wear a helmet just adds insult to his life ending injuries, and appears to give the driver of the car an out/excuse for why the death wasn't their fault.
Tom
Last edited by tcv; 10/03/2010 4:09 PM.
Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin, US author, diplomat, inventor, physicist, politician, & printer (1706 - 1790)
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Joined: Feb 2005
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Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
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And Ron, your above post is also speculative as to this rider's ultimate cause of death.(key word here: "Ultimate"!)
And so, maybe the BASIC problem with these whole "The media reported today that Rider-X wasn't wearing a helmet, and so that's pissin' me off that they stated that" kind of threads which occasionally pop up around here, is that we the public are NOT getting the WHOLE STORY!
Maybe IF from now on instead of JUST stating in their reports the wearing or not wearing of a helmet after a fatal crash, IF they would go on to do their friggin' jobs as they should, and would start reporting the COMPLETE STORY of what Rider-X's predominate fatal injuries were(and NOT just some "He was loved by his family and friends...and is now flying free with the doves" kind of sugar-coated and simplified..well, sorry to say...CRAP, like moe suggested), then maybe WE the PUBLIC could start doing OUR friggin' jobs which entails TAKING INFORMATION and then making a more INFORMED decision about the CHOICES at our disposal on how best to prolong our lives, especially in THIS regard, HUH?!
Uh huh, perhaps THIS is the REAL ISSUE here!!!
(...it's not that we're getting too much info, or even some percieved "bias" in these reports, it's possibly that we're NOT getting ENOUGH info!!!)
Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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Too old to die young, too ugly to leave a good looking corpse
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
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Quote:
Hay, Dwight 1 is back     
Good to hear from you, there's been some pretender hanging around
Sorry  , but I couldn't contain myself 
Yep, Bryn. It appears the ORIGINAL BLOWHARD is back and is stating his unpopular opinions with that ol' "vim and vigor" as he used to, huh?!
(btw...thanks for the "Welcome Back"  !)
Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Joined: Aug 2009
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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It was the CAPS LOCK that gave it away
Too old to die young, too ugly to leave a good looking corpse
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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Quote:
Quote:
Nope, sorry Tom. The SPECIFICS of poor Phil's fatal injuries were NOT mentioned at all in moe's post. Which leads to the question: How can you possibly say that poor Phil's fate, i.e., his death(I presume you mean) "would have been the same"?
I didn't know Phil personally, but I did ride with him and the Misfits on occasion. I am not against helmets (I wear one almost all the time), but when you hit something at 35 - 45 MPH having a helmet on won't make much of a difference.
Accidents happen and a lot of times having a helmet really does help, but other times it just doesn't matter. In this accident mentioning that Phil didn't wear a helmet just adds insult to his life ending injuries, and appears to give the driver of the car an out/excuse for why the death wasn't their fault.
Tom
"but when you hit something at 35 - 45 MPH having a helmet on won't make much of a difference."
I go to my friends motorcross races alot over the last few years he races and his kid does also.. these guys go down alot at well over 35mph+ most of the time and yes ther helmet save them ..ask any one of them if they would not race in anything but a full face helmet... they would look at you and go..."that just stupid"
Ed 
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Joined: Feb 2005
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Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
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Quote:
It was the CAPS LOCK that gave it away
...to say NOTHING of all those friggin' parentheses, RIGHT???!!!
Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Joined: Jan 2006
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Monkey Butt
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Monkey Butt
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Quote:
I go to my friends motorcross races alot over the last few years he races and his kid does also.. these guys go down alot at well over 35mph+ most of the time and yes ther helmet save them ..ask any one of them if they would not race in anything but a full face helmet... they would look at you and go..."that just stupid"
They don't hit a fixed unmovable object at 35 and walk away. They fall off or skid off onto dirt or hay. The impact is reduced as they skid, brake, roll or whatever else is happening. Even the ultra fast Moto GP racers are going in one direction and as they fall they generally slide taking off speed every fraction of a second.
Restraint is weight x Speed. A 200lb person at 40 needs 8000lbs. of restraint to keep him in one place. A 20 pound baby in a sudden collision weighs 800 pounds on impact at 40MPH. Thus belted passengers holding children can never hold onto them at impact.
40MPH is about how fast you get going if you fall off a 4 story building.
Anyhow when you broadside a car at 35 or 40MPH it is a big, bad, horrific accident if you are not ejected over the car.
Imagine jumping off a 4 story building onto your Snell full faced helmet. Your neck and the rest of you really won't like it. 
In any event, Dwight, helmets can certainly save lives. Yes the press should ask the medical examiner.
1- Primary cause of death
2- If head would other injury have killed him anyway?
Only then does it matter or make sense for social commentary about helmets or the lack of them.
Dwight, when you run 80 or so down the mountain and hit the wall, do you think your helmet is gonna save you? just kidding.
My personal limit is 48MPH but I know you go fast.
I try to aggravate one person a day. Today may be your day.
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Adjunct
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Adjunct
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Seems like he died because he was riding a motorcycle. Would he be happier today if he had never rode a bike? Maybe his family would be. If the safety Nazis and your mother had their way, the motorcycle would be gone. A cage can be designed to protect the idiots behind the wheel, hence, the number of accidents have increased and fatalities have decreased. I believe that all safety features should be removed from a cage, and a sharp and pointy blade be added to the steering column. I would guaranty that a driver would be a lot more involved with his driving.
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Oil Expert
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Oil Expert
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My father in law had a bad accident 4 days ago and the helmet saved his life. A car pulled out in front of him as he was going through a green light and he was sent flying off his bike after he hit the side of the car. The first thing he landed on was his face. His injuries are a broken arm. That's it. If he had not been wearing a helmet, God knows what the outcome would be.
That being said, I personally believe in the freedom of choice but we don't have that choice here in Missouri.
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Member
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For some reason the media always portrays accidents involving motorcycles with the motorcyclist being in the wrong, even when in most cases is the automobile/truck driver that is in the wrong. I get sick of the perception that riding a motorcycle is a "bad thing to do" in this country.
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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It seems bizaree that anyone be offended by facts, the reporting of them, much try to claim that the reporting of them is/was callous and insensitive. If drinking, speeding, no helmet, underinflated tires or whatever are involved, if its the facts, whats the problem? Helmets do protect your head, regardless of whether you want to admit in or not. Really, it seems that when facing facts, it makes those who are bothered uncomfortable with their choices and they dont like to face it. Its the facts, the truth, and should be reported.
Our Liberties We Prize and Our Rights We Will Maintain
If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and will never be.----Thomas Jefferson
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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Physics.
Energy dissipation.
Something absorbs energy acted upon a body in motion, either your skin or any combination of plastic, foam, carbon fiber, whatever.
By the time the energy gets to your skin/skull, hopefully it has been reduced significantly that the damage is lessened enough to survive the insult. That is why cagers survive most crashes IF they remain in the car, the car body absorbs the impact that would otherwise be acted upon the body.
Nobody as seen the effects up as close and personal than those of us who tend to the wounds, not even the experts that speculate from afar.
Moe has a point in the initial commentary but the media loves to point out the contributing factors. I don't know that it is appropriate to use a tragedy in generic publication/broadcast to convey a veiled public safety message.
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Should be Riding
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Should be Riding
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Quote:
My father in law had a bad accident 4 days ago and the helmet saved his life. A car pulled out in front of him as he was going through a green light and he was sent flying off his bike after he hit the side of the car. The first thing he landed on was his face. His injuries are a broken arm. That's it. If he had not been wearing a helmet, God knows what the outcome would be.
That being said, I personally believe in the freedom of choice but we don't have that choice here in Missouri.
Chris, this is same father in law that rode himself into a ditch for no reason while you two were out riding together? Glad he wasn't too hurt, but maybe he should think twice about riding. Sounds like he has bad luck...
Always remember to be yourself. Unless you suck. Then pretend to be someone else.
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Member
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Member
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If all of the facts are being reported then fine. But it seems the way they are reported is misleading. If you are going to report that he wasn't wearing a helmet then also state that the automobile failed to yield causing the accident. The way they report it implies that had he been wearing a helmet maybe he would be ok.
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Oil Expert
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Oil Expert
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Everyone else has had a go so I will to. I have to wear a helmet, legally. Even if I didn't have to, I still would. Why? I work with intellectually disabled people. Most of them are born that way, but we have our fair share of acquired brain injury clients too. They and their families have miserable lives. In many ways these people would be better off dead.
I choose a helmet not because I'm worried about dieing in an accident, but because I'm worried that an accident might NOT kill me.
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Oil Expert
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Oil Expert
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Oh... and as to why the papers report "the rider was not wearing a helmet" I would have thought it was obvious... because if they had chosen a helmet they might still be alive.
If you're lucky enough to live in an area where you have the freedom to make a choice about helmet use that's nice for you, but don't then go and complain about the fact that the media also has the freedom to report items of interest.
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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"Lighten up, Francis."
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"Lighten up, Francis."
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I really don't want to read this whole thread. someone tell me if someone gets out of hand, m'kay? (I want to know if they are wearing a helmet because if they are I want to know how it happened, how bad was the accident. I wear a helmet 99.9% of the time. Often, tourists come to Montana, and ditch the helmet because they can, then get themselves perished. I get a Google news feed that tells me about most if not all the accidents in the state and rarely, if ever, are they wearing a helmet and dead.) Carry on with all your "expert" opinions. 
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Monkey Butt
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Monkey Butt
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 7,689 Likes: 21 |
Just read a European study on crashes. (MAIDES) 40% involve hitting the highway with no other car. 70% are under 30KPH. 8% the helmet came off.
The 70% being low speed impresses me. That is where the helmet saves lives.
I try to aggravate one person a day. Today may be your day.
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825
"Lighten up, Francis."
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"Lighten up, Francis."
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825 |
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825
"Lighten up, Francis."
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"Lighten up, Francis."
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825 |
And sometimes, if you're inexperienced and don't know how to corner, a helmet makes no difference... Quote:
A man from Conrad died after rolling his motorcycle several times outside of Lincoln on Sunday.
The Montana Highway Patrol reports that the 60-year old male was traveling west on Highway 200 ascending into Rogers Pass when he man made a sharp left hand turn and drifted into the right hand lane.
He then lost control on loose gravel and rolled over several times.
The victim was air-lifted to Benefis hospital in Great Falls, where he was pronounced dead.
Authorities say that speed and alcohol were not factors in the accident and add that the victim was wearing a helmet when he crashed.
I've been on that road several times and I can't fathom how an experienced rider could wreck. It's not that curvy. It's in good shape and has plenty of shoulder.
http://www.kxlh.com/news/conrad-man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-near-lincoln/
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 47
Greenhorn
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Greenhorn
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 47 |
Honestly why would you not wear one
The helmet makes the ride more comfortable
Keeps bugs, stones, sand, exhast,etc from hitting your mug
Protects your eyes
Keeps your head warm-allowing us in wisconsin to get a few more weeks in (it is funny the crap people wear on thier heads-multiple bandanna, fur hats, leather beanies, watch caps- all not nearly as effective as a helmet in retaining warmth)
Keeps the sun off your head in warm weather.
I don't dress for the crash- I dress for the ride, not sitting in a bar or at a festival!
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2 |
Quote:
The Montana Highway Patrol reports that the 60-year old male was traveling west on Highway 200 ascending into Rogers Pass when he man made a sharp left hand turn and drifted into the right hand lane.
He then lost control on loose gravel and rolled over several times.
The victim was air-lifted to Benefis hospital in Great Falls, where he was pronounced dead.
Hmmmmm...I wonder if the guy's last thoughts were somethin' like: "Now I wish I would've learned that thing my buddy told me about 'Late Apexing'!!!"
Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,126 Likes: 13
Should be Riding
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OP
Should be Riding
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,126 Likes: 13 |
Quote:
Honestly why would you not wear one..
That one is easy: Time.
Time is needed to insert the ear plugs, place a full face lid on, and to slip a jacket on and zip it up. And then ya have to slip the hands in a pair of gloves. Then take em off so you can get the key out of your pocket. Then slip them on again. Time. It really sucks to have to do that all the time. Each and every time. Yet how long does it take to ring a freaking bell and have someone assist you to the bathroom, zip down your fly and hold your member as you drool all over yourself and not even know your name? Call it what we like, I dress for the crash in the hopes that the gear will minimize the deleterious aftermath. Not because it is a sure way to survive a crash. It isn't.
There is not a helmet law in Florida for practical purposes (insurance requirement needs to be met as well as an age requirement). I choose. I choose to sweat my rear end off. To risk ruining a good jacket and lid and gloves and draggin jeans/chaps.
So again, Helmets? Who cares? Quality of life is a personal decision. Whatever we decide we live with. Sometimes forever, sometimes for a second.
(lids jackets and gloves are primarily to keep some busty blond, with a loose fitting blouse, from brushing road gravel out of my epidermal layers. If the gear helps out in other ways all the better.)
Blowing gravel off rural roads
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 7,689 Likes: 21
Monkey Butt
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Monkey Butt
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 7,689 Likes: 21 |
Quote:
Honestly why would you not wear one.
In the winter they keep my head warm, in rain they keep the rain from stinging my face. At night they keep the big bugs from hitting me in the forehead. In my city 6 months a year they fry me and I truly hate them. I do have a Scorpion EXO-100 that I think rocks! Its just right to keep the sun off, keep the ears warm and has a flip up visor.
Other than that I may not wear one because I choose not to wear one. I think we should also argue that its not just a helmet. You should be wearing only a full faced modular Snell rated helmet. Why would you not? We should also require they all be hot pink for visibility.
Well, you would not because of freedom of choice. The rider gets to decide. 30 States in the U.S. have figured that one out.
We wouldn't need them at all if we just outlawed motorcycles. Really, a car is climate controlled, great stereo, serious comfort, haul a ton of stuff, take 5 friends with you. Why would we not just drive cars?
I am just teasing but social engineering via legislation simply sucks IMHO>
I try to aggravate one person a day. Today may be your day.
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Re: Helmet? Who freaking cares?
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825
"Lighten up, Francis."
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"Lighten up, Francis."
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825 |
I nearly always wear a helmet but yesterday I rode 75 miles with a windshield. At lower speeds it was exhilarating. At high speeds (especially with a headwind) it was brutal and exhausting. I'm going to leave it off unless it rains or I'm leaving town.
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