Freedom of choice starts today

[FLATHEAD]

As of midnight last night motorcyclist in Pa. have the choice of wearing a helmet or not. I like the idea of freedom of choice but now I will have to wait and see if the greedy insurance company's take advantage and jack up the rates. One guy told me he heard they were going to survey all policy holders and set your rate accordingly. This is what he told me. They will send the survey and question weather or not you wear a helmet. If you say yes your rate stays the same, if you say you will ride without a helmet on occasion your rate will go up, if you lied and and said yes I will wear a helmet and then wreck while not wearing one you are not covered. This seems a little like discrimination to me. FYI there are tons of studies done on injury with and without helmets, depending on which one you believe there are more fatalities without the helmet, where as another one says no real increase in fatals and serious injury. I guess I will wait and see. Me personally,, I have logged quite a few miles with and without a lid in my travels, Will I still wear one? I think it will be a fifty fifty deal with me.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Freedom of choice starts today

I have always wore a helmet when riding.<br />Just a saftey factor for me I guess.<br /><br />It should be up to the person whether they want to wear one or not, it's their head, but the insurance companies don't see it that way.<br /><br />I guess the insurance people figure that they might have to payout more if something happens to you without a lid on than if you had one on.

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: Freedom of choice starts today

protect your mellon Flathead!<br />my .02,<br />M.Y.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Freedom of choice starts today

Insurance companies should be promoting "riding WITHOUT helmets".<br /><br />Cause if you suffer a head injury without a helmet, there will be no medical bills.<br /><br />Non head injury medical bills stay the same, head injury medical bills--NILL.<br /><br />What a great cost savings for the insurance companies.<br /><br />Why did this double space?

 

[NOSLEEP]

Re: Freedom of choice starts today

Protect your pumpkin. It feels great to ride<br />without a helmet. But at what cost.

 

[LadyFish]

Re: Freedom of choice starts today

Me and the hubby participated in many helmet rally's in the 70's. The argument then was...that wearing a helmet only protected you against a 5mph impact and the strap could decapitate you.<br /><br />I went down doing 65-70 and I was wearing my helmet. It cracked and there was a lot of road rash on it. Better it than me.<br /><br />

 

[braindead0]

Re: Freedom of choice starts today

It's amazing how many misconceptions there are about the effectiveness of 'safety helmets'. The only 'study' that seems to support helmet use is the Hurt study which was soundly debunked by Goldstein and others. Goldstein study. You can easily find more copies of it, and you could probably contact Bowdoin College Bowdoin College directly and acquire a copy.<br /><br />The summary says it all:

This article evaluates the effectiveness of motorcycle helmets in accident situations. A latent variable model is developed and estimated. It is concluded that (1) motorcycle helmets have no statistically significant effect on the probability of fatality; (2) helmets reduce the severity of head injuries; and (3) past a critical impact speed [13 MPH], helmets increase the severity of neck injuries. Further analysis establishes the qualitative and quantitative nature of the head-neck injury trade-off.<br />

And from a personal standpoint, after an accident where I sustained a fractured skull (and recovered 100% mind you, the skull is a really good brain protector). During my recovery I had 3 separate doctors tell me that I would have been dead had I been wearing a helmet due the angle at which I struck which would have caused the helmet to bounce off the pavement and rotate violently, another pointed out that even if I survived (slight chance) brain damage would have been immense due to the lack of pressure relief from any brain swelling. <br /><br />The final doctor said that every case he's seen of a motorcyclist with head injuries who was wearing a helmet, the brain damage is invariably extensive and encompassing a large range of functions. Whereas without, any damage is localized and usually the brain can cope.<br /><br />Take that for what it's worth, anecdotal evidence is mostly useless to many folks. <br /><br />At least get the facts

 

[RICKRICK1]

Re: Freedom of choice starts today

Helmuts are a must for me. Back when I was alot younger had a small dirt bike. Had only one bad fall and broke my ankle. The best fall ever was we had just finished and was loading bikes. I slipped and fell. Hit my head pretty hard, when I went to get up couldnt as I had fallen on a piece of rebar from the side of the road and it had pierced the side of my helmnet but not my head at my ear. had to take the helmnet off to get up.

 

[braindead0]

Re: Freedom of choice starts today

Dirt is one place where I do wear a helmet, because the dynamics of the helmet striking dirt are a lot different than striking pavement/concrete. There is must less bounch, and almost no twisting action.

 

[NOSLEEP]

Re: Freedom of choice starts today

In Alberta kids under 16 are required by law to <br />wear a helmut when riding a bike.

 

[braindead0]

Re: Freedom of choice starts today

Bicycle helmets are an entirely different thing, much softer and designed for much slower speeds.

 

[NOSLEEP]

Re: Freedom of choice starts today

Not that there isn't enough things to debate: <br />How could it be possible that , you would be <br />better of without a helmet in high speed accidents<br />fearing that there is a chance the helmet could <br />cause you injury. Thats like saying seat belts kill, just because a small % of injuries could be<br />avoided by not wearing a seat belt.

 

[braindead0]

Re: Freedom of choice starts today

There are a variety of reasons, if you read the Goldstein report you will find that the tradeoff of cervical spine injury vs. brain injury just may not be worth it to some people and may not be an even trade off at that.<br /><br />The point is that it cannot be proven that wearing a helmet is necessarily better than not. In particular when you factor in other things such as obstructed peripheral vision and hearing. The best safety item on a motorcycle is your head and being totally aware of everything around you.<br /><br />Luckily more states are starting to realize that the evidence points to helmets not being as safe as once thought.<br /><br />The other factor is freedom to do as you please, as long as you aren't harming anyone else..<br /><br />Most of these laws were originally put in place because of some wanna be nanny publishing a pile of 'statistics' that suggest it costs the public health system x dollars because of non-helmeted riders. All of those reports have been proven wrong as well.

 

[gaugeguy]

Re: Freedom of choice starts today

It should be a matter of personal preference. I lost a brother in '92 in a bike crash. He wasn't wearing a helmet--he hated them. A helmet would not have saved him from the brain/spine injuries he suffered. I never wore a helmet when I rode, except on base where it was required by the law. Don't ride anymore, if I did I'd probably wear one, but wouldn't want anyone to tell me I had to.

 

[neumanns]

Re: Freedom of choice starts today

As far as the New Law, I applaud it based on we should be allowed to make decisions that only affect the individual that makes the choice. Wearing a helmet is not going to save anyone elses life cept the individual that chooses to/not wear one.<br /><br />I can attest to the fact that head trauma is not something to be toyed with. Your noggin is extreamly fragile, I have been closley involved with it three times.<br /><br />First time was bro-n-law, Layed unconcious for 20+days and then Regained conciousness but has completly lost memory of several years of his life.<br /><br />Second was Wife, hoped and prayed for 5 days before I lost her.<br /><br />Third was Son, Was touch and go for a few days but he made a full recovery.<br /><br />I believe that weather you protect your noggin should be your choice. However I also believe most people have no clue how fragile your brain is. Gotta say this sure brings up some memories.

 

[DJ]

Re: Freedom of choice starts today

It's simple.<br /><br />NO HELMET = ORGAN DONOR

 

[braindead0]

Re: Freedom of choice starts today

It's even simpler<br /><br />HELMET = BROKEN NECK<br /><br />

 

[flashback]

Re: Freedom of choice starts today

simpler yet NO helmet=no insurance.......<br />seriously, this could be a nightmare for insurance companies... I could care less whether you wear a helmet or not, and i see the pros and cons particularly the argument on neck injuries. you crash, and because you have a helmet on, your head is in great shape, but you sustain such a violent twist that your neck is broken.....goood head, broke neck.....I don't even ride anymore, quit when I got married and had a family...figured I owed them that... just my 2 cents.............

 

[gonfishn]

Re: Freedom of choice starts today

Being a retired Paramedic its easier to scrapem off the road when they wear helmets...without em we just broom em into a bag...I have picked my fair share off the road and either way its not a pretty sight...

 

[DJ]

Re: Freedom of choice starts today

If wearing a helmet is such a bad idea, why is it that EVERY motorsport out there, requires one.<br /><br />I'll bet the NASCAR drivers would be a little cooler without theirs. The drivers will be SOOOO relieved to hear that NASCAR has had them duped all these years.