too many times we see people die from 4 wheeler or motorcycle accidents and in most cases they would of survived with a helmet. please wear helmets. just my opinion. thank you to those who do already and good job!

I am making the assumption that this post is in direct relation the sad story on the front page of the paper. From what I heard this evening, speed was a factor. The motorcycle aparently was going fast enough that it sent the passenger side door of the car clear to the driver side.

Don't know how much is true, but there you go.

ABC

What story are you talking about? Local? State? A shame to hear about any accident....

local story.
speed is a factor too. i just wish there was a helment law. i know i am only one person. i am just stating my opinion. thank you for reading(listening).

So the helmet would have prevented and/or protected him from speeding?
More laws to protect us from ourselves. A helmet is personal choice for us 18+, and should remain that way. Just my $.02

[This message has been edited by K. D. (edited 9/18/2008).]

Just a story about helmets. About a week ago a motorcyclist also carrying his 10 year old son, was driving down a busy street when a driver in front of him flicked a cigarette out the window. This angered the motorcyclist who went into the left hand turn lane to keep pace with and yell at the occupants of the car. Although it is not clear what happened, a collision occurred and the motorcyclist was severely injured. He later died. His son, who was wearing his dad's helmet, broke a bone or two but was otherwise ok.

So what's the moral of this story?

First, don't flick your cigarettes out the window.
Second, if you are flicked at, don't get angry about it.
Third, if you are carrying your 10 year old on the back of your bike, don't act like an a##h###.
Fourth, if you do act like an a##h###, make sure you wear a helmet.

Any one of these actions would have prevented this kid's dad from dying. Helmets may be a choice for adults but the injuries that result from not using them affect more than just the rider. It's a lot easier to regulate helmet use than innate stupidity.

On the other hand, I guess the argument could be made that not requiring helmets is a good way to clean up the gene pool. I don't think that 10 year old would think so though.

GVC's wife

This accident happened a block from my home in a residential zone while I was having a late lunch. I heard someone running a sportbike aggressively through its gears. It was about halfway through its revs in second gear when I heard a crash that sounded like the contractors building an oversized garage nearby had dropped a pallet of plywood from a boom. Things went real quiet. And then there were sirens.

The black Camaro disabled in the middle of the intersection appeared to be the same car I watched do a holeshot in the westbound lane at the stoplight at Leighton/Valley Dr. E. last Friday afternoon. It was driven by a young woman carrying a carload of other women. I was stopped in the eastbound lane waiting for the light. It changed, she ran up the revs, dumped the clutch and ripped through the gears toward Main.

Fate brought these two vehicles together but it had help. Speed was definitely a factor - at a time of day when Sacred Heart School was letting out just 3 blocks away. And every serious motorcyclist knows it's best to wear a helmet, though we don't always do it when it's not required by law. If anyone on a bike tells you differently, they're not serious about their passion for motorcycling - my opinion.

But we've all got a civic responsibility to report speeders in residential neighborhoods. If we don't, we're complicit.

Some guys think that wearing a helmet is not cool or "manly" but tell that to the professional motocrossers and they'll laugh in your face. Even the guys who do it recreationally (my husband is one) make sure they have the proper safety equipment. So, does that mean that the guys who ride around in the hills where the biggest obstacle might be a stationary tree are more at risk than the maniacs who drive helmetless on a highway full of SUVs? I think not. They're just smarter.


GVC's wife

[This message has been edited by GVC (edited 9/18/2008).]

The motocross guys are probably easier to convince since they crash a lot more than the average street rider. Then again when the guys on the highway crash, it's usually a lot worse.

Many years ago I had a back tire blow out while I was enjoying an evening ride home at about 60 MPH. It was sudden, abrupt, and there was nothing I could do to keep my ride from getting into instant speed wobble and wiggling all over the road. Luckily I was able to keep it on my side of the road, the guy in the car behind me locked up his brakes to avoid rolling over me, and me and my ride slid off the road into the barrow pit. The bike bit into the dirt and flipped over tossing me about twenty feet.

Wow. I was dazed, a little scuffed up, and kind of numb to the world. It happened in an instant and went by so fast I can't describe it.

Fortunately, my girlfriend at the time had really nicely persuaded me to put on my helmet before riding home. I'm glad she did, the back of it, about where my cerebellum is, was worn through about 1/4" of fiberglass and into the Styrofoam core inside the helmet. I still have that helmet as a reminder of why I should where one whenever I ride.

I have my stupid moments where I cruise into town and want to feel the breeze in my hair, or when I run out for lunch and don't put it on, or when I pick up one of my kids and make them wear my helmet to protect their noggins. 95% of the time I've got mine on. You've got to protect your head- ALWAYS WEAR PROTECTION!

Kudos, Chad! Now teach by example and get your kids their own helmets so that you can wear yours.

GVC's wife

I've got the perfect solution.We can eliminate ALL traffic fatalities immediately-let's pass a law that makes it illegal to leave your house.
Everytime the helmet law issue comes up,I'm reminded of a situation on the East Coast some years ago.
A mid-sized town decided all policemen had to wear bulletproof vests at all times.This policy was eliminated when the cops refused to wear the vests.Besides lack of mobility issues,the cops said that since it was their own body,they should have the option whether to wear one or not.Sound familiar?
Let those who ride decide.

Wearing a helmet is smart - it is not the solution to all accidents. More driver/rider education would be a good start. Reporting reckless driving/riding is a good idea. Comparing motorcross/trail riding to street riding is apples and oranges. Has anyone seen the research on how many fatalaties/injuries are caused by wearing a helmet? Most serious accidents will result in fatality whether the person is wearing one or not - if you hit something (or it hits you) going fast enough all the riding gear in the world isnt gonna help. Injured cyclists are a drain on our health care system because they end up in the hospital requiring care? If that is your logic, lets outlaw McDonalds - heart disease kills more than m/c accidents yet everyone is free to eat Big Macs till they swell. Lets outlaw doctors, more people die from infections recieved by unsterile conditions in the hospital than in m/c accidents. I could go on and on - point is helemts are a personal choice (and more often than not the best choice) but to require them by law is band-aid, feel good legislation.

I personally don't buy the idea that anything should be a law because it "costs the insurance company money and our rates will go up". The studies I've seen seem to indicate that even though things like obesity and smoking cost insurance companies money, they also cause people to die younger which saves money in the long run. Everyone dies of something and it's usually expensive. A sedentary fat guy keeling over at 55 from a heart attack is a lot cheaper to society than a marathon runner that has a half dozen joint replacements and dies of Alzheimer's at 95.

This is probably even more true with motorcycle helmets since people tend to get seriously injured or die in any motorcycle accident over about 30 mph and wearing a helmet will make you less likely to die but doesn't protect you from a lot of other serious injuries that will cost a lot of money to fix.

That is one of my concerns with the idea of socialized medicine. You can already see it in a lot of companies. Once someone is paying for your health insurance, they feel that they have the right to tell you all sorts of things about how you can live your life.

All that said, I don't think we should change the law, but you have people who care about you, wear your damn helmet for their sake if not for your own.

Good point, Levi!! And wear your seatbelt too.

GVC's wife

I don't see what the big deal about protecting your head is, so very few people use it anyway.

I know in the Army it is REQUIRED to wear a Helmet, full finger gloves, over the ankle boots, reflective vest, and full length pants. Also all Soldiers are "required" to go through a motorcycle saftey course. If a Soldier is not wearing a helmet and dies the SGLI (Servicemans Group Life Insurance) fights (or used to fight)having to pay the $400,000 life insurance. I used to just wear a half helmet but upgraded to a full face after seeing the results of how well they protect you. One of my LT's just dumped his "bullet bike" this summer doing 80mph and the helmet saved him.

Many years ago I came across a motorcycle/car accident. The motorcyclist was injured and yes he was not wearing a helmet. But it was massive chest/ shoulder injuries NOT head caused from his body hitting the roof line of the car that pulled out in front of him. "But I didnt see him!" Education, not regulation will have more effect on this.

Bruce, that's like arguing that you don't wear your seatbelt because it would trap you if your car ended up underwater. I actually heard this argument from someone who'd lived all her life here in Utah. It's a desert, people, not Minnesota!!


GVC's wife

One of my sons has had his life saved twice by helmets that were destroyed in the accidents he was in. One was a dirt bike accident and the other a skiing accident. He did have head injuries and one required a short hospital stay. One look at either helmet told what would have happened without them. I believe it is illegal here to bike ride or use a motor vehicle like a 4 wheeler, etc. without a helmet. I believe there is a law being proposed that skiers must wear ski helmets. People don't seem to be smart enough to do it without being forced to.

Never did I say to NOT wear a helmet. What I DID say is that helmet use alone will not save you in all accidents. To claim that mandatory helmet laws are the answer is to ignore the greater cause.

Another case in point; while riding home this past weekend I stopped at a traffic light. I was in the righthand lane second vehicle back. When the light turned green the car next to me attempted to merge right over me. I dont believe a helmet would have saved me from becoming a hood ornament. Rider/driver education, IMHO, has a greater impact on saving lives than a mandatory helmet law. Waay to often laws are passed as 'do something' solutions while ignoring the basic problem.

As one who uses a 4-Wheeler 8-10 hr/day in the summer as part of my job, I can assure you the number one cause of 4-wheeler "accidents" is driving too fast for the conditions. A helmet may help deal with the consequences of attempting to go around a corner at 30-40 MPH, but it does nothing to deal with the original cause.

A secondary cause of most 4-wheeler accidents is the size or weight of the machine in relation to the size/weight of the operator. A 120 lbs 18-year old on a 500-600cc 4-wheeler is going to be a problem, unless they have been trained and understand how much they need to shift their weight in relation to their speed to keep the machine under control.

In the end, I agree with Bruce. Wear a helmet if you like, (I don't) but understand that it is operator education that will truly keep you safe. The helmet simply helps manage the consequences of screwing up.

[This message has been edited by Richard Bonine, Jr (edited 9/21/2008).]

There is no state law mandating bicylists wear helmets in Washington state. However, there are some counties that do have mandates that require them. I believe they are required for motorcycles.

Lets not forget horses. Most jumping competitions require helmets. I know of several people that have lost friends form accidents involving horses.