Buddy from work was killed Saturday evening after being thrown from his motorcycle

[OogyWaWa]

people bitch about helmets being pointless because at high speeds they fail. well, either that is complete bullshit, or i'm lucky as fuck. because i wrecked my bike going about 65, landing face first into the asphalt. it hurt like a bitch, but i had no brain damage, and only spent one day in the hospital due to a deep gash caused by wearing a cheap jacket.

good gear saves lives...

sorry to hear about your buddy...

personally i would do whatever i could to make friends/family wear helmets, but law isn't the answer. sure, they save lives and people who don't wear them are insane, but it is personal choice. repeal seatbelt/helmet laws and encourage insurance companies to require them for coverage or offer discounts based on usage, etc.

 

[murphy55d]

Originally posted by: DayLaPaul
Wow, people actually ride motorcycles without helmets in this day and age? I'm sure he owned one. Did anyone find out why he wasn't wearing his?

As I said, I don't know the laws in other states, but when Pennsylvania changed the law to NOT require a helmet, I'd say between 60-70% of bikers I see do NOT wear helmets here.

 

[SP33Demon]

He knew the risks.

 

[Beanie46]

Originally posted by: lxskllr

You're Canadian? I'm wondering where this tax payer funded healthcare's coming from. I need to get some since I'm fresh out of health insurance.

Just walk into almost any ER in the country.....you'll be seen even without insurance. That's one of the largest areas of tax dollar funding of health care in the U.S.

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt


Then the better solution is to deny taxpayer-funded care to people who don't wear seatbelts or helmets....

ZV

So, how do you propose to enforce this? When the ambulance pulls into a trauma center, is the staff just supposed to stand around while the determination is made if the victim had or hadn't had a seatbelt or helmet on? What if the victim did, but the cop on scene isn't available to say one way or the other? You cannot always depend upon the EMTs and what they find since a LOT happens after a crash and before the EMTs arrive.....bystanders trying to help, etc.

 

[Vette73]

Me and my father were both in motorcycle accidents and our survival, or ability to eat solid food, was 100% due to us wearing out helmets.

My father went through the side of a mina-van window and his head was stuck under the rear seat. The fire department had to cut the van down to almost nothing. It looked like a flat bed truck when they were done. His left arm was broken and he back was messed up a bit. But he lived and his helmet had a nice soft spot in it.
An idiot in a SUV talking on his phone pulled out in front of me. I tried to go around but he kept coming. I hit his fender and went down. My head made a hard contact with the ground at a fair speed. My helmet had a nice dent and road rash. But other than some tearing of flesh and permanent damage to my ankle I lived.


My father also taught the motorcycle class at the local CC. He knew someone that rode their bike less than a 1/10 of a mile to their mail box dropped their bike at a slow speed and died due to head trauma from not wearing a helmet. His accident was very minor but he just happens to hit his head and that is all it took. Heck a foam bicycle helmet probable would have saved him at the slow speed he was going.
I also knew someone in HS that thought he would be ok and died while riding.

So yes helmets save lives. I know firsthand.

 

[PlasmaBomb]

Originally posted by: lxskllr

Originally posted by: jpeyton

We prohibit drinking and driving because people don't know their own limits. Should we repeal those laws as well?

We prohibit DWI because it directly affects others. Are even trying to be serious?

/facepalm

You deliberately chose to chop the quote. The arguments in the sentences above the one you quoted show exactly how driving without a helmet affects others :|

 

[PlasmaBomb]

Originally posted by: OogyWaWa
people bitch about helmets being pointless because at high speeds they fail. well, either that is complete bullshit, or i'm lucky as fuck. because i wrecked my bike going about 65, landing face first into the asphalt. it hurt like a bitch, but i had no brain damage, and only spent one day in the hospital due to a deep gash caused by wearing a cheap jacket.

good gear saves lives...

sorry to hear about your buddy...

personally i would do whatever i could to make friends/family wear helmets, but law isn't the answer. sure, they save lives and people who don't wear them are insane, but it is personal choice. repeal seatbelt/helmet laws and encourage insurance companies to require them for coverage or offer discounts based on usage, etc.

Complete Bull Shit

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: OogyWaWa
people bitch about helmets being pointless because at high speeds they fail. well, either that is complete bullshit, or i'm lucky as fuck. because i wrecked my bike going about 65, landing face first into the asphalt. it hurt like a bitch, but i had no brain damage, and only spent one day in the hospital due to a deep gash caused by wearing a cheap jacket.

good gear saves lives...

sorry to hear about your buddy...

personally i would do whatever i could to make friends/family wear helmets, but law isn't the answer. sure, they save lives and people who don't wear them are insane, but it is personal choice. repeal seatbelt/helmet laws and encourage insurance companies to require them for coverage or offer discounts based on usage, etc.

I'm sure if you asked the guy who died if he would have preferred to have worn a helmet in that situation that he would have.

Fact: In states with mandatory helmet laws nearly 100% of all motorcyclists wear helmets.

Fact: In states with no helmet laws only about 50-60% of all motorcyclists wear helmets.

Kind of hard to reconcile personal freedom with these kind of figures.

I also think that people who don't wear helmets are setting a bad example for our younger riders.

 

[ViviTheMage]

Originally posted by: jinduy
let this dude's death be a lesson to others and hopefully save their lives!

Yeah, I see more then a handful of guys wearing no helmets, or a helmet strapped to the side of their bike will they drive...stupid, stupid, STUPID!

 

[Dragula22]

Originally posted by: smack Down
Has any studied showed that helmet laws reduced medical care. Does the difference between DOA due to not wearing a helmet make up for greater medical care for the ones that make it?

Interesting question. I'm curious myself. Legislation should be data driven, not emotion driven.

 

[acheron]

More time warps in this thread than in Star Trek.

Put me on the side of "you can't protect stupid people from themselves". Not wearing a helmet/seatbelt/etc is pretty much being a dumbass, but we can't arrest every dumbass out there.

(Also, I suppose since motorcycles are inherently unsafe anyway, there's probably a lot of motorcyclists who don't wear helmets when not forced. If they cared about safety, they wouldn't be riding a motorcycle in the first place.)

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: Kadarin

Originally posted by: lxskllr

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Originally posted by: lxskllr
I'm for wearing helmets, but they shouldn't be mandated like they are in MD. I'm sorry for your loss Murphy :'^(

No, they should definitely be mandated.

You get tickets for not wearing a seat-belt. You should get the same for not wearing a helmet.

Seatbelt laws also need to be repealed. It's another government intrusion on people's lives. If you want to be babysat, Cuba may be more to your liking ;^)

If any aspect of your healthcare is being paid by me as a taxpayer, then you damned well better be wearing a seatbelt or helmet. You want to kill yourself, fine. But fuck if I want to pay for your stupid ass.

luckily, insurance is required to ride a motorcycle/ drive a car (legally) here in az. helmets are not legally required. no part of that coverage should be needed from tax paid sources. that said, i wear a seat belt everywhere i go, but dont always wear a helmet. i do, however, always wear my boots and jacket. kind of hypocritical but oh well. people make choices for their own personal safety everyday, i know the risks, i take them willingly. im not stupid, i just have made my own choice on how to live. eat it, stop trying to cover the world in foam to make it "safer" for everyone just because they dont share your fears.

 

[Beev]

Sorry for your loss, Murphy.

I'm having trouble feeling sorry for him, though.

 

[lxskllr]

Originally posted by: PlasmaBomb

Originally posted by: lxskllr

Originally posted by: jpeyton

We prohibit drinking and driving because people don't know their own limits. Should we repeal those laws as well?

We prohibit DWI because it directly affects others. Are even trying to be serious?

/facepalm

You deliberately chose to chop the quote. The arguments in the sentences above the one you quoted show exactly how driving without a helmet affects others :|

I picked the relevant quotes. People die all of the time. It isn't the government's job to prevent that when they make their own educated decisions. A dwi driver has a good likelihood KILLING someone else on the road. Somebody not wearing a seatbelt, or motorcycle helmet affects only themselves, and their family(which will happen eventually anyway since everyone dies).

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Jumpem

Originally posted by: lxskllr
I'm for wearing helmets, but they shouldn't be mandated like they are in MD. I'm sorry for your loss Murphy :'^(

I think at a minimum helmets and a real motorcycle jacket should be required by law across all states.

It's just like seatbelt laws. Soemtimes you have to force the stupid people to protect themselves.

HIEL!

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: hanoverphist

Originally posted by: Kadarin

Originally posted by: lxskllr

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Originally posted by: lxskllr
I'm for wearing helmets, but they shouldn't be mandated like they are in MD. I'm sorry for your loss Murphy :'^(

No, they should definitely be mandated.

You get tickets for not wearing a seat-belt. You should get the same for not wearing a helmet.

Seatbelt laws also need to be repealed. It's another government intrusion on people's lives. If you want to be babysat, Cuba may be more to your liking ;^)

If any aspect of your healthcare is being paid by me as a taxpayer, then you damned well better be wearing a seatbelt or helmet. You want to kill yourself, fine. But fuck if I want to pay for your stupid ass.

luckily, insurance is required to ride a motorcycle/ drive a car (legally) here in az. helmets are not legally required. no part of that coverage should be needed from tax paid sources. that said, i wear a seat belt everywhere i go, but dont always wear a helmet. i do, however, always wear my boots and jacket. kind of hypocritical but oh well. people make choices for their own personal safety everyday, i know the risks, i take them willingly. im not stupid, i just have made my own choice on how to live. eat it, stop trying to cover the world in foam to make it "safer" for everyone just because they dont share your fears.

Bullshit, you don't need health insurance to ride a motorcycle anywhere in this country.

 

[rudder]

Originally posted by: lxskllr

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Originally posted by: lxskllr
I'm for wearing helmets, but they shouldn't be mandated like they are in MD. I'm sorry for your loss Murphy :'^(

No, they should definitely be mandated.

You get tickets for not wearing a seat-belt. You should get the same for not wearing a helmet.

Seatbelt laws also need to be repealed. It's another government intrusion on people's lives. If you want to be babysat, Cuba may be more to your liking ;^)

Fine you pay for your own medical costs if your head smashes the windshield. I am all for personal freedoms as long as I do not have to pay for your stupidity.

Just think if the cost if someone going to the emergency room that was wearing a helmet... probably a concussion, versus the cost for a serious head injury.

 

[lxskllr]

Originally posted by: rudder

Fine you pay for your own medical costs if your head smashes the windshield. I am all for personal freedoms as long as I do not have to pay for your stupidity.

Just think if the cost if someone going to the emergency room that was wearing a helmet... probably a concussion, versus the cost for a serious head injury.

Again, who doesn't pay their own medical costs?

I guess all of you people who are for mandatory seatbelts and helmets are also for the outlawing of whitewater paddling, rock climbing, and other accident prone activities?

 

[wheresmybacon]

Originally posted by: zerocool84
I would feel bad but he wasn't wearing a helmet. He could have easily prevented this.

Since helmets are like MAGICAL FORCE FIELDS, and wearing one guarantees your complete safety in the unfortunate event of an accident... :disgust:

Maybe he would have lived, maybe not.

But thanks for your thoughtful and compassionate post. I'm sure the OP feels better after reading it.

:thumbsdown:

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: lxskllr

Originally posted by: rudder

Fine you pay for your own medical costs if your head smashes the windshield. I am all for personal freedoms as long as I do not have to pay for your stupidity.

Just think if the cost if someone going to the emergency room that was wearing a helmet... probably a concussion, versus the cost for a serious head injury.

Again, who doesn't pay their own medical costs?

I guess all of you people who are for mandatory seatbelts and helmets are also for the outlawing of whitewater paddling, rock climbing, and other accident prone activities?

Not at all. I just think you should do it as safely as possible. Everyone thinks that it'll never happen to them. Risk takers tend to have that type of personality.

I was talking to the guy I sold my last motorcycle to back in January after we both rode our bikes to work. He was complaining that his hands were freezing and he was going to the sporting goods store to buy some ski gloves to keep his hands warm.

I asked him why he didn't buy some decent motorcycle gloves and he complained that they were too expensive. I asked him what kind of protection he thought the ski gloves would offer in an accident to which he replied, "Well, I'm not planning on having an accident."

Duh, nobody ever plans on having an accident. That's why they're called accidents.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: hungfarover

Originally posted by: zerocool84
I would feel bad but he wasn't wearing a helmet. He could have easily prevented this.

Since helmets are like MAGICAL FORCE FIELDS, and wearing one guarantees your complete safety in the unfortunate event of an accident... :disgust:

Maybe he would have lived, maybe not.

But thanks for your thoughtful and compassionate post. I'm sure the OP feels better after reading it.

:thumbsdown:

It's still nice to have extra protection around what is an extremely critical, and very fragile organ. Elsewhere, a bruise isn't much of a problem. On your brain, it can be very bad news.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: hungfarover

Originally posted by: zerocool84
I would feel bad but he wasn't wearing a helmet. He could have easily prevented this.

Since helmets are like MAGICAL FORCE FIELDS, and wearing one guarantees your complete safety in the unfortunate event of an accident... :disgust:

Maybe he would have lived, maybe not.

But thanks for your thoughtful and compassionate post. I'm sure the OP feels better after reading it.

:thumbsdown:

Um, it is a proven FACT that wearing a DOT approved helmet while operating or riding on a motorcycle greatly reduces the chances of severe head injury or death in an accident.

 

[lxskllr]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus


Not at all. I just think you should do it as safely as possible. Everyone thinks that it'll never happen to them. Risk takers tend to have that type of personality.

I was talking to the guy I sold my last motorcycle to back in January after we both rode our bikes to work. He was complaining that his hands were freezing and he was going to the sporting goods store to buy some ski gloves to keep his hands warm.

I asked him why he didn't buy some decent motorcycle gloves and he complained that they were too expensive. I asked him what kind of protection he thought the ski gloves would offer in an accident to which he replied, "Well, I'm not planning on having an accident."

Duh, nobody ever plans on having an accident. That's why they're called accidents.

As safely as possible is not doing it at all. You don't need whitewater paddling or rock climbing for survival. Most here probably don't even have to drive. A McDonalds job you can walk to goes a long way when you don't have the expense of a car to deal with. The bottom line is it isn't the governments business.

 

[Acanthus]

Originally posted by: lxskllr

Originally posted by: rudder

Fine you pay for your own medical costs if your head smashes the windshield. I am all for personal freedoms as long as I do not have to pay for your stupidity.

Just think if the cost if someone going to the emergency room that was wearing a helmet... probably a concussion, versus the cost for a serious head injury.

Again, who doesn't pay their own medical costs?

I guess all of you people who are for mandatory seatbelts and helmets are also for the outlawing of whitewater paddling, rock climbing, and other accident prone activities?

Without a lifejacket

Without gear

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Not at all. I just think you should do it as safely as possible. Everyone thinks that it'll never happen to them. Risk takers tend to have that type of personality.

I was talking to the guy I sold my last motorcycle to back in January after we both rode our bikes to work. He was complaining that his hands were freezing and he was going to the sporting goods store to buy some ski gloves to keep his hands warm.

I asked him why he didn't buy some decent motorcycle gloves and he complained that they were too expensive. I asked him what kind of protection he thought the ski gloves would offer in an accident to which he replied, "Well, I'm not planning on having an accident."

Duh, nobody ever plans on having an accident. That's why they're called accidents.

dude not everyone is waiting on teh sky failing one day.

Are you like one of those dudes that don full leathers each ride?

lol