Helmet laws...irony

[JulesMaximus]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/natio.../07/03/AGNicNwH_story.html?wprss=rss_national

Upstate NY motorcyclist dies after hitting head on pavement during protest against helmet laws.

ONONDAGA, N.Y. — Police say a motorcyclist participating in a protest ride against helmet laws in upstate New York died after he flipped over the bike’s handlebars and hit his head on the pavement.

The accident happened Saturday afternoon in the town of Onondaga, in central New York near Syracuse.

State troopers tell The Post-Standard of Syracuse that 55-year-old Philip A. Contos of Parish, N.Y., was driving a 1983 Harley Davidson with a group of bikers who were protesting helmet laws by not wearing helmets.

Troopers say Contos hit his brakes and the motorcycle fishtailed. The bike spun out of control, and Contos toppled over the handlebars. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Troopers say Contos would have likely survived if he had been wearing a helmet.

As a motorcyclist living in a state with mandatory helmet laws I don't really have a problem with it. Nor would I support a ride like this.

 

[Vic Vega]

Similar thing happened a few years ago to some seat belt protester... they were ejected after running into something and killed.

 

[RedRooster]

No helmets, no insurance/medical coverage. Easy solution really. Let the ruhtards do what they want!

 

[exdeath]

No helmets, no insurance/medical coverage. Easy solution really. Let the ruhtards do what they want!

Sounds good to me, just like smokers pay more for life insurance, etc. Do what you want, but you assume the risk all by yourself. :thumbsup:

 

[satyajitmenon]

R

Oh, and Darwins Theory in action.

 

[Bartman39]

Best scenario is right here in Texas...

We have a no helmet law...

But why in the heck do I have to wear a seatbelt yet some bozo can ride down the road right beside me with no helmet...?

The fine is like a crazy amount for no seatbelt...?

 

[Doppel]

I know it's bad to laugh at others' misfortune but I had to laugh when I erad this.

 

[boomhower]

No helmets, no insurance/medical coverage. Easy solution really. Let the ruhtards do what they want!

Yes, but when they are not DRT who do you think pays for the ambulance ride, ER visit, MRI, the failed surgery, etc. Yep, you and me. With or without insurance they will perform any and all life saving procedures.

 

[Gibson486]

I do even not understand how people cannot wear helmets on non motorized bikes. But oh well, it is their deathbed.

 

[BUTCH1]

Best scenario is right here in Texas...

We have a no helmet law...

But why in the heck do I have to wear a seatbelt yet some bozo can ride down the road right beside me with no helmet...?

The fine is like a crazy amount for no seatbelt...?

Same deal here in FL, fines for seatbelt violation are over $100, it should be user choice (except for kids) for seatbelts IMO. I always wear mine and if I ever got a motorcycle I would wear a full-face helmet but it all should be my choice..

 

[Gillbot]

Sounds good to me, just like smokers pay more for life insurance, etc. Do what you want, but you assume the risk all by yourself. :thumbsup:

The problem lies in the extra costs. The cost of the investigation when they smear themselves across the road, unpaid medical expenses when the ambulance has to transport them to be pronounced dead at a hospital, etc.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Same deal here in FL, fines for seatbelt violation are over $100, it should be user choice (except for kids) for seatbelts IMO. I always wear mine and if I ever got a motorcycle I would wear a full-face helmet but it all should be my choice..

Why should it be mandatory for kids and not for adults?

 

[Bignate603]

Same deal here in FL, fines for seatbelt violation are over $100, it should be user choice (except for kids) for seatbelts IMO. I always wear mine and if I ever got a motorcycle I would wear a full-face helmet but it all should be my choice..

I would agree if they were paying for all the costs of their choice. However, when they get seriously hurt, with or without insurance, other people pay the cost for their actions. With insurance, it's spread among the other people on that plan. Without insurance, it's spread to others through government funding and the hospital increasing costs for they're paying patients. Why should I pay for their choice to take easily preventable risks? If they don't care enough to do something so simple to protect their life and their health why should anyone else have to pay for it?

If they could actually carry the extra costs for their choice I wouldn't care. However, charging a higher insurance premium for someone that chooses to ride without a helmet won't work. People would all lie to save money and it's virtually unenforceable to verify who paid and who didn't. The EMTs and ER doctors aren't going to let someone die either. Due to human nature and also the fear of getting sued they'll still do everything necessary to save the guy's life.

As it stands, there's no way to force the people taking the risk to pay the price for their risk. Because of that, I fully support laws that require them to take reasonable precautions for their own safety.

 

[videogames101]

Same deal here in FL, fines for seatbelt violation are over $100, it should be user choice (except for kids) for seatbelts IMO. I always wear mine and if I ever got a motorcycle I would wear a full-face helmet but it all should be my choice..

Move to NH! 18+ seatbelt is optional, although I still wear them.

 

[dpodblood]

Third time today this has been posted on AT.

But yeah... stupid biker is stupid.

 

[BUTCH1]

Why should it be mandatory for kids and not for adults?

Because a 6 year old is not able to weigh the risks of not wearing one..

 

[BUTCH1]

I would agree if they were paying for all the costs of their choice. However, when they get seriously hurt, with or without insurance, other people pay the cost for their actions. With insurance, it's spread among the other people on that plan. Without insurance, it's spread to others through government funding and the hospital increasing costs for they're paying patients. Why should I pay for their choice to take easily preventable risks? If they don't care enough to do something so simple to protect their life and their health why should anyone else have to pay for it?

If they could actually carry the extra costs for their choice I wouldn't care. However, charging a higher insurance premium for someone that chooses to ride without a helmet won't work. People would all lie to save money and it's virtually unenforceable to verify who paid and who didn't. The EMTs and ER doctors aren't going to let someone die either. Due to human nature and also the fear of getting sued they'll still do everything necessary to save the guy's life.

As it stands, there's no way to force the people taking the risk to pay the price for their risk. Because of that, I fully support laws that require them to take reasonable precautions for their own safety.

All true but if your gonna go there my love of cheeseburgers should net me an insurance premium increase as well so where do you draw the line on the amount one's poor choices add to the total cost?..

 

[JulesMaximus]

Because a 6 year old is not able to weigh the risks of not wearing one..

Neither are adults as it would seem.

 

[Bignate603]

All true but if your gonna go there my love of cheeseburgers should net me an insurance premium increase as well so where do you draw the line on the amount one's poor choices add to the total cost?..

When something that only takes a few seconds to do (putting on a helmet or buckling a seat belt) and results in a much lower risk the answer is pretty clear. I agree it gets murkier if you try to extend it other things, and because of that I didn't go there. I just left it on what I felt was a very clear cut example where it makes sense to require reasonable safety equipment.

 

[BUTCH1]

Neither are adults as it would seem.

I agree, not wearing a helmet is just stupid IMO but that's their business. We've got a big skydiving operation near here (Deland), it could be argued that any skydiving has to many risks to be legally allowed but it is, if you want to jump out of perfectly good plane, go ahead..

 

[JulesMaximus]

I agree, not wearing a helmet is just stupid IMO but that's their business. We've got a big skydiving operation near here (Deland), it could be argued that any skydiving has to many risks to be legally allowed but it is, if you want to jump out of perfectly good plane, go ahead..

Skydiving is a little different, and they do make you wear protective gear like helmets and eye protection to do it just to minimize the risks as much as possible. Riding a motorcycle isn't a right, it's a privilege, just like driving a car and as such it is subject to the rules and limitations imposed by government.

 

[BUTCH1]

Skydiving is a little different, and they do make you wear protective gear like helmets and eye protection to do it just to minimize the risks as much as possible. Riding a motorcycle isn't a right, it's a privilege, just like driving a car and as such it is subject to the rules and limitations imposed by government.

It's actually stricter, they make newbies "buddy" jump with a trained instructor at first, guess they are afraid someone will get out of the plane and then freeze up.

 

[Bignate603]

Skydiving is a little different, and they do make you wear protective gear like helmets and eye protection to do it just to minimize the risks as much as possible. Riding a motorcycle isn't a right, it's a privilege, just like driving a car and as such it is subject to the rules and limitations imposed by government.

Yes, they take reasonable measures that make it much safer. Sure, the activity has some inherent risk to it and I'm not saying we need to eliminate EVERY possibility for injury. It would be safer if nobody skydived or rode motorcycles, but they're fun activities that can be done pretty safely if people do some easy things and are responsible while they're engaging in them.

 

[Greenman]

If your pipes are loud enough you don't need a helmet. I'm surprised that no one has mentioned such a well known fact.

 

[Throckmorton]

Because a 6 year old is not able to weigh the risks of not wearing one..

Neither is an adult. By definition if you choose not to wear a seatbelt, it's because you're too stupid to adequately weigh the risk vs the benefit (and there is no benefit).