DOT & Helmet Laws

[Chopper]

I own a few helmets and they make great pots for my wife's plants, they have straps to hang them or you can just set them on the table, they go with any bike decor. I use to keep one at work with a alo vera plant in it, if I burn myself on someone's ex. pipe I just break off a peice and rub it on the burn, great stuff. I ride and am a big supporter of freedom & liberty and feel if a person wants to wear a helmet that's great, and if they don't that's great also, it's their head, helmets can help in some accidents and can hurt in others. That makes it a personal choise issue in my book. I have been in many two wheel accidents having ridden my whole life, my wife got whip lash in Alaska becuse the state requires passengers to wear helmets and we drove thru a frost heave on our bike, her head whipped back, took her to a doctor and was told the extra weight of the helmet on her head caused the extra strain on her neck, we were rear ended by a drunk in Fla. in the 80's, the car was going about 80 mph and I was almost stopped, making a left hand turn, me and my bike ended up in the swamp and my wife was laying in the middle of the road, only bad injury was the heel of her foot was smashed between the bike shock and the car bumper, she should have been wearing a helmet on her foot. We both feel if we had been wearing helmets there would have been very good chance of whip lash with spine injuries, they had a helmet law at the time in Fla. but we were not wearing at the time:bigsmiley11: I feel if you wear a helmet, wear the best and wear it all the time. If you're use to wearing one, that's the norm, but if you go riding with out it could be like me sending my wife grocery shopping wearing a full coverage helmet, god only knows what she would bring home to eat:laugh

 

[Randall K. Wilson]

To touch on the subject, when I was looking to buy a helmet I talked to a couple who both ride (one of which is an EMT) and they strenuously object to modular helmets. He he had seen one too many fatalities due to the construction of the modular. Just thought I'd share.

For the sake of this discussion. Please explain: What is a modular helmet? This is important to me. Thanks a heap!
rkw

 

[maine-e-axe]

I'm with Chopper, I don't wear one unless the law says I have to, But I don't ride in the city or rush hour. I tried one on a cold day and the noise drove me crazy. The law changed in 1980( thanks to the United Bikers of Maine) I think and I haven't worn one since. To each his own. Don't get me wrong I ride very aware, but do you need a law telling you to wear a helmet in traffic on a 90 degree day. IMO if your going to wear one to be safe shouldn't it be full faced. Think, with a half helmet, if you hit your head from the back what will it do to your neck, put it on and lay down on the floor, it puts your chin on your chest !!! BROKEN NECK if it's hard. I'd rather be dead than that. JMO and my RIGHT to FREEDOM.

 

[FIREDOG239]

I wear one all the time, in 2005 I hit a deer and totaled out my bike, if it hadn't been for the helmet that I was wearing my head would have been totaled. Sliding down the highway at 60 MPH face first is no fun, I can't think of doing this without a helmet.

 

[Joyflyin]

I wear mine most of the time. Occasionally, I will be brave, or stupid, depending on who you ask, and go without the helmet. Not often, but I like being able to decide. My husband always wears his when the law says he must. If he has a choice, he doesn't wear one. That is his choice.

We both have 1/2 helmets that are DOT approved. :s

I think I am more comfortable with the helmet due to all the years wearing them on bicycles. Yeah, they look jakey on a bicycle, but if you had seen my collection of busted Styrofoam helmets, you might agree that it was a good move on my part. I did ride my mtn bikes more aggressively than I do the motorcycle. LOL

 

[Skratch]

I'm about 50/50. Much of my riding is out in the open, away from traffic which is my biggest concern. Riding at night I use one almost all the time. If I don't its because I don't have it with me.

When I do wear one its a 1/2 helmet and then a 3/4 with shield in rotten weather.

I bought a Buell 1125r recently and when I ride that I will wear a full face all the time. But that's a different kind of riding.

I've laid 2 bikes down. Both because of my own young stupidity. (one at about 40 mph...the other at...well...lets just say REALLY FAST!!) Both times I had on a full face and it saved my life.

But I'm a much mellower rider now. I DO NOT ride where there is traffic. Where I live I am literally a minute or two in non-traffic areas to get out of town.

That being said, I know I should wear one more often. I have a cruddy Bell Shorty helmet that I hate. I'm buying a Shoei 1/2 helmet before the season starts. Maybe if I have something a little more comfortable than the Bell, I'll wear it more.

So that brings up another question. Those that have helmets, especially 1/2 helmets in this case, what do you have? Do you like it? Any recommendations?

 

[chefron]

By modular I'm going to assume you're talking about the chin button/flip up type of helmet. I did a LOT of reading before buying my modular full face helmet last week. I'll bet the problem helmets your friends are referring to are the ones with non-metal locking mechanisms. Several articles I read expressed concerns about these helmets staying closed upon impact. Otherwise I saw no evidence that a modular was more dangerous than other types.

We were discussing helmets and I had mentioned that I was going to purchase the Stealth modular. Not sure if he was against the Stealth or just modulars in general. Sorry for the confusion. Ride safe.

For the sake of this discussion. Please explain: What is a modular helmet? This is important to me. Thanks a heap!
rkw

A modular is a full face helmet that is basically two pieces consisting of the helmet and a flip up face mask that locks down or opens with the push of a button.

 

[gator508]

Bama has helmet laws so I wear it and would do so anyway, feel sorta uncomfortable without it. We ride into FL alot where it's not required but keep it on anyway.

 

[Jack Klarich]

Got to buy a lid so I can ride to New Orleans, then its back in the box

 

[Mainah]

This is always an active discussion so I will throw in my 2 cents worth. First let me say that if wearing a helmet makes you feel safe, go ahead, but the statistics indicate different. First, can we assume the reason for a helmet is to reduce or prevent brain injury. If so here are some statistics from The Family Caregiver Alliance regarding traumatic brain injury.

Causes of TBI

* Motor vehicle accidents account for an estimated 28% of traumatic brain injuries; sports/physical activity account for 20%; assaults are responsible for 9%; 43% are due to "other" reasons. However, when considering those brain injuries severe enough to require hospitalization, virtually half (49%) are caused by motor vehicle accidents.2
* Alcohol was involved in 41% of all fatal crashes and 7% of all crashes in 1996. More than 321,000 persons were injured in accidents where alcohol was present—an average of one person injured every 2 minutes.28
* While brain injuries due to car accidents have declined an impressive 25% between 1984 to 1992, brain injuries resulting from firearms have risen 13% during the same period.6
* About 5% to 10% of skiing accidents result in head injuries.

For a moment lets home in on the brain injuries severe enough to require hospitalization from their stats. 49% are caused by motor vehicle accidents. That's all motor vehicles, not just motorcycles. Even assuming a large percent of the motor vehicle injuries are motorcycles that still means that over half of the most serious incidents are due to OTHER events.

So, my question for you is, do you wear a helmet at all times when you might be susceptible to a brain injury?

Since less than half the injuries can be directed to motor vehicles it stands to reason that to protect yourself you must wear protection all the time to be "safe"!