This story is like six years old, and yet timeless.
Having been a motorcyclist myself, I have always been in complete sympathy with people who agitated against helmet laws – even though I always carefully wore a helmet*. There is no hypocrisy there, no contradiction. We’re not against helmets. We’re against being forced at gunpoint to do things for our own good.
This particular guy, during a parade demonstration, unfortunately gave his life making his opponents’ point for them.
A New York man died Sunday while participating in a ride with 550 other motorcyclists to protest the state’s mandatory helmet law.
—
“The medical expert we discussed the case with who pronounced him deceased stated that he would’ve no doubt survived the accident had he been wearing a helmet,” state Trooper Jack Keller told ABC News 9 in Syracuse.
And I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if he’s right. Helmets are good. Helmet laws are bad.
Maybe fifteen years ago now, I faced every scarred-up old biker’s nightmare: My daughter wanted to date a guy with a motorcycle. I tried to keep it level, I just told her “Look, you know my history and you know I can’t enjoy the thought of you on a bike. But I also know how far you’ll go behind my back if I try to stop you. So just please, please, humor your broken-down old dad and promise me you’ll never do it without a helmet. I’ll even take you helmet-shopping.” She agreed and – rather ominously, in my opinion – I never heard about the matter again. But at least I never had to visit her comatose body in a hospital.
I was prepared to beg. But I still wouldn’t have made it a law enforceable with guns.
—
*a personal note:
In late March 1972 I t-boned a Pontiac station wagon that ran a stop sign right into my path. I was going about 45 mph and when my bike suddenly stopped I was still going about 45 mph. The right handlebar broke off, which is why I still have a somewhat-mangled right leg.
The left handlebar did not break off. I’d have actually ended up in better condition if it had been a guillotine blade.
For the record, except for some minor neck injury my head was almost completely undamaged in the reputedly spectacular aftermath of the collision. My helmet, however, was smashed. Draw your own conclusions.
Yowsa. Glad it worked and it was on yer head.
I always wore my helmet. I-5 pavement looks interesting when it’s sliding inches away from your face at 55mph. Wish it had been full-face. Traded the fixed bike for a sailboat.
During the years I rode, I only had one “unscheduled dismount”. It was at relatively low speed and there was no traffic around to run over me. I didn’t personally impact anything heavy/stationary, but I did rearrange quite a strip of the gravel road. My helmet, heavy bike jacket, gloves, boots and jeans took quite a bit of “scuffing” but I came out unmarked/unbroken. The bike wasn’t quite so fortunate, but that was secondary in importance.
Can’t say I absolutely NEVER rode bareheaded, but it was a rare occasion, particularly after the “dismount”.
Motorcycle helmets are designed to shatter to help absorb heavy impacts.
One thing I learned a long time ago is there are only two kinds of motorcycle riders. There are the guys who have had an accident and there are the ones who are going to have an accident.
GF & I often get funny looks when we go riding up in KY (20 miles or so away, so we’re there often) in the summer. KY has no helmet law for adult residents, or out-of-staters with sufficient insurance, etc.; basically, no helmet law. We always wear helmets, armored jackets, etc. The reason I walk the way I do is a bike wreck. I survived it because of the gear, so I wear it. She learned the lesson without the pain, so she wears gear, too. Most folks out riding, especially in a Southern summer, are dressed for comfort, not un-assing a bike.
We’ll see folks ride past the house sometimes, happy in the wind, in tank tops & shorts. K’s usual saying is, “Cute chick. Nice skin. Pity she doesn’t plan to keep it.”
FWIW, Joel, I t-boned a left-turning pickup @ 40 mph. If I can find the “after” pic of the bike, I’ll email it. Actually, it looked better than I did. Had I wanted to, I probably could have made it rideable again; just decided it would cost more than the bike was really worth.
I forgot–I’m anti-helmet law as well. I choose to wear one. I’d never dream of forcing anyone else to.
I too am an All The Gear All The Time guy. Got my first bike at 16 years old in 1965. I can honestly say I’ve been guilty of riding back in those days without gear. I spent most of the 70s riding motocross up and down the West Coast. During that time I saw some horrific life changing injuries due to lack of gear. I’ve never gone without since. One day last summer on a warm day I rolled up to a stop light where a couple of young guys on crotch rockets were waiting for the green. They were wearing tank tops, cargo shorts, and canvas shoes. One yells over and says, “How can you wear all that shit in this weather?” I asked him if he’d ever had a real case of road rash. He yelled back that you’re not supposed to fall down. The light turned green and I waved him on. Best of luck to the both of them. I seriously disagree with the mandatory gear laws but I wouldn’t ride without. Each to his own.
So I don’t ride, I understand that I do not properly respect the power to weight ratio of a bike with me on it, and I know I am better off wrapped in steel.
That said if your insurance covers you regardless of the level of injury, then sure, I say no problems with riding without the gear. I honestly like Michigans current law if people actually followed it. You have to have appropriate coverage (1 mil i think for medical on your bike insurance) to ride without the helmet. Otherwise your comatose bum stands a good chance of becoming a ward of the state. If I’m expected to pay your medical bills for you f’ing up, I think I should get to minimize the odds of having to pay for your butt.
Your right to do whatever, stops when I have to pay for it… I figure a lot of the libertarian minded folks would understand that better.