For the motorcycle (and bicycle) community amongst us, what is your opinion on state helmet laws? Any personal experience to share?

SCPO Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 02 May 2018 13:07:12 -0400

This will engender some debate, I’m sure. In the late 1970s, I was a traffic officer, which included being a motorcycle copper. I had to wear a helmet. But I was a motorcycle enthusiast long before, and I learned the invaluable worth of a helmet. Years later, as a traffic accident investigator and traffic statistician, I witnessed the obvious need for helmets. I have a album or two of Polaroids of MVAs I investigated. The helmetless did not survive in 98% of the accidents. Is ending up dead on a nice Sunday drive worth the idea of personal freedom? I’m just asking...what are your feelings on the matter?

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made May 2 at 2018 1:13 PM

PO3 Steven Sherrill — Wed, 02 May 2018 13:13:06 -0400

SCPO Private RallyPoint Member Where I grew up, there were no privately owned motor vehicles, only government vehicles. We rode bicycles everywhere. The only time I have worn a helmet on a bicycle was riding a ramp. I have had several spills, but never on bicycle would a helmet have protected the damage I took. Motorcycle is another story. I have laid down a motorcycle once. I broke my ribs and slid partially on my nugget. I am thankful that I was wearing a helmet. I don't think at highway speeds a helmet is likely to save you if you get hit by a car, but if you lay it down, and slide, it can be a lifesaver. To me state laws are irrelevant when it comes to motorcycle helmets because I made a promise to my wife I would always ride with a helmet so I will keep my promise.

Response by Roberto Garcia made May 2 at 2018 1:18 PM

Roberto Garcia — Wed, 02 May 2018 13:18:08 -0400

What was the survival rate for those who did use a helmet?

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 2 at 2018 1:30 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 02 May 2018 13:30:54 -0400

According to the IIHS, currently, 19 states and the District of Columbia have laws requiring all motorcyclists to wear a helmet, known as universal helmet laws. Laws requiring only some motorcyclists to wear a helmet are in place in 28 states. There is no motorcycle helmet use law in three states (Illinois, Iowa and New Hampshire).

I grew up in a time where bicycle helmets weren't a requirement and by the time they became a requirement I already had my driver's license.

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/laws/helmetuse/mapmotorcyclehelmets

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/laws/bicycle-laws

Motorcycles

Helmets and antilock brakes make riding less dangerous.

Response by PO2 Kevin Parker made May 2 at 2018 1:31 PM

PO2 Kevin Parker — Wed, 02 May 2018 13:31:37 -0400

Never have worn a helmet on a bicycle. I've always worn one on a motorcycle! I always will. After 4 times going down, I've learned they are a life saver!

Response by PO2 Peter Klein made May 2 at 2018 2:04 PM

PO2 Peter Klein — Wed, 02 May 2018 14:04:51 -0400

Always wore a helmet when riding a two-wheeled vehicle. A helmet just saved my son-in-law's dad when he crashed his bicycle a couple days ago.
It is similar to seat belts in cars and trucks. Don't like 'em? You get what you deserve.

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made May 2 at 2018 2:11 PM

CPT Lawrence Cable — Wed, 02 May 2018 14:11:45 -0400

Motorcycling is the only sport where the guys riding in the dirt wear body armor and the ones that drive on blacktop and concrete among multi ton steel beast were sandals, cutoffs and a do rag. I've dropped and hit hard enough that I was glad to be wearing one and my wife high sided hers bumping a curb and would have had serious head injuries if not for the helmet, which was honorably retired after the incident. All The Gear, All The Time. I will admit to not wearing chaps all the time, but always at least boots, jeans, riding jacket, gloves and a helmet.

Response by PO2 Robert Aitchison made May 2 at 2018 2:20 PM

PO2 Robert Aitchison — Wed, 02 May 2018 14:20:27 -0400

In general I'm in favor of personal freedom, though I'm more or less OK with mandatory helmet laws.

The problem isn't even the people who die when they crash when they aren't wearing a helmet, it's the ones who don't die. Unless we as a society are going to say that people who behave recklessly aren't going to get rescue services and emergency medical care regardless of whether they have the ability to pay for it (good luck) it's in society's best interest to protect people from being idiots.

Edit: As an aside whenever I ride I'm wearing a custom fitted armored kevlar riding suit as well as a full face helmet, boots and armored motorcycle gloves. I wear anything less and I feel "naked" on the bike.

Response by TSgt David L. made May 2 at 2018 3:47 PM

TSgt David L. — Wed, 02 May 2018 15:47:54 -0400

I'm over 18. I don't wear a lid unless I'm going on base. Rare. I wore a bomb suit or body armor for 20 years. Doing EOD work, if my time is up, it's up. I treat motorcycles the same way.
If people would actually engage in driving instead of texting ALL of us would be safer.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made May 2 at 2018 4:52 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 02 May 2018 16:52:31 -0400

On Guam no more helmet law for years now, as a motorcycle cop for years, to me it really doesn't matter if you have a helmet on or off. Just a matter of preference to the individual.
Some say and yell about it's safer with a helmet, but it really comes down to the driver's attitude and skill driving a bike.
So many have died with no helmet and with a helmet on, as well as in a car surrounded with metal, the same results.
The recent traffic death was just last week, a young man lost his life in a BMW, running away from the police and traveling at 100mph. So you see, being safe on the highways, it's just a simple matter of Driver Attitude.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made May 2 at 2018 5:20 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 02 May 2018 17:20:39 -0400

As far as I know there were no bicycle helmets when I was a kid, I've never worn one. As for motorcycles, it depends on what I am doing or where I am going. I have two bikes a BMW K1200RS and a Harley FXRP. The Harley has a windshield so I don't wear a helmet often when I am riding, the BMS does not so I wear a helmet to keep the bugs out of my teeth.

Response by CPO Private RallyPoint Member made May 2 at 2018 5:35 PM

CPO Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 02 May 2018 17:35:45 -0400

LOL Personal story: Many Many moons ago I owned and road a GSGK 1100cc bike. I loved to just cruise., but I always wore a full helmet. Well one day I was out riding in rural ID which did not have a mandatory helmet law and I decided to see what the big deal was about. So I pulled over took my helmet off and stowed it on the back of the bike. As I pulled back on the road I thought, "This is nice the wind in my hair, the sun on my face" I picked up speed and was cruising at a good 40 mph when all of a sudden something hit me square between the eyes, I almost crashed I thought I must have been hit by a rock. I managed to pull off on the shoulder and get it all under control. I looked in my side mirror but didn't see any blood, just a giant red welt between my eyes. I then looked between my legs and on my seat was a huge fat bumble bee twitching. I'm sure the last thing that went through his mind (besides my forehead) was gee its a nice day! I never road with out a helmet again.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made May 2 at 2018 7:28 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 02 May 2018 19:28:26 -0400

Should be up to the individual whose head it is.

Response by LTC David Brown made May 2 at 2018 8:18 PM

LTC David Brown — Wed, 02 May 2018 20:18:57 -0400

I always wear a helmet when riding my bike. A friend of mine bought a helmet at 4pm in the afternoon, at 5 pm that day they crashed and the helmet was broken instead of their head. A helmet is cheap insurance. The cost of treating head injuries is costly and we all bear the cost.

Response by Sgt Wayne Wood made May 2 at 2018 9:19 PM

Sgt Wayne Wood — Wed, 02 May 2018 21:19:20 -0400

Helmet doesn’t protect the neck. They are also pretty useless when cage-drivers can run you down with impunity and get away with it simply by saying those magic words... ‘i didn’t see him’

Response by 1SG Dennis Hicks made May 3 at 2018 7:46 AM

1SG Dennis Hicks — Thu, 03 May 2018 07:46:06 -0400

I live in a state where helmets are optional as I believe they should be, I wear one because a helmet kept me from being a vegetable twice in 40 years of riding. Normally a helmet stops cigarettes from hitting me in the face as well as assorted rocks, bugs and an occasional can. While a helmet will have little impact on a full collision it can be a big help in slow falls or debris from turning an "OH SHIT" moment into brain matter Rorschach test on the roadway. These days I wear a half helmet and hide behind a wind screen on a cruiser and even with an air horn I have at least 2 near misses due to texting/brain dead cagers. I have been saved countless bumps, burns and nasty cuts from debris both thrown and kicked up by wearing a helmet. Once you see someones brain case emptied on the road it wakes you up if you are lucky.

Response by Patricia Overmeyer made May 3 at 2018 3:01 PM

Patricia Overmeyer — Thu, 03 May 2018 15:01:01 -0400

My dad didn't put a helmet on me when he started letting me ride on his Indian Chief (1962) but he didn't wear one either. I had to wear one when I started on my Harley 90cc (1970) since I was under aged. Six years later and having graduated to a Sportster, I went down on a wet road in Florida. My Bell helmet shattered into a million pieces, with a bunch of them stuck into my body. The nurses and doctors had fun with the tweezers that night. Quit wearing them once I was of age for two major reasons: I couldn't hear with one on and they were so heavy that it bounced on the back of my neck and spinal cord. I laid down my bike quite a few times without any hits to the head because I generally curl up into a ball when going down (it's an open wheel racing maneuver). My husband I went down on a Harley Electra Glide full dresser in 1980. Full highway speed when a car made a left hand turn into us. We weren't wearing helmets. No concussion to our heads; however, the rest of me was scrambled. Medivaced out as a PDOA but somehow survived with only a one major part missing.
The helmets of today are much lighter in weight and provide more protection/ability to hear than when I first started riding. If I were to ride today I'd wear one. I always wore a leather jacket, jeans and boots (with steel taps on the heels for sliding on pavement). I still have part of my leather jacket burned into my arm from the 1980 accident but the rest of my skin wasn't scraped off. If you don't want to wear a skid lid, then you take your own chances. Just make sure to have a medical power of attorney, a living will and lots of insurance.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made May 3 at 2018 6:54 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 03 May 2018 18:54:37 -0400

helmet saved my life in 1999. That changed my opinion.

Response by SSG Tom Pike made May 3 at 2018 9:50 PM

SSG Tom Pike — Thu, 03 May 2018 21:50:53 -0400

I've had 3 off road accidents and one on road accident (on Tuesday I'm still home recuperating). All wearing a helmet. I have no doubt all would have killed me if I had not been wearing a helmet. I won't ride without a helmet. Oh and Insurance company is sending me a check for $380 for the damaged gear I was wearing on Tuesday.

Response by CW3 Kevin Storm made May 4 at 2018 12:38 PM

CW3 Kevin Storm — Fri, 04 May 2018 12:38:00 -0400

IMHO opinion, You are fool if you chose not to wear one. As a former Paramedic, I can't tell you what I have come across. Will a helmet save you every time, no it won't. Can it prevent you from possibly being a vegetable for the rest of your life...in many circumstance but not all. But I can ensure you skin and bone will not protect you form much of anything.

Response by TSgt Sandra V. made May 20 at 2018 9:38 AM

TSgt Sandra V. — Sun, 20 May 2018 09:38:23 -0400

I started riding at age 17 in Texas, no helmet. Didn't ride for a long time (raising family, traveling the world), started riding again in 2002, no helmet/Harley rider. After riding for years with bar-hoppers, and lots and lots of preventable riding deaths, I switched to a BMW motorcycle group (bylaws preclude drinking whilst on a bike) and slowly weeded Harleys (sorry Harley lovers) out of my garage. I now wear ATGATT (all the gear, all the time). I ride a helluva lot more, don't get as sunburned, and definitely don't drink and ride. I don't know very many BMW riders who have died riding home from a bar at midnight. Just my 2 cents.

Response by CW3 Kevin Storm made Sep 7 at 2018 7:26 PM

CW3 Kevin Storm — Fri, 07 Sep 2018 19:26:21 -0400

The liberaltards in my area want to legalize scooters on surface roads , allow them to be rented without a need for helmets. Same state that pushed for helmets years ago. No logic, but let the bodies pile up.

Response by SSG Byron Howard Sr made Feb 21 at 2019 3:16 PM

SSG Byron Howard Sr — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 15:16:35 -0500

I wear a helmet I have had 2 really crashes my helmet did not get scratched up but you never know. If someone does not want to wear one that shop by me. When I was active if you did not have a helmet on you could be held responsible for the cost of your treatment.