Why don't motorcycle drivers wear helmets?

SlyKitty

I see this so much and don't understand it. I see people on bicycles wearing a helmet, on horseback wearing a helmet, but seldom see anyone on a motorcycle wearing one. Tonight I saw a fellow about 60 and his helmet was all by itself behind him. I see couple on motorcycles wearing little clothing and sandals and no helmets. I remember motorcycle drivers used to wear leather jackets, boots & helmets. Why aren't helmets mandatory anymore?
Pat aka Lady Luck - It is surprising to me when a doctor says helmets should be illegal. Why not motorcycles be illegal as that is the reason people are left in the condition they remain. Trusting people around you who are protected in vehicles is ridiculous when you have no control on a motorcycle of how protected you are. I don't understand why it is not mandatory everywhere that you do what is possible to protect your safety.

Answer
I honestly don't know why anyone would ride without a helmet or proper clothing.
As a 12 year old girl, I used to ride on the back of my step-father Harley and I can tell you it can be rather frightening to see the pavement so close to your body at over 70 miles an hour.
I suppose some people just know your chances of survival if hurt going so fast are pretty slim at best so they just prefer to throw caution to the wind.
I know that in two cases I know of personally a helmet saved a life and could of saved another in the long run.
My parents rode around all day on a sunny beautiful day in S. Cal. back in the late 60's without their helmets on.
They took a short break and my mother said she thought they should put their helmets on for the rest of their ride.
About 2 min. later, a fast moving car cut in front of them and my step-father and mom flew over the car and dad landed face first on the pavement with the bike and my mom following on top of him.
He was injured badly but the helmet saved his life.( broken nose and shoulder)
A close family friend was only 20 and not wearing a helmet in the early 70's.
He was stopped at a red light when a car hit him from behind and he flew and hit his head on the concrete road divider.
His skull was fracutured and his under went brain surgery and had a plate put in his head.
His whole personality changed and about 18 months after his accident he shot himself in the head leaving his new bride and baby alone.
Found out the change in him was from a tumor growing under the plate.
Very scary stuff.
My parents sold all 3 of the bikes after their accident and never rode again.
I know most US states require helmets and here in Europe it is the law to wear one.

When operating a bicycle in California (LA) do you need to wear a bike helmet?

LACES OUT!

what are the restrictions if any???

Answer
Laces

If you are under 18 it is mandatory. If you are over it is optional. Where I live in in So Ca;, literally everyone wears a helmet. When I see someone not wearing a helmet I see a noob, who just does not get it....

Soccerref

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

do i have to wear a helmet when bike riding?

bicycle helmets mandatory image

rachel

i live in melbourne, australia and im 16 years old. do i have to wear a helmet when riding a bike. at what age do you not have to wear a helmet?
also do you get a fine if you dont wear it?

Answer
In Australia, bicycle helmets are mandatory in all states and territories. Compliance is high but varies by area, with some cities over 90% and rural areas much lower. In the State of Victoria cyclists' head injuries declined 41%. There were 36% fewer child riders on the road, immediately after the legislation passed, but perhaps more adult riders. Changes in ridership may or may not have been related to the passage of the laws, and the road culture in Australia is unique to that country. (No similar effects have ever been documented in the US.) Injury reduction was below expectations, but still spectacular. Hospital data from Western Australia show that the number of intracranial injuries was cut in half with increased helmet use, while head injuries were less serious, and hospital stays shorter.

How come no one wears helmets anymore when riding bicycles and motorcycles?

I'M NOT ON

most of the people I see on bikes and motorcycles now dont wear helmets. i had seen one guy on a motorcycle with a helmet hanging off of the back. do they think they're too cool to be wearing helmets or something? even kids dont. when i was little i had to wear a helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, and hand pads.

Answer
Most states have a mandatory motorcycle helmet law because of the speeds involved, and cops do pull over motorcyclists to issue summonses for not wearing a helmet-- It is considered the same kind of boneheaded offense as not wearing a seatbelt in a car.

The consequences of not wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle are obvious.. Just ask the Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He required extensive maxillofacial reconstructive surgery after crashing his motorbike without a helmet.

Bicycles on other other hand are largely discretionary.. Most states have a bike helmet law that's mandatory only for those under 18, and even then it's rarely enforced.. I guess cops regard those offenses not worth the time to write the ticket for, kind of like jaywalking. The speeds involved in bicycling probably makes bike helmets less critical than motorcycles.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Is it mandatory for an adult rider to wear a helmet in Tennessee?

bicycle helmets mandatory image

Allison

If I ride a bicycle on the road in the state of Tennessee am I required to wear a helmet?

Answer
Mandatory helmet laws in Tennesse only apply to under 16 years of age.

http://www.helmets.org/mandator.htm

If your over 16 you get to choose the value of your head.
Helmets only cost a few bucks.

do i have to wear a helmet when bike riding?

rachel

i live in melbourne, australia and im 16 years old. do i have to wear a helmet when riding a bike. at what age do you not have to wear a helmet?
also do you get a fine if you dont wear it?

Answer
In Australia, bicycle helmets are mandatory in all states and territories. Compliance is high but varies by area, with some cities over 90% and rural areas much lower. In the State of Victoria cyclists' head injuries declined 41%. There were 36% fewer child riders on the road, immediately after the legislation passed, but perhaps more adult riders. Changes in ridership may or may not have been related to the passage of the laws, and the road culture in Australia is unique to that country. (No similar effects have ever been documented in the US.) Injury reduction was below expectations, but still spectacular. Hospital data from Western Australia show that the number of intracranial injuries was cut in half with increased helmet use, while head injuries were less serious, and hospital stays shorter.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Is it necessary to wear a bike helmet when commuting to work?

bicycle helmets mandatory image

Tks O

In addition, I only ever ride my bicycle on the pavement/side walk shared by pedestrians; the only time I go on the road is when cross the lights for pedestrians.

Is it really necessary for commuters to wear a bike helmet. I just find it unnecessary to wear helmets on the street because the chances of collision and injury are a lot less than on the road, and I question the compulsory bike helmet laws.

If wearing helmets is mandatory, why don't we make the inclusion of airbags mandatory for all cars as well then?

Answer
Even when I ride on the sidewalk, which is illegal where I live, I have close calls when people are backing out of driveways and such. Not to mention the people that are getting out of their house I almost hit.

http://bicyclesafe.com/
"The Crosswalk Slam

You're riding on the sidewalk and cross the street at a crosswalk, and a car makes a right turn, right into you. Cars aren't expecting bikes in the crosswalk, so you have to be very careful to avoid this one. This collision is so common we've lost track of the number of people who've told us they were hit this way, such as Ray John Ray. One study showed that sidewalk-riding was twice as dangerous as road riding, and another study said it's even more dangerous than that.

How to avoid this collision:

1. Get a headlight. If you're riding at night, you should absolutely use a front headlight. It's required by law, anyway.

2. Slow down. Slow down enough that you're able to completely stop if necessary.

3. Don't ride on the sidewalk in the first place. Crossing between sidewalks can be a fairly dangerous maneuver. If you do it on the left-hand side of the street, you risk getting slammed as per the diagram. If you do it on the right-hand side of the street, you risk getting slammed by a car behind you that's turning right. You also risk getting hit by cars pulling out of parking lots or driveways. These kinds of accidents are hard to avoid, which is a compelling reason to not ride on the sidewalk in the first place.

And another reason not to ride on the sidewalk is that you're threatening to pedestrians. Your bike is as threatening to a pedestrian as a car is threatening to you. Finally, riding on the sidewalk is illegal in some places. (In Austin, those places are the Drag, and downtown on 6th St. and on Congress). If you do plan on riding on sidewalks, do it slowly and EXTRA carefully, ESPECIALLY when crossing the street between two sidewalks."

"1. Don't ride on the sidewalk. When you come off the sidewalk to cross the street you're invisible to motorists. You're just begging to be hit if you do this. Keith Vick was killed this way in Austin, TX in Dec. 2002."
~~~~~
"Contrary to popular belief, you increase your chances of getting hit by car when riding your bike on the sidewalk. I know you may find it hard to believe but its true.

While riding in the street is more intimidating, it places you in a position that makes you more visible to the motorist. Usually people will ride on the sidewalk because they want to stay away from cars or they ride against traffic in the street because they are afraid of being hit from behind: they "want to see the cars coming at me". Crashes on sidewalks comprise close to fifty percent of all crash types. They are more common because every driveway forms an intersection and, if you went to driving school you may remember, that most crashes happen at intersections. In traffic engineering jargon where two vehicles cross paths is referred to as a conflict point and traffic engineers work very hard at reducing or eliminating conflict points.

Essentially every driveway that crosses the sidewalk forms a conflict point. Couple this with motorists not stopping at the sidewalk before entering the street and looking at traffic in the street not for bicyclists on the sidewalk and you have recipe for a crash. By cycling in the street you completely avoid these conflict points. The motorist stops before entering the street and is looking where you will be before they cross your path. While these crashes are usually not fatal, they can easily result in an incapacitating injury especially if you are not wearing a helmet. In my expert witness practice, the majority of sidewalk related crashes I've been involved with the rider was not wearing a helmet and usually result in brain injury"- http://ezinearticles.com/?Bicycle-Safety---The-Problems-With-Sidewalk-Riding-and-Against-the-Flow-of-Traffic&id=1857311

Is it illegal to ride a bike(bicycle) without a helmet in Australia?

Eunko

Is it illegal to ride a bike without a helmet in Australia?
I live in Canberra ACT and 23years old.

Is it illegal to ride a bicycle without a helmet in ACT and VIC?

Answer
VIC, helmets are mandatory. http://www.roadrules.vicroads.vic.gov.au/9_rule_cyclists.html
Not sure about ACT.

Australia, like the US and Canada, traffic laws, including helmet laws are enacted on a state/provincial level. You will need to check with the local law enforcement.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers