FEDS

[Jack]

WASHINGTON — Federal safety officials want states to require all motorcycle riders to wear helmets, citing a surge in deaths since the late 1990s.

 The National Transportation Safety Board says motorcycle deaths have increased over the last decade even as other traffic fatalities have declined.

The board said there were 4,400 motorcycle deaths in the U.S. last year, more than in all aviation, rail, marine and pipeline accidents combined. Head injuries are the leading cause of death in motorcycle crashes.

  The board said 20 states require all motorcycle riders to wear helmets. Most states have limited helmet requirements, and three states — Iowa, Illinois  and New Hampshire — have no requirement.

http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2010/nov/16/feds-require-helmets-all-motorcycle-riders/?latest#comments

[POPS 57]

I don't have the stats. But here in Minnesota i think the trouble lies in cell phones and deer. And just people who drive and have no idea what they are up to. 

[six2go #152]

I know I'm gonna catch a lot of flack for this but I don't really care. I would support this law strictly from a selfish point of interest. I am a firm believer of wearing a helmet anytime I get on my bikes so a law like this would have no impact on me. Here's the selfish part; my Sons who ride, WILL NOT wear a helmet under any circumstances. They won't even ride to a state that requires wearing one. It would just make me feel better if I knew they had a bucket on their noggin when they were riding.

[3fan4life]

Just the Federal Governments way of trying to gain more control over our lives.

Here is a link to a study that suggests that the number of motorcycle fatalities has gone down:

http://www.ghsa.org/html/publications/spotlight/pdf/spotlight_motorcycles.pdf

If you compare FL (no helmet law) and CA (helmet law)

2008 CA    2009 CA     2008 FL    2009 Fl

    454            321            413          302

you'll see that the fatalities in CA are higher.

These are the two states with the highest number of registered motorcycles and they have roughly the same riding season.

I will not disagree for a single minute that helmets save lives.

I firmly believe that they do.

But I would say that the statistics suggest that there are many other factors to consider as well.

[Spirited-6]

But I would say that the statistics suggest that there are many other factors to consider as well

PLUS ME on this. 

[fudgie]

Booo on this one.  It'll never happen. ABATE is strong in alot of States.
Of the fatalities I have had the ones that died had the helmet on. Now I have not had alot of dead ones but a few. Musta had 2 dozen or more MC wrecks in my time and I have 90% not wear one and was fine. No head injuries but other injuries. Broken bones, amputations, etc, or even no injuries. Blunt force trauma to the chest is something to think about to. Getting t-boned by a 1/2 ton Dodge while wearing a helmet was pretty much worthless to a 20 yr old kid.
You can wear all the gear you want but if its your time to go, you will go. Death is certain. How you want to go should be your choice. Whether dressing for the ride or slide or watching what you eat, your still gonna die.
For Kit and I we want to go out riding. Like I said the other day, we rather die doing what we love, which is riding, then to be sitting in a wheelchair paralized whiching we could ride again. No way I could enjoy riding all bundled up in a Carhart suit with a FF helmet on. 
Had another head injury type run the other night. Nobody wears a helmet in their car or at home where most of the head injuries take place. Wonder why?  ???
"Better to be dead and cool then alive and uncool."

[flamingobabe #44]

I know I'm gonna catch a lot of flack for this but I don't really care. I would support this law strictly from a selfish point of interest. I am a firm believer of wearing a helmet anytime I get on my bikes so a law like this would have no impact on me. Here's the selfish part; my Sons who ride, WILL NOT wear a helmet under any circumstances. They won't even ride to a state that requires wearing one. It would just make me feel better if I knew they had a bucket on their noggin when they were riding.

I agree with you...But I don't need a law to tell me what I should and shouldn't do when riding...I make a decision to wear a helmet when riding....what to eat...the govt. needs to protect our borders...deliver mail....and let me make my own decisions......

[fiddle mike]

WASHINGTON — Federal safety officials want states to require all motorcycle riders to wear helmets, citing a surge in deaths since the late 1990s.

 The National Transportation Safety Board says motorcycle deaths have increased over the last decade even as other traffic fatalities have declined.

The board said there were 4,400 motorcycle deaths in the U.S. last year, more than in all aviation, rail, marine and pipeline accidents combined. Head injuries are the leading cause of death in motorcycle crashes.

  The board said 20 states require all motorcycle riders to wear helmets. Most states have limited helmet requirements, and three states — Iowa, Illinois  and New Hampshire — have no requirement.

http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2010/nov/16/feds-require-helmets-all-motorcycle-riders/?latest#comments

That's odd, they just reported that motorcycle related deaths decline in 2009 by 18%, in Texas, 16%, nation-wide. Perhaps ABATE will challenge the Constitutionality of the move if they manage to do anything before the second half of the donkey slaughter.

[GreenLantern57]

I wear a helmet when I want. My choice, my decision, I have medical insurance. I wouldn't really care if 25 out of 27 people gave me a hard time when not wearing a helmet. I usually bow up against peer pressure.

I completly believe the stats of how many died. Now take the ones out where the other driver was at fault.  Bet the rate goes way down.  Take out the ones where the helmeted rider still died. I trust statistics and government about the same.

87% of statistics are made up! <Dilbert>
100% of the people that have eaten carrots have or will die. <me>

[Billy]

Helmetless riders are nothing but  a bunch of hippy Socialist that would like nothing better than to recieve a TBI so they can soak hardworking tax payers by going on SSI.

[big turkey]

It's your head and if your dead you won't care.

But maybe your wife, daughter, son, your father, your mother, your pastor, your firends,

your employer, your doctor, your attorney, all those illegal aliens your supporting,

your Motorcycle dealer,  will all suffer when you are dead or brain dead.

Everthing we do in life effects all those we know or have known, a man is not an Island unto himself.

Give it some thought, Safety Equipment makes sense.

And if you wear a helmet you have a place to put all those cool stickers.

Al

[Robert]

What they dont tell you is the increase in the number of registered motorcycles. I'm sure if you do that from a percentage basis you will find the accident rate has declined. I never used to see the amount of motorcycles I do now.

[alph]

I’m pretty sure that I wrote an article about this last year.  I remember saying that once we get government health care, it will be required to wear helmets for riding cycles.  I’d also like to add that our wonderful government will also require kids to wear them when they ride their bicycles also, and if they don’t the parents will be arrested for child neglect.  If you enjoy downhill skiing, better buy yourself a helmet for that too!!  Don’t forget to get your flu shot!!  Soon it will be required for your kids to get one before they start school. 

Funny, they can tell you that smoking cause’s cancer till their blue in the face but can’t get people to stop, so they force us to wear seat belts in our cars, and wear helmets on our bikes.

Isn’t socialism grand!! (you better like it, or else!)

[X Ring]

WASHINGTON — Federal safety officials want states to require all motorcycle riders to wear helmets, citing a surge in deaths since the late 1990s.

 The National Transportation Safety Board says motorcycle deaths have increased over the last decade even as other traffic fatalities have declined.

The board said there were 4,400 motorcycle deaths in the U.S. last year, more than in all aviation, rail, marine and pipeline accidents combined. Head injuries are the leading cause of death in motorcycle crashes.

  The board said 20 states require all motorcycle riders to wear helmets. Most states have limited helmet requirements, and three states — Iowa, Illinois  and New Hampshire — have no requirement.

http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2010/nov/16/feds-require-helmets-all-motorcycle-riders/?latest#comments

That's odd, they just reported that motorcycle related deaths decline in 2009 by 18%, in Texas, 16%, nation-wide. Perhaps ABATE will challenge the Constitutionality of the move if they manage to do anything before the second half of the donkey slaughter.

The reason they believe the accident rate went down is people selling their bikes due to the crappy economy.

[MP]

WASHINGTON — Federal safety officials want states to require all motorcycle riders to wear helmets, citing a surge in deaths since the late 1990s.

 The National Transportation Safety Board says motorcycle deaths have increased over the last decade even as other traffic fatalities have declined.

The board said there were 4,400 motorcycle deaths in the U.S. last year, more than in all aviation, rail, marine and pipeline accidents combined. Head injuries are the leading cause of death in motorcycle crashes.

  The board said 20 states require all motorcycle riders to wear helmets. Most states have limited helmet requirements, and three states — Iowa, Illinois  and New Hampshire — have no requirement.

http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2010/nov/16/feds-require-helmets-all-motorcycle-riders/?latest#comments

That's odd, they just reported that motorcycle related deaths decline in 2009 by 18%, in Texas, 16%, nation-wide. Perhaps ABATE will challenge the Constitutionality of the move if they manage to do anything before the second half of the donkey slaughter.

The reason they believe the accident rate went down is people selling their bikes due to the crappy economy.

Didn't somebody buy them?

MP

[POPS 57]

If the accident is the riders fault. I would be willing to bet that it is one of the new riders. The ones that waited till they were up in age before they started to ride. Its the thing to do now like the wild hogs. The riders that started on mini bikes then honda 50's moving on up in cc's as they learn would help the stats. I would like the stats to reflect the riders experience. Then i think you would see more of the picture.

[fudgie]

Helmetless riders are nothing but  a bunch of hippy Socialist that would like nothing better than to recieve a TBI so they can soak hardworking tax payers by going on SSI.

BS.

[fiddle mike]

Helmetless riders are nothing but  a bunch of hippy Socialist that would like nothing better than to recieve a TBI so they can soak hardworking tax payers by going on SSI.

BS.

And here I thought it was the socialists in DC trying centralize power finish off Constitutionally guaranteed States Rights. Maybe I don't understand what socialist is. I do know that you are more likely to hear Marx coming out of the Clinton-Obama gang's mouths than Jefferson or Madison.

The "soak the taxpayer" argument is pretty lame when the Left has extended welfare into Mexico and refuses to enforce immigration law. 
.