Motorcycle Fatalities Down in 2009

[Dupo]

Source: USA TODAY ARTICLE

I agree with what was said in the article .. we need more education, not legislation. Educate motorcyclists and non motorcyclists alike. Motorcycle education should go hand in hand with getting your drivers license.

[Water Warrior 2]

So what you are saying is I shouldn't have waited till I was 62 for my lessons. Gotta agree with the article, education for everyone is the ticket.

[bonehead]

Good article. We just need "them" to quit pushing the helmet issue. It should be freedom of choice. I abide by the seatbelt law, but I don't agree with it!

[alantf]

Originally Posted by bonehead

I abide by the seatbelt law, but I don't agree with it!

I once saw an article in Reader's Digest (I was in the dentist's waiting room at the time :roll: ) about two cars colliding head on at a combined speed of 100 mph. (each car was doing 50 mph) Neither driver was wearing a seat belt, but both survived without any injury due to their air bags inflating. On the other hand, in 1992, I ran into the side of a truck that had pulled out of a side street, & stopped straight acrooss the road in front of me. My car didn't have air bags, but I was wearing my seat belt. I had managed to slow down from around 40 mph to 20 mph when I hit the truck. Result? The seat belt dislocated one of my ribs, & I still have the lump to this day. Any more comment needed? :mad:

[dannylightning]

Originally Posted by bonehead

Good article. We just need "them" to quit pushing the helmet issue. It should be freedom of choice. I abide by the seatbelt law, but I don't agree with it!

i think they should have helmet laws, every one on a motorcycle should be wearing a helmet. your head hitting the ground is often the worst thing that can happen during a wreck.

i don't always wear my helmet even tho i know i should, when i was in Tennessee and it was the law to wear one i always wore my helmet and never once complained about it. it is really a law to protect the guy on the bike.

seat belts on the other hand have actually killed people they also have saved people, in that case they should be optional but i don't think wearing a motorcycle helmet has ever killed any one during a wreck. and if you do hit your head you have a much better chance to live, and a much better chance you will not get brain damage.

[bonehead]

It's all in the circumstances. A friend of mine t-boned a car that pulled out in front of him. No helmet and it did screw his head and face up. The doctor, after hearing the logistics of the crash, came to the conclusion that if he had been wearing his helmet he would have either been killed or at a minimum paralyzed.
My stance is freedom of choice. We have too much government interference in this country.
BTW I wear my helmet most of the time.

[BillInGA]

I am against both helmet and seat belt laws. That being said, I always wear my helmet or seat belt (as appropriate).

[Water Warrior 2]

Yes Danny, seat belts may have killed a few folks over the years by some totally unforeseen circumstances at the time. But how many have been saved by comparison ? Seat belts, air bags, helmets and ATGATT reduce risk of injury or death dramatically in almost every instance.
Been wearing seat belts since 1966, long before it was law or even standard equipment in cars. Here is the reason. A young nursing student was a passenger in a car and was thrown out when the car flipped in a single vehicle mishap and the doors opened allowing her to land in the ditch just before the car landed in the same spot of real estate. All I saw was an arm sticking out from under the car. That left a permanent reminder to buckle up. I do agree with freedom of choice, my choice is to avoid injury by any means at my disposal and will gladly pay for my injury limiting gear.
It is all about the amount of risk we are willing to accept in our daily lives and how much pain we might have to accept.

[dannylightning]

Originally Posted by bonehead

It's all in the circumstances. A friend of mine t-boned a car that pulled out in front of him. No helmet and it did screw his head and face up. The doctor, after hearing the logistics of the crash, came to the conclusion that if he had been wearing his helmet he would have either been killed or at a minimum paralyzed.
My stance is freedom of choice. We have too much government interference in this country.
BTW I wear my helmet most of the time.

please explain how the helmet would have killed him, that just does not seem likely to me but weird thins happen all the time.

only thing i can see is that the helmet could catch one something and try to pull your head off.

[Water Warrior 2]

Don't know about the rest of the folks here today but it's time to dress up and go cheat death again.