Help, my brain isn't working!
Club Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 11,483
Likes: 39
From: Passaic County, NJ
And that, my friends, is the tragic fallacy of the anti-helmet crowd. The truth is, no matter how fast your motorcycle is going, your head hits the ground at 13 m.p.h. Why? Because it is always the same height above the ground. The only component of an accident that the helmet is designed to mollify (or for which one is needed) is the vertical impact. The speed of your motorcycle doesn't increase that one iota, it only adds an horizontal velocity, which is translated as skid. In case you've never skidded, skidding or sliding reduces friction, so your melon will not receive any damage (other than lost skin) - unless you hit a vertical obstruction. It is only when hitting a vertical obstruction (spell that t-r-e-e, or similar) that the speed of travel matters. In every other crash, your head hits the ground below the 15 m.p.h. from which the helmet is required to protect you.
What do you think would be better, A helmet that is at least tested to survive a crash, or a plastic tupperware bowl? I am not against someone that doesnt wear a helmet, its there choice and there life, but to go through the effert to buy and strap on one of these novelty helmets is just retarded. Either wear a DOT helmet or dont wear one at all.
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 816
Likes: 4
From: Stone Harbor, NJ
psssstttt....
Pssssttt...or he could just take the helmet along, and actually match up the halves. :-)
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,260
Likes: 5
From: Batesville Ga
And that, my friends, is the tragic fallacy of the anti-helmet crowd. The truth is, no matter how fast your motorcycle is going, your head hits the ground at 13 m.p.h. Why? Because it is always the same height above the ground. The only component of an accident that the helmet is designed to mollify (or for which one is needed) is the vertical impact. The speed of your motorcycle doesn't increase that one iota, it only adds an horizontal velocity, which is translated as skid. In case you've never skidded, skidding or sliding reduces friction, so your melon will not receive any damage (other than lost skin) - unless you hit a vertical obstruction. It is only when hitting a vertical obstruction (spell that t-r-e-e, or similar) that the speed of travel matters. In every other crash, your head hits the ground below the 15 m.p.h. from which the helmet is required to protect you.
I'll toss in one more anecdotal (i.e. completely non-scientific) example. Friend on a group ride, trailing 1/2 mile behind as tailgunner. Van coming the other direction rearends a car stopped to turn left (idiot clearly not even looking at the road). Van rear swung across the yellow line and buddy slams HARD into the rear corner. Not sure what, if anything, his head hit but he was wearing a DOT 1/2 helmet.
Body was so badly slammed that he couldn't feel or move anything on his left side for a couple of months. Recovery to the extent that he did (he was 50+ at the time) took nearly 2 years. Big guy, cop, now on desk and prisoner pickup duty cause he can't qualify on the range with both hands - left still isn't that steady.
But there ain't a dang thing wrong with his mind or memory. I honestly thought he was roadburger - I was the guy riding in front of him. Saw the whole thing in my rear view, new it was gonna happen, telepathetically trying to yell at him to move to the right side of the road.
Wear or don't wear as the law and your conscious dictates. But I really prefer not to hear opinion or even the kind of "example" I just posted. Tell me facts you can support with science and I'm all ears (well, eyes).
Thanks tek - you gave me something to research and hopefully learn from.
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Road Captain
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 562
Likes: 0
From: Everywhere, USA
I live in PA (No helmet law, I usually do not wear a helmet.) I work in NJ (Helmet law, I always wear a helmet.) Are the pictures in my original post not visible?
Last edited by Sonny's World; Jun 13, 2010 at 09:10 AM.
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Road Captain
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 562
Likes: 0
From: Everywhere, USA
Doesn't look as cool? Flame away!!!
