I'll wear whatever the H*ll I want to wear .. i hate all these statistic yakin people. all you have to do is go up on youtube and look and some of the dumbsh*t people do .. No wonder the stats are like that.. some people should NEVER EVER consider buying a motorcycle,... because they don't have enough sense to pour p!ss out of a boot , with the instruction written on the heel. That is not model exclussive either. Just this year I have seen/rode with a few riders that unless they really change how they ride.... aren't gonna be around long.


I'm going to a funeral Wednesday afternoon, the guy that died basically old age (kidney, sugardiabetes).. almost 70 . He's been riding his whole life. Patchholder for most of it. Was my sponser when I patched in. His best friend died at 75 yrs of age.. also on motorcycles (patchholder too) for most of his life.. died of cancer old age. None of them ever road with full face and atgatt clothing crap. In the last 10 years I have only been to two funerals that were crash related. In both cases helmets of any kind wouldn't of saved em. One was a drunk guy in a pickup pulled left into his driveway (on a highway) right in front of my friend. The other .. a truck had spilled fuel all over the highway.. they say the fall didn't kill him.. it was the three cars that also couldn't stop that ran over him.

When your time is up it's up.. you can what if,... and .. if only..... all day,....... look up the stats between Kansas (no helmet) and Mo (helmets) it might surprise you.

 

The only thing "obvious" is the point of view of someone sitting in a car looking at a biker with no helmet thinking "that is so dangerous". There's no relationship between helmets and seat belts. Seat belts keep you from killing yourself on the steering wheel or windshield. A helmet helps in some situations, or if your going under 14 mph. At highway speeds bikers don't die from head injurys. With 17 years in the emergency room, my son has never seen a helmet save someone. Last Saturday I was leaving the Harley dealer, and a guy pulled out of the other Harley exit, cut across both lanes to beat traffic to get into my right turn lane. He didn't see me. I just hit the gas as he came within inches of me. That's when he slowed down. Thinking and planning beats a heavy, blinding full face. No stats for that. Ride free.

 

I almost always wore a half helmet, but did purchase a modular helmet the first of the summer. I had not been wearing it, but decided at the last minute to wear it on the trip to Arizona. I laid the bike down, and the damage to the helmet was to the left forehead and the left side of the facemask, then down the left side. IF I had not been wearing this, but only the half helmet, my forehead would have been protected, but I do not know about my left eye, ear, cheek, and the side of my face. Some may have considered it an improvement, but I sure am glad I still have all of the skin attached.

 

http://www.flhsmv.gov/hsmvdocs/CS2008.pdf

In 2008 there were a total of 10,921 motorcycle accidents in the state of Florida



54.89% of motorcyclists and their passengers killed were wearing helmets.

35.34% of motorcyclists and their passengers killed were not wearing helmets.

58.16% of motorcyclists and their passengers who had incapacitating injuries were wearing helmets.

37.18% of motorcyclists and their passengers who had incapacitating injuries were not wearing helmets.

See Table 1B

 

http://www.flhsmv.gov/hsmvdocs/CS2007.pdf


In 2007 there were a total of 10,455 motorcycle accidents in the state of Florida



57.81% of motorcyclists and their passengers killed were wearing helmets.

41.26% of motorcyclists and their passengers killed were not wearing helmets.

57.39% of motorcyclists and their passengers who had incapacitating injuries were wearing helmets.

41.91% of motorcyclists and their passengers who had incapacitating injuries were not wearing helmets.

See Table 1B


http://www.flhsmv.gov/hsmvdocs/CS2006.pdf

In 2006 there were a total of 10,250 motorcycle accidents in the state of Florida

60.73% of motorcyclists and their passengers killed were wearing helmets.

39.27% of motorcyclists and their passengers killed were not wearing helmets.



58.82% of motorcyclists and their passengers who had incapacitating injuries were wearing helmets.

41.18% of motorcyclists and their passengers who had incapacitating injuries were not wearing helmets.



Note Table 1B

Now who's stats I'm I suppose to believe???

 

So, what % of riders with or without helmets died/incapacitated from head injuries? It isn't statistically usefull to take someone who died from internal injuries and relate it to whether or not they wore a helmet.

The data you presented is irrelevant when preseneted that way. What if 2000 people with helmets had accidents and 5000 without helmets. But, 200 people in the first group died and 300 in the second group died. By your presentation, 60% of people killed weren't wearing helmets even though 10% of the people with helmets died vs 6% without.

According to the Fla data you presented:
There were 292 deaths out of 6,654 total accident victims wearing helmets - that is 4.4%

There were 188 deaths out of 3,862 total accident victims not wearing helmets - that is 4.8%

There were 1,636 victims with incapcitating injuries in the group wearing helmets - that is 24.6%

There were 1,046 victims with incapacitating injuries in the group not wearing helmets - that is 27.1%

You can draw your own conclusions from the above. Given all the hoopla we have heard over the past few years, I was surprised at how close the numbers were.

 

I can't imagine where he's been looking. Ever watched motorcycle racing? You might see a couple of people crash at better then 14 mph and survive.

I crashed, on the street, at over 100 mph, and survived. Based on the damage to my helmet, I am sure it saved my life.

 

I understand your reasoning, however when a motorcycle fatality is reported in the news here locally, its nearly always reported if the riders were not wearing helmets. If they were wearing helmets, yet died, its usually ommitted from the story.

BTW I agree with you, when a rider dies from internal injuries it shouldn't matter if they were or weren't wearing a helmet. However the media and the powers that be don't see it that way unless its to their favor.

 

The Chicago papers and TV news seem to report both. It seems, some times, pointing out the rider was lidded is intended to help readers grasp the severity of the crash.

 

Sure. Just, it's not ONE call. There are many. Some avoidable. Some not.
I am happy to avoid the avoidable.
A helmet turns a matter of WHEN in a matter of IF.
That's good enough for me.

BTW, in Italy there is no helmet/no helmet issue. Helmet is mandatory. You don't wear it, the gov takes your bike. It's that simple. So, political struggle over the topic is non existent. This means statistics are gathered for statistical (not political) purpose, and are therefore quite reliable.
About 30% of fatalities in bike accidents are due to head injury, and would have survived with no consequence had they worn a helmet.
I personally know 2 people who would be "normal" (vs. head trauma victims) had they worn a safety cycling helmet.
Both fell from a stationary bicicle (so, you can never tell).
I also find pretty amazing how otherwise sensible people can be fooled into believing the "Helmets protect you just till 14 mph" thing.
First, the homologation impact is not the TOP performance all helmets meet. There are helmets and then there are helmets.
Second, the helmet is not made to protect you from direct, head on impact.
That, nothing can protect you from, unless you wear a blue jumpsuit with a red cloak.
Helmets are made to protect you from the most common bike accident: falling.
Whether you are stationary, or going 60 mph, your head will go vertically down exactly the same distance from "standing" to "on the tarmac", and THAT's the force with which your head will hit the ground.
Actually, from a leaning position in a bend the fall is shorter!
Forward speed component influences abrasion, not impact on the ground.
If the "14 mph" bs was true, no sportsbike pilot would wear a helmet. Instead, they all do.
Yes, if you meet an obstacle along your skidding after the fall, the fact that the helmet saved your noggin' will be of little comfort. But if you DON'T hit anything, it would be a pity to be dead for having tried to crack the tarmac with your skull.

This said, I'm a firm believer in freedom of choice. It just has to be INFORMED freedom.