They passed the "no helmet law"

[YZMAN400]

I cant believe they passed the "no helmet law"

http://blog.mlive.com/chronicle/2007/10/state_senate_oks_motorcycling.html

So they passed the no helmet law. I am totaly against this. Mainly because Ill always wear a helmet on the road. And all these people that dont wear there's will in the end affect me via higher insurance premiums. This sucks.

I just heard of this today. And this afternoon I look out the window and see a parade of like 100 bikes roll past my house. Most of them without helmets. Sooo stupid.

Now that I think of it....I wonder how many of these folks That I seen today have paid there $100 anual permit fee and taken there safety class seeing as it was just instituted, what last week.

The legislation would allow riders to pay a $100 annual state permit fee to allow them to opt out of wearing a helmet. Bikers also could pay $200 for three years.

Motorcyclists also would have to be at least 21 years old, have two years experience and complete safety training

 

[KTM Mike]

Don - boy do I agree with you! (dont think this law should be passed...it could get shot down in the House, or Vetoed by the Gov still though).

I hate to say it, and I am sure I will be flamed by some Hardly Abelson riders...but most...not all...of the Hardly guys are all about their Hardley Hard A$$ image, bla bla bla... and you know darn tootin well, tons of them will ride helmetless without meeting the criteria (permit fee, two years experience (how will they document that anyhow?) and training. I taught MSF class, both the basic and advanced classes, for 12 years. I often had students bring up the helmet law topic - yes, it was ALWAYS...from a Harely guy. or gal... I always responded by first saying "I am officially taking my instructor hat off, and am now speaking soley as a street rider with 300,000 miles of riding experience" (the MSF did not want us to express opinions on such matters) then I would say "I respect your right to make choices, however if you choose to ride without a helmet, I DO NOT respect the choice you have made - bottom line is, in my opinion you are stupid idiot if you choose to ride without a helmet" Used to get some interesting responses to that!

One other trouble spot... ABATE is a strong presence (or at least used to be) in Michigan MSF classes. The chief MSF instructor(the one who taught instructors and coordinated the entire program in that area) in the Detriot area, Vince Consiglio (not sure on spelling) was an active ABATE member AND very vocal about anti helmet stuff. So...here we have an anti helmet guy, teaching new bikers! Yeah...right... Hopefully Vince is no longer active as an instructor.

Ok...flame away Hardley guys (or riders of any other bike) ...I still think you are a stupid idiot if you ride without a helmet....

 

[Wolf Child]

One word....


DARWINISM

Granholm has promised to veto it. not that I care either way. people have been helmetless for years in FL and it doesnt effect me in the slightest. as for the "requirements", I suspect just like in FL it will only be enforced in the event of an incident.

 

[FruDaddy]

Not taking into account anybody's intelligence while I state my opinion. Also, I will say that I do wear a helmet on the street. Shouldn't the members of a "free" nation be able to determine how much protection that they need in any given circumstance?

On one note, the government is shoving seatbelts, airbags, and (coming soon) ABS and traction control down our throats. While all of these things do make us less prone to injury (in one form or another) when we are driving on the road, they also increase the cost of a new car, what was once optional equipment has become required. Of course, now the "experts" are beginning to realize that airbags are not appropriate for everybody, and can do more harm than good in certain circumstances. I am not saying that they are a bad thing, but they aren't always good.

Now I go to the off-road world. Currently, we wear whatever protective gear we feel is appropriate, and there are many threads here discussing what should be worn. Now, suppose the government were to require us to wear full body armor, the Leatt brace, knee braces (not pads), and boots that meet their requirements. Would this be OK with you?

Uncle Sam is busy trying to protect us from ourselves, in reality, we need protection from him. His protection robs us of our freedom of choice, to act as adults and make decisions for ourselves. Are helmets good? YES! Should we be allowed to choose? YES! If we let the government continue to choose what best for us, soon bacon will be illegal. And if you think congress is actually looking out for you, think again, they just want to make the people happy that will be voting for or against them (or contributing to the campaign) in the next election.

 

[salgeek]

Fantastic... now let's get rid of the seat belt law too.

 

[FruDaddy]

Fantastic... now let's get rid of the seat belt law too.

Exactly! It's about the right to choose, and my right to choose whether or not I should live should come before the right of a woman to choose whether or not to kill a baby that she could have prevented in the first place, were she more responsible. We all know which topic gets more attention, but that's because almost everybody has decided to accept the government stance on one of these subjects.

Really, though, isn't it about time that we start taking control of our lives, and responsibility for our decisions, rather than asking the government to tell us what to do.

 

[Pushin50]

Fifteen years ago a friend of mine was on a waiting list for a kidney transplant. He was waiting for some helmetless biker in Indiana to scramble his brains in an accident. Sure enough that's exactly what happened and he got a kidney. Ten years later he needed to replace his transplanted kidney and the whole process was repeated. I am against the no helmet law but I am sure allot of people awaiting transplants are cheering. The real cost of this law will be the accident victims that are not brain dead enough to donate organs, but will be invalids and vegetables draining the health care system of vital resources.

 

[Fred T]

So when helmetless riders are turned into a vegetables from an accident because they didn't wear a helmet and we all get to pay even more for every vehicle we insure with the MCCA fees or what ever they call the catastrophic fund will I get a choice if I want to pay that? What is now like $174 per vehicle? :|

 

[Smit-Dog]

How about Indiana riders pay our MCCA assessment fee? :cool:

 

[joey450]

Really, though, isn't it about time that we start taking control of our lives, and responsibility for our decisions, rather than asking the government to tell us what to do.

I could not agree more! :nod:

 

[Asrith]

There in lies the problem. Common sense is not so common.

 

[BadgerMan]

So when helmetless riders are turned into a vegetables from an accident because they didn't wear a helmet and we all get to pay even more for every vehicle we insure with the MCCA fees or what ever they call the catastrophic fund will I get a choice if I want to pay that? What is now like $174 per vehicle? :|

That is my concern too. I have heard that just a few closed head injuries can deplete that fund in short order and drive up our rates for the year. However, I have also heard that helmetless riders will help the situation in that instead of suffering a closed head injury which requires long term care, they will just be DOA.

 

[woodsy]

del

 

[INCA]

What is behind all of this, is that there is an unwriten law stating - do whatever is necessary to provide more jobs. I can't prove I'm right and who can prove me wrong?

The Law Breaker

 

[bclark001]

:worship: woodsy your awesome. :cool:
in the words of braveheart "FREEDOM"

do you know what state past this no dirtbike law? i'm gonna go kick there @$$

:clue: or wait ill run them over with my dirtbike

 

[sanford]

If you want to ride a motorcycle without a helmet, you should be able to ..........as long as the decision that YOU make doesnt affect anyone else. If you can guarantee me that your funeral doesnt affect anyone else....then go ahead and wear your skin for a lid. I find it very sad when someone states, "ITS MY BIKE AND MY BODY, I WILL DO WHATEVER I WANT!"......well, actually you are affecting a lot of people. Your parents, your kids, your relatives, your friends, the person that hit you, the person you hit, the person the that saw this happen, etc.

However , if you can guarantee me that none of these people will be affected and there is a good chance that you can donate your organs......sweet!

 

[YZMAN400]

You know I can totaly understand the "freedom" angle that some of you talk about. But you know its funny, some of you that talk of these freedom's must be older than me because I have never known the freedom of not wearing a seatbelt, not wearing a helmet, riding my dirtbike on any 2-track that I please. Ive never seen it. I must be part of a slightly younger generation.

But what I do see happening regardless of what anyone says is these freedoms will in the end cost me more $ in the form of higher insurance premiums. even if I dont participate in said freedoms. Someone will figure out a way to strap a few extra $ onto my already outragious insurance policy to cover some blankit coverage crap that I cant even use.

Sad is it may be this is the world that we live in.

 

[bbarel]

Choice is good as long as I don't have to pay for your choice. If the net sum is the same cost because fewer survive crashes and don't need as much social funded care, then ok by me, but if I have to pay more insurance, medicare, social-security, unemployment then I have a problem with that.

 

[SNDMN2]

But what I do see happening regardless of what anyone says is these freedoms will in the end cost me more $ in the form of higher insurance premiums. even if I dont participate in said freedoms. Someone will figure out a way to strap a few extra $ onto my already outragious insurance policy to cover some blankit coverage crap that I cant even use.

Carefull here. This statement leads me to believe that you have become slightly misguided and have one foot on the bannana peel toward the dark side.

I understand what your saying but this just addresses the problem on the surface.The real solutions run much deaper.

Sadly, The premace that we "government" to help us with our persuit of happiness and well being , do our thinking for us ,has become entrenched in todays society.

Time for me to go read "Common Sense" by Thomas Payne. Gets me to thinking about how things should be.

 

[2TrakR]

Well, to play the emotional game vs personal freedom...

How 'bout when your daughter, driving her car and not being at fault, collides with a helmetless biker. Said biker is killed on the scene purely due to head injuries that would have clearly been preventable if he had a helmet on.

Does the $100 waiver also waive the involuntary manslaughter charge for her?
Is his family prevented from suing her for [whatever is the current trend]?

Perhaps the above scenario is too far fetched, I don't know the statistics. It would seem other States who already have no-helmet laws would have data on this.

 

[SNDMN2]

My son did report on helmet vs non-helmet states. Interesting part was the incicdent of death related to the amount of accidents. States with no helmet laws had less accidents per rider and the death to accident ratios were similair. States with no helmet laws did report more head injurys per accident where injuries were reported. $300 can make some people invincible. I personaly would'nt even think of rideing without one.

 

[2TrakR]

Interesting, had not considered [the interpretation] that helmets [may] lead folks to put themselves at greater risk.

Hmm.

 

[YZMAN400]

Carefull here. This statement leads me to believe that you have become slightly misguided and have one foot on the bannana peel toward the dark side.

I understand what your saying but this just addresses the problem on the surface.The real solutions run much deaper.

Sadly, The premace that we "government" to help us with our persuit of happiness and well being , do our thinking for us ,has become entrenched in todays society.

Time for me to go read "Common Sense" by Thomas Payne. Gets me to thinking about how things should be.

Noooo not hardly. I firmly believe that the less the government is involved in our lives the better. I just know what the reality of the situation is. No matter what anyone says to the contrary...1 person's oppinion does not make a differance. And because of that I dont give a rats ass about what is going on in our political system. I dont turn on the news. Dont want to know. Dont care. Dosn't seem to affect me for the most part. I continue to go thru life doing the things I want to do when I want to do them. Its just when I do poke my head into "the system" that I get my feathers ruffled about stuff like this helmet ruling. Im better off not knowing. Keeps my blood pressure in check :laugh:

 

[woodsy]

del

 

[woodsy]

Noooo not hardly. I firmly believe that the less the government is involved in our lives the better. I just know what the reality of the situation is. No matter what anyone says to the contrary...1 person's oppinion does not make a differance. And because of that I dont give a rats ass about what is going on in our political system. I dont turn on the news. Dont want to know. Dont care. Dosn't seem to affect me for the most part. I continue to go thru life doing the things I want to do when I want to do them. Its just when I do poke my head into "the system" that I get my feathers ruffled about stuff like this helmet ruling. Im better off not knowing. Keeps my blood pressure in check :laugh:

Don,, then whats the point in addressing trail loss issues by writing to our representitives when asked to?? One persons voice does make a difference.. More then you can imagine!!!