Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Alan Esch on June 2, 2010 at 2:50pm

The cranium and its contents need respect. Serious injury to either does not bode well for the victim's future. I know two people that have been unaware of their surroundings for close to twenty years because of a helmet non-use issue. Both were turning their lives around at the time. Quite a shame.


For me, I can't ride without protecting what I can. Too much to lose!

Permalink Reply by Eric Engelke on June 2, 2010 at 3:11pm

My biggest problem with DOT helmets even as a "full" helmet is that they stop right at the cerebral column thus exposing c-spine. I have responded to about 50/50 where a helmet actually helped. When it did help those where primarily low speed accidents. I have not yet responded to one MVA with a motorcycle at highway speeds that the helmet helped.

Permalink Reply by Greenman on June 2, 2010 at 7:00pm

So what happens if you wreck in a parking lot when you stop for a pee stop? or you get hit at a stop light? or you ... insert any of a thousand scenarios which could occur to any rider at any time on any ride at less than highway speeds?

We were on a ride over the Memorial Day weekend and were pulling into the Motel 6 parking lot just after dark, when one of our riders didn't see a speed bump which was right at the end of the building and unmarked. This rider has over 50,000 miles of riding experience but wasn't fully upright when they hit the bump, the bottom of the frame scraped the speed bump and the bike went down. Very minimal Damage to the bike and the rider, but the impact with the pavement left a quarter-sized flat spot on the temple area of the rider's helmet and chipped the paint off a 3" area around that. If the rider hadn't been wearing a DOT Helmet on that ride, this minor incident could have ended in a very bad day, indeed.

You wouldn't fight a fire without a helmet on, why would you engage in another dangerous activity where head trauma is possible without wearing a helmet?

It just seems ignorant to me.

As a Soldier in the U.S. Army, I of course am required to wear full PPE every ride, every time and gladly do so (having lived through one motorcycle crash where I dented my helmet, severely sprained my ankle, which took 2 1/2 years to heal, and road rash from my shin to my thigh and from my forearm to my bicep). I happily wear a DOT Helmet, long pants, long sleeves (in hot weather a textile motorcycle mesh jacket with elbow and shoulder pads), ballistic eye protection (UVEX wrap-around safety glasses...no bugs in eyes!!), full fingered motorcycle gloves and over the ankle sturdy boots or shoes...not to mention the "Brightly colored upper garment in daytime and reflective upper garment at night" in the form of my ICON Mil-Spec vest so the idiot cagers can at least see me when they look up from texting while driving. Anything less and I feel naked on the bike, especially at highway speeds

Stay safe, keep the shiny side up, and wear a damn helmet...just in case.

Greenman

Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on June 8, 2010 at 3:59pm

We have a very prominent business man in the hospital in critical condition from a motorcycle accident.
He was wearing a helmet.
There's a good chance that he would not be alive if he hadn't been wearing his helmet.
Helmets save lives.
That's a fact.
A rider is 36 times more likely to die from head injuries if not wearing a helmet.
I read that somewhere.
And I believe it.