Kawi2strokes.com Forum

Ric,
I'm sorry.. I believe this post will make you mad at me. I wish it would not. I don't mean this as an attack on you personally as I have always thought of you as a good person.. But, you are wrong....

Even though I don't believe in helmet laws and live in a state that does not have a helmet law, I do wear a helmet when I ride most of the time (not 100% of the time). I also understand that Trevors' accident makes this topic personal to you. I've had a couple close friends die in motorcycle accidents.

RE: "Don't like the gov telling what to do........you pay them money every day to tell you what to do !"

Yes unfortunately I do.. I wish people would stop voting in politicians who believe they need to make laws telling what me what to do or not do... I don't need a government nanny..

RE: "Quit spending my tax dollars because you think you have some right to have wind in your hair"

I believe that all active motorcycle rights organizations are all privately funded. The public funds (tax dollars) are spent attempting to make laws that infringe on one of my freedoms (my right to ride without a helmet if I wish) ... That money would be better spent educating people.. And you will find that even many of the motorcycle rights organizations that are against helmet laws are for motorcycle education that includes trying to get people to wear all the gear all the time.

RE: "You're on public roads. You want wind in your hair; get off our roads and build your own roads."

This is the statement that made me reply as I have.... YOUR roads???? In states where there are no helmet laws a motorcyclist who is not wearing a helmet has just as much right to ride on a public road as you do.

In states where there are no helmet laws a motorcyclist who is not wearing a helmet also has just as much right for his ride to be an enjoyable experience as you do. The only difference is he is willing to take a slight amount more risk in pursuit of this experience. If he is not involved in an accident, that is all it is, a slight risk. If my tax dollars are going to be spent, I want them spent on accident avoidance not accident survival.

RE "I'll vote for a helmet law every time !!!!"

And I will vote against one every time

Again, I apologize for this sounding like a personal attack.

Bobby

Ha ! ..........It's just a discussion....not an attack.....

I was refering to tax dollars being spent helping to take care of people like Trevor.

And....our roads.....meaning public roads. And the idea of "just as much right".....so if you pull out in front of me not wearing a helmet, and you die, exactly what right did you have to lay that on me.

BTW...there is the case where, the more people get injured on a motorcycle, the more the MAN comes down on all of us. You want the Man to start restricting engine size where we'll all be riding cub 50's...or paying through the nose to own a 500 ?

Yes....I hate the nanny state. But there is a need for regulating things that we all put our tax dollars into, such as roads and highways.

Do you think people under a certain age should be required to wear helmets ?
Do think seatbelt laws are valid ?

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Busy doing more riding than wrenching.......

This is the reality guys... Driving is a privilege, not a right on public roads, just get used to that fact and life will be less stressful.
For all you guys that feel it's your right, go ahead and tell your boss today that eye protection and safety shoes are against your god given right! See how that works out for ya!
Yeah, these laws can be annoying but let's face it, there are just too many people out there that can't figure this stuff out by themselves.

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http://kawatriple.com/wtf/

RE: Ha ! ..........It's just a discussion....not an attack.....

Good, I am glad we can discuss this in a sensible manner.

RE: "I was refering to tax dollars being spent helping to take care of people like Trevor."

I understand and that is a valid argument for having helmet laws..

RE: "so if you pull out in front of me not wearing a helmet, and you die, exactly what right did you have to lay that on me."

The problem with that statement is the biggest mistake I made was pulling out in front of you. If I hadn't done that I would not have died. In fact wouldn't have been injured at all.... Suppose I pull out in front of you and die of a chest injury while wearing a helmet instead. I am not just as dead?

RE: "BTW...there is the case where, the more people get injured on a motorcycle, the more the MAN comes down on all of us."

I believe we agree on that.. The difference being that I think the focus on reducing injuries should be spent on crash avoidance not crash survival.

RE: "You want the Man to start restricting engine size where we'll all be riding cub 50's...or paying through the nose to own a 500 ?"

Sure... great idea! better yet, lets just eliminate these dangerous motorcycles completely.... I'm sure you recognize the sarcasm. The problem is there are people that believe just that and would do that if they could..

RE: "But there is a need for regulating things that we all put our tax dollars into, such as roads and highways."

I agree with that statement too.. But I believe that there should be as little regulation as possible.. Many of the other regulations currently in effect are abused but that is a totally different discussion.

RE: "Do you think people under a certain age should be required to wear helmets ?
Do think seatbelt laws are valid ?"

Actually I would have to answer no to both of those questions... but I have a hard time arguing against either one.
I wore a seatbelt before they were mandatory and even though I now live in a state that does not require helmet use I grew up in a state that did. I got used to wearing one.

Bobby

People bitched and moaned about seat belts, but now 1000's of lives have been saved from them. A person can trip, hit their head and die. A helmet law will save lives, and reduce injuries. That's proven. And should be required.

Yes, there needs to be more rider training, and driver education. Even though, helmets will still be saving lives.

If someone likes the wind through the hair, then have your buddy drive around in a car, and you can hang your head out the window........

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Twist the throttle, tilt the horizon, and have a great time. What triples are all about...........

RE: A helmet law will save lives, and reduce injuries. That's proven. And should be required.

True but driving a car instead of a motorcycle is is also safer. That too can be proven too. Should we also require people to drive a car instead of a motorcycle?

Think this is a dumb question or that it's never gonna happen?? If 20 years ago someone had told you that in New York they will ban the sale of soft drinks larger than 16 oz, you probably would have thought "Right, Thats never gonna happen".

RE: If someone likes the wind through the hair, then have your buddy drive around in a car, and you can hang your head out the window..

Can't do that... you have to be wearing a seatbelt

That can certainly happen...which is why we don't need more deaths and serious head injuries than can be prevented...by having helmet laws.

We don't have to get rid of an activity (motorcycling), we merely need to make it reasonably safe. Being required to wear a helmet is more than reasonable.

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Busy doing more riding than wrenching.......

Hey each to his own,but after seeing some of these new bike videos on youtube and how incredibly fast and beautiful (Smashed Coke Can) they are,you would have to be absoulutly crazy to ride one of those bikes without a Helmet !!!!!!!

Andrew you're wrong. Use of public roads is a right (at least here). Plenty of cases won over that - providing you're willing to fight it in court. Same as not needing a drivers license and paying in gold for services etc.

Bobby S. I agree. If anyone is interested in an "un-biased" do the research on the percentages of lives saved, deaths, deaths caused or attributed by. The helmet saved you but now live on government assistance because of injury. The real-bonafide facts are helmets do save but the percentages are so small to be almost inconsequential.

Rick, I see your point but we're back to such a very very small percentage.

Me, I'm sick and tired of state and federal decisions telling me what I can and cannot do - fed up to HERE. My life My choice.

I live in a state with no helmet laws (and Pot is legal). Says it all baby

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This is true. Where I grew up the hills were so steep and long, when your ball rolled down the hill you just said "screw it"...

this is Great!
when is the Healthcare thread starting?