Feds say all motorcycle riders should be required to wear helmets

[roflwaffle]

Originally Posted by dcb

We are talking about citizens though, not police or racers.

The citizens are on public roads. If it's a private road and someone is above 18 or whatever then they can do whatever they want. Even if the reasoning is something as banal as an increase in the cost of EMS/cleanup/delays for accidents where the rider wasn't wearing a helmet then it's still a reasonable regulation in the context of interstate commerce and the courts interpretations.

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

Numbers. I need to see numbers for all this money the govt spends on health care for unhelmeted bikers. Everyone seems to know them but me.

The internet has the answers!

We could be looking at an extra ~$60+ million/year in additional medical costs due to riders who aren't wearing helmets, and I'm pretty sure the cost is at least in the millions. Arguably someone could add something to registration/insurance that went straight to hospitals/insurance companies for the additional costs, plus whatever other expenses due to other cost increases, but if someone really doesn't like government regulation that seems way more convoluted than wearing a helmet.

[dcb]

"On average, helmet use led to average hospital costs that were about 20 percent, or $6,000, less than costs for those who didn't wear helmets. "

so someone has to draw a line though, you would arguably be safer in your car with a helmet, and a bulletproof vest, and a condom on. Why not make you wear them by law?

[NachtRitter]

Ah, another "religious argument" thread, where no one will convince anyone of anything. Just as fruitful as discussing the merits of HHO, magnets around fuel lines, and similar eco-hoaxes. What is the point? This very same topic has been beaten to death in 100's if not 1000's of other forums.
This topic has nothing to do with ecomodding motorcycles (that is the section it's in, right?) and is at best an emotional political discussion, with very little data being brought to the table. Moderators, please just lock this topic before it degenerates into personal attacks.

[Thymeclock]

Originally Posted by dcb

"On average, helmet use led to average hospital costs that were about 20 percent, or $6,000, less than costs for those who didn't wear helmets. "

so someone has to draw a line though, you would arguably be safer in your car with a helmet, and a bulletproof vest, and a condom on. Why not make you wear them by law?

Don't give 'em any new ideas! They might end up as proposed legislation real soon.

[roflwaffle]

Originally Posted by dcb

"On average, helmet use led to average hospital costs that were about 20 percent, or $6,000, less than costs for those who didn't wear helmets. "

so someone has to draw a line though, you would arguably be safer in your car with a helmet, and a bulletproof vest, and a condom on. Why not make you wear them by law?

Probably because those are different situations with different issues/numbers. Condoms would be a civil rights issue, nearly impossible to enforce, and it's not like you can behave in a way that makes other people pay excessively either. If you have an STD and willfully infect someone else you can be prosecuted.

With bulletproof vests you can run into problem with local LEOs who don't want criminals to have easier access to them, so they are banned in some states, and regulation would probably involve a states rights versus fed regulations issue that would get tied up for decades. These figures also indicate that a reduction in the cost of accidental gunshot wounds from bullet proof vests would be significantly less than the reduction in the cost of accidents of riders w/o helmets. I think gun ownership is also higher than motorcycle ownership per capita, so the costs of helmetless MC injuries are also higher in that context.

Essentially, you get better bang for your buck via legislating that everyone wear helmets, it probably won't get tied up in the courts for decades, and it's enforceable. The other two aren't similar due to the mentioned differences.

[roflwaffle]

Originally Posted by NachtRitter

Ah, another "religious argument" thread, where no one will convince anyone of anything. Just as fruitful as discussing the merits of HHO, magnets around fuel lines, and similar eco-hoaxes. What is the point? This very same topic has been beaten to death in 100's if not 1000's of other forums.
This topic has nothing to do with ecomodding motorcycles (that is the section it's in, right?) and is at best an emotional political discussion, with very little data being brought to the table. Moderators, please just lock this topic before it degenerates into personal attacks.

**** you man! **** you!

[ShadeTreeMech]

Originally Posted by dcb

so someone has to draw a line though, you would arguably be safer in your car with a helmet, and a bulletproof vest, and a condom on. Why not make you wear them by law?

My brother had a motorcycle jacket which incidentally had body armor-type protection built into it. Not sure if it was bulletproof, but I imagine it could have been.

While this may have evolved into a rather spirited debate, being able to weight the pros and cons of helmet wearing is relevant to riding a motorcycle/scooter, and I hope there may be someone who is undecided that reads this thread, wears a helmet, and manages to survive an accident (or even just a spill) by doing so.

[dcb]

Absolutely, wear a helmet whenever you can, it's saved my skin a few times. An intact skull is a lot sexier than a non one.

[Clev]

The helmet issue is a sticky one. On one hand, uninsured/underinsured people who get in an accident without a helmet can't cover their medical bills, meaning that the hospital (and consequently, everybody else) has to pay.

On the other hand, universal healthcare, which resolves the uninsured/underinsured issue, puts the government in a position of making this other "unsafe" behaviors illegal to "save the taxpayers money."

The seat belt laws I agree with, though. In an accident, the driver can be knocked out of the driving position without a seat belt, making their vehicle a missile that endangers others. A motorcycle helmet protects nobody but the rider.

[NachtRitter]

Originally Posted by ShadeTreeMech

While this may have evolved into a rather spirited debate, being able to weight the pros and cons of helmet wearing is relevant to riding a motorcycle/scooter, and I hope there may be someone who is undecided that reads this thread, wears a helmet, and manages to survive an accident (or even just a spill) by doing so.

I don't believe that was the OP's intent. At least, it wasn't stated as such.

Haven't seen any con arguments, so we're done, right?