Safe Riding: A Lesson On Helmet Value Learned In Class - Ride CT & Ride New England
By Steve Smith / NAUGATUCK, CT - It happened during a Basic Rider Course that I was teaching maybe 2
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Have you changed someone's mind to wear a helmet? Tell your story...
- Thread starter S Smith
- Start date
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Good reminder as many in NAM are just starting or soon will be starting the riding season. The student was lucky that he was wearing any helmet and that only by dumb-luck or fate (not skill, not planning, not response time, reflexes or action) that when he did go down he did not hit his exposed face. If he went down the same way the full face helmet rider did (in the damaged helmet shown) he would not have gotten back on the bike that day.Safe Riding: A Lesson On Helmet Value Learned In Class - Ride CT & Ride New England
By Steve Smith / NAUGATUCK, CT - It happened during a Basic Rider Course that I was teaching maybe 2
April of 2022 a few COG members and I aided a fellow rider who went down face first, right in front of us, wearing a half face helmet (probably not much different in design than the student this article) I think the naming of that helmet is a horribly true, painful and life altering pun as to the predictable likely result when there is an accident and was definitely so for the rider we assisted.
Personal choice of course, however know when the chips are down (and one day they will be in the worst way, it’s a matter of when not if) - there is no personal protection action you can take to prevent injury to your chin, nose, cheeks, teeth, or any other part of your exposed face or your head other than to have already be wearing a helmet that fits properly is strapped and covers all from the neck up. Also note when you go over those handlebars that windshield edge is a samurai sword.
I hope the rider we assisted changed his mind about wearing a half faced helmet - I do know that all who were with me that day will continue to influence others as I do.
Thanks Steve again for posting this reminder!
Wayne, Carol & Blue
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True story:
Back in my twenty when I began my riding I promised my mother I would wear a helmet. So I went down to my local K-mart and picked up a blue metal flaked open helmet that had the snap on windscreen. (See where this is going yet). So while out for a spin I'm doing 40 in the 35 when a dodge omni (showing my age again) makes a right hand turn and pulls out in front of me. Now being a newbie, with no formal training I panicked and grabbed all the brakes on a '78 yamaha 500 and locked them up! While feeling the rear end starting to come around I managed to release the rear and straighten out just in time to line up the dead center of that Omni 's rear bumper. IMPACT! And as the NFL announcers would say, 'he split the uprights, the kick is good!'
Thru the handlebars I fly hitting the Omni rear hatch roofline perfectly with my helmet with detachable windscreen (are we feeling my pain yet). Somehow i.managed to hold on and the car comes to a stop, and the driver hops out OMG'ing me. And as I respond with a what the F, I realize I don't have my top front teeth....yep busted them in half exposing the nerves.
In hindsight with training I could/woulda/shoulda swerved around the Omni and my smile would have remained intact. But....thanks to the navy it worked out painfully ok. (I was air national guard at the time and nearest base with dental was a navy base).
Never had an open face helmet after that...!!
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Back in my twenty when I began my riding I promised my mother I would wear a helmet. So I went down to my local K-mart and picked up a blue metal flaked open helmet that had the snap on windscreen. (See where this is going yet). So while out for a spin I'm doing 40 in the 35 when a dodge omni (showing my age again) makes a right hand turn and pulls out in front of me. Now being a newbie, with no formal training I panicked and grabbed all the brakes on a '78 yamaha 500 and locked them up! While feeling the rear end starting to come around I managed to release the rear and straighten out just in time to line up the dead center of that Omni 's rear bumper. IMPACT! And as the NFL announcers would say, 'he split the uprights, the kick is good!'
Thru the handlebars I fly hitting the Omni rear hatch roofline perfectly with my helmet with detachable windscreen (are we feeling my pain yet). Somehow i.managed to hold on and the car comes to a stop, and the driver hops out OMG'ing me. And as I respond with a what the F, I realize I don't have my top front teeth....yep busted them in half exposing the nerves.
In hindsight with training I could/woulda/shoulda swerved around the Omni and my smile would have remained intact. But....thanks to the navy it worked out painfully ok. (I was air national guard at the time and nearest base with dental was a navy base).
Never had an open face helmet after that...!!
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Good read Steve. Thanks for sharing. I was reminded of the rock I took to the helmet temple area not long ago. I never saw it but I sure felt it glance off. Then there was the golf ball sized star that “appeared” on my Goldwing windshield one day at face height. No idea what it was that hit me. I’ll bet anyone who rides much has similar stories.
Yes, well . . . . to wear different kind of helmet at least, and it wasn't really me that did the convincing.
My wife rode as a passenger for years and loved the idea of a modular rather than a FF that I tried to insist on. Even quoted the stat that up to 80-90% of head injuries in a MC accident are to the face and jaw. You probably already know who won that argument!
Fast forward to her wanting to learn to ride and she's at the MSF course.
They were at the end of formal instruction just before they were going to do final range testing. Course was opened up to practice. It had sprinkled a bit so she flipped the modular open and started practicing - which is all at low speeds.
She missed a marker and grabbed the front brake while turning. Low sided at almost a complete stop and slammed down on her palms and face.
Broke her nose and a bone in her hand (unknown to her at the time). The main instructor, a long time riding veteran was right there to help her up and said "Oh honey, I think you broke your nose".
I showed up to view testing and heard what happened. She was bummed at being hurt and at now having to take the entire 2.5 day class all over. I asked her what she had to lose to give the test a whirl? She's a tough cookie and decided to take the test, passing with flying colors. The other students were rooting for her which bumped her spirits big time, including cheering for her at certificate presentation with a swollen nose and eyes beginning to blacken.
After a day or so the hand kept hurting worse so off for an Xray. The splint was on and we went helmet shopping and she agreed to a FF that she still wears. The modular is gone.
Yupper - Forgot about this, on one of our many trips down the BRP to Smokey Mtn NP region we pulled over for a pic and a drink of water, it was oppressively hot. The after taking off my wife left her visor open.. Well 40-50 mph traveling speed and 40-50 mph oncoming traffic speed resulted in a dime sized rock smacking her in the cheekbone with a good amount of force.
She was really thrown off her game and wanted to get her helmet off right now (thought she was stung by a bee), I had her compose so we could pull over safely and then we removed helmet and found the rock and assessed her immediately swelling face and black eye.
We stopped at a local motel off the BRP to get some ice and control the pain/ swelling and reassess if any care was needed beyond basic first aid. Ice, 30 mins, little laughing and we were on our way.
Funny thing - we walked into that motel entrance and the owner and local sheriff were comparing their new handguns, actions and draw - lol. First thought was, oh what did we just walk in to…
Moral of story we try to maintain closed shields as much as possible now
. Wayne, Carol & Blue
No, never changed anybody's mind about anything, and never tried, as people are going to do what they are going to do on their own, and, as we see, we learn on our own, usually the hard way, pain is a great incentive.
We all take risks, myself included, so, I can't point my finger at anyone here, I wear a vintage style helmet and goggles on the Triumph.
We all take risks, myself included, so, I can't point my finger at anyone here, I wear a vintage style helmet and goggles on the Triumph.
I appreciate the freedom to choose rather than mandates requiring helmet use. I rode for 30 plus years mostly always wearing a full face helmet but occasionally riding locally without a helmet. I never had any issues and got away with it. Then 3 years ago we had a high side - both of us wearing full faced helmets had a few abrasions and broken bones - but no head injuries. Both helmets got deeply abraded and that convinced me. Now I never ride without a helmet.
Helmets is a easy one. If they don't understand the concept of protecting the most important organ in your body, they definitely will not understand the value in wearing a helmet. It's too complicated for their feeble brain. Instead of helmet laws, some countries try to make it too expensive to ride a motorcycle with outrageous licensing fees, high insurance rates and other financially punitive measures because they consider motorcycles even with safety gear "unsafe." We are not there yet, but let the negative stats like major head trauma start to pile up and our favorite pastime will be next on the progressive hit list. They already hate the engine!
I am of the opinion that the anti-helmet crowd should be allowed to do whatever they want. And if their "choice" should make them a burden on society, we (the taxpayers) should have the right to switch off their life support because that is our response to their choice. Be as free as you like until it impacts others, and that's where your "freedom" should end. The same applies to loud pipes.
Seems harsh, but that's the reality of making dangerous choices without proper preparations. If you want to race, rock climb, skydive, or participate in any other high risk pursuit you should be well insured or be sitting on a pile of cash in the bank to take care of you incase things don't go as planned....... if not, I don't see why others should be responsible for changing your diapers until your body dies because you were too dim, proud, or arrogant to protect your melon.
I am of the opinion that the anti-helmet crowd should be allowed to do whatever they want. And if their "choice" should make them a burden on society, we (the taxpayers) should have the right to switch off their life support because that is our response to their choice. Be as free as you like until it impacts others, and that's where your "freedom" should end. The same applies to loud pipes.
Seems harsh, but that's the reality of making dangerous choices without proper preparations. If you want to race, rock climb, skydive, or participate in any other high risk pursuit you should be well insured or be sitting on a pile of cash in the bank to take care of you incase things don't go as planned....... if not, I don't see why others should be responsible for changing your diapers until your body dies because you were too dim, proud, or arrogant to protect your melon.
Glad you're ok. I've never been down on a street bike (no wood around - knocking on my head), but I can only imagine. Dirt bikes is another story and most of my dirt riding, late 60's into the 70's did not involve a helmet at all!! Much less any riding gear, "that's what the pros wore because they could afford it!" We were 10 feet tall and bulletproof in those days - plus we knew how to fall I guess LOL. I'm surprised I can still speak at 61 I went down so many times offroad. Mostly bumps and bruises, but still.....
Sharkfuel, I've been saying essentially that for years now. I said for them to be of sound mind and have a witness of them sign a paper/agreement/contract much like a will to that effect. But, then again, where does it stop right. We'll be asking them to sign off on not wearing neck braces, leg protectors, windshields, non-factory anything, Gov't approved gloves, boots, insurance etc...
You're not wrong gents. The simple answer is wear an helmet and stop pouting about it. Most bikers are so ugly, a full face helmet would only improve their appearance anyway......