ChipDoc
Sport Tourer
This topic really deserves its own thread...
In a lot of ways this all boils down to money. I think wearing a helmet is important, but it sure doesn't keep you from being involved in an accident. But if I'm in an accident in a cage, I can take a pretty serious hit and still limp away. Even in accidents which look like fatalities, a fair number of people do survive, albeit with certain deficits afterwards.
But a lot of us who are in serious motorcycle accidents simply die. We don't linger on and become a drain on society. The Law doesn't really care how bad your mom feels; The Law cares about how much long-term care is going to cost after your insurance is used up. Actuarial tables maintained by the insurance companies show that most of us don't linger in a vegetative state after a motorcycle accident - helmet or no helmet. We either heal up or we shuffle off this mortal coil fairly quickly. That's one of the big reasons why motorcycle insurance is so much cheaper than auto insurance.
So while I have a lot of sympathy for those who are left behind, that's not the point here. The point is that motorcycle accidents cost society fewer dollars on average than automobile accidents. We're a lot cheaper to care for than those who linger for months between life and death.
And I really do feel that helmets should be a choice, not The Law. And I do choose to wear mine.
Camper Dave said:Ranger Jim said:I'm going to go off topic because ChipDoc pushed one of my buttons (which is okay and should be encouraged) when he said, "Not wearing a helmet hurts nobody but yourself." That is true ONLY when: (1) You have NO familly members (mom, dad, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, cousin, wife, daughter, son, etc). (2) You have NO friends. If you fall into that circumstance, you're right; you hurt no one but yourself. I always wear a helmet but I do not condemn those who make the choice not to but, those who choose not to wear a helmet should never imagine they will hurt only themselves. Off the soapbox now and returning you to the original thread.
Well, I was hoping this topic would just fizzle out...but since someone brought it back to life....
I'm sorry Jim but don't kid yourself either... You take almost the same risk throwing a leg over your motorcycle. If (God forbid) you were to get into a fatal motorcycle accident, do you think your family and friends are going to take comfort in the thought that you wore a helmet?
In a lot of ways this all boils down to money. I think wearing a helmet is important, but it sure doesn't keep you from being involved in an accident. But if I'm in an accident in a cage, I can take a pretty serious hit and still limp away. Even in accidents which look like fatalities, a fair number of people do survive, albeit with certain deficits afterwards.
But a lot of us who are in serious motorcycle accidents simply die. We don't linger on and become a drain on society. The Law doesn't really care how bad your mom feels; The Law cares about how much long-term care is going to cost after your insurance is used up. Actuarial tables maintained by the insurance companies show that most of us don't linger in a vegetative state after a motorcycle accident - helmet or no helmet. We either heal up or we shuffle off this mortal coil fairly quickly. That's one of the big reasons why motorcycle insurance is so much cheaper than auto insurance.
So while I have a lot of sympathy for those who are left behind, that's not the point here. The point is that motorcycle accidents cost society fewer dollars on average than automobile accidents. We're a lot cheaper to care for than those who linger for months between life and death.
And I really do feel that helmets should be a choice, not The Law. And I do choose to wear mine.