Was a time, here anyway, when you did not have to wear a helmet, now compulsory (for years).
Apart from the safety aspect, which I endorse by the way. I could not see myself going back to not wearing one, years of bugs, stones, rain & cigarette butts in the eyes & face. even at a reasonable speed, wind in the face gets a little annoying after a while as well as wind noise.

 

I wear a helmet and always will wear a helmet on the road (didn't wear one when moving my bike up in line at the Honda Service Center).

I don't like laws that are meant to protect me from myself. I feel, if I am dumb enough not to wear a helmet, then I should be allowed to remove myself from the gene pool. I DO believe in laws that protect you from others. So to Jules' point the mental anguish caused on others does shake my view on this a little bit. Unfortunately, nothing is ever black and white. EDIT: (I do feel, that people under 18 (hell even 21) should be required to wear a helmet. )

2006 PA Crash Facts and Statistics Book (link) for "Crashes by Motorvehicle Type" (link) show the following stats that of the 4,378 motorcycle accidents in PA, 187 were fatal. Of that 187, 99 were wearing helmets and 84 were not. Now this is very subjective information and doesn't mention how many motorcyclists in PA actually wear helmets. If the answer to that is 75% wear helmets, then this would show that helmets saved more than not. Whereas if it was 50% wore helmets, then it would reflect that there is no real difference. Another thing to note, there were 2,539 total accidents wear the rider was helmeted and 1653 where they were not. This could reflect multiple things...less experienced riders tend to wear helmets, a larger percentage of riders are helmeted or it could say, non-helmeted riders ride safer with out that perception of being safer if they were wearing a helmet. Who really knows. These types of stats really don't say much. It depends on how you interpret them, but I can guarantee you, that they were used to modify the helmet law in PA.

 

PA law is a pretty good happy medium for most people....basically you have a ride witha helmet if you arepassenger or"driver"under a certain age, or have your permit, or have had your license less then 2 years..... I can't recall 100% but I think maybe the age is 21.

I see morons all the time riding around with out helmets and it always seems to be your cruiser POS types way more then the sport bikes....

Here in NJ tho...helmets are a must for everybody...I personnally love my gear and so do all my friends who ride...we all wear it whatever state we wander into..

 

While I think helmets (and seat belts) are simple and effective safety devices that everyone should wear I don't need or want someone telling me what I can and cannot do. To me it would seem like telling people they have to get a high school or college diploma (and then making it affordable blah blah).
Everyone knows they are going its only going to benefit you but not everyone wants to do it. Nothing wrong with that and it comes down to a personal choice.

 

Even if there were no helmet law in NY, I would still wear one. I have a responsibility to myself to protect myself enabling me to enjoy the sense of security.

 

I don't like the idea of the 'nanny state' protecting us from ourselves, and there are more people than you may realize who would just as soon outlaw motorcycles entirely, because they perceive them as unacceptably dangerous. But there's also something to the idea that society as a whole pays a cost when someone who was formerly a productive member of society instead ends up in a vegetative coma, racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars of medical expenses.

I'd be OK with mandatory safety instruction, and graduated licenses. It's ridiculous that anyone who can sign for a loan can ride out of a dealership with a 150+ hp, 400 lb sportbike no questions asked, regardless of whether he's remotely competent to handle it. There are too many squids leaving their body parts all over the highway.

 

I believe in wearing gear yes. I dont think its the govts (state or federals) place to tell me to wear it or my seltbelt for that matter. If I want to be stupid n not wear protection, then by god I should be able to do just that.

 

I support choice, I don't agree with someone telling me what I have to do to protect myself. Just like the seatbelt law, all it is there to do is give the police a reason to ticket you for more revenue for them. With that said, I always wear my helmet, unless I'm pulling my bike from out back to the front of my house, don't go fast enough to do any damage to myself or the bike if it fell. I don't have a choice here in MI, it's the law, but I don't agree with it. Personal choice should be one of our basic freedoms, but of course the government thinks they know what's best for you!
I don't even feel right riding without a helmet and see some people even on the highway with just a t-shirt & no helmet (in ohio) and can't believe them, but hey, it's they're personal choice. I have thought about all the people that could be emotionally damaged by my death, or the families of someone else, but that is their choice!No one else willbe physically hurt by an individual not wearing a helmet and wrecking and personally I don't think emotions should be considered in any type of laws. Just takes away another freedom, that of choice.
Just my opinion...

 

I agree completely:

Other things that should be legal.

Heroin.
Beastiality.
Home Loans without sufficient income.
That little doohicky that changes red lights to green.

 

OMG!! watch out!! ..Fish is on a roll today!! ..lol

Jules