Biker dies helmet-less during helmet law protest ride

[Dents]

I hate to hear about anyone that gets injured in a moto accident.  Unfortunately helmet or no helmet the argument can be made that we are all idiots for riding a motorcycle.  We put our life on the line everyday we go on the road to feel that sense of exhilaration and freedom.  I wear my helmet 99% of the time but I'll tell you there is nothing like cruising along at 40 mph on an empty country side road at 6:00 am to make your soul feel freer.  I wear my helmet by choice and I don't want anyone making that decision for me.  I like the idea of protesting the helmet law while wearing one.

[kopfjäger]

People die everyday

[red baron]

People die everyday

Some just try harder than others.

Sad for his family and the other riders that had to witness it.

I agree that it's nice to have the choice NOT made for me. Some are just too ignorant to do so on their own.

[scduc]

I don't really care if there is a law requiring helmets. I wear mine religiously. 1 because I cant stand the wind noise and drying of my eyes. 2 because I've gone down before and hit my head on a car fender. Without the helmet, I'd probably be   well lets just say I might not be the same. I do however have a problem with the government saying that we must protect ourselves. I do understand the whole financial aspect. I don't want to pay for some idiots medical bills because he wants to be free. Stats don't lye. RIP rider, but remember, you put yourself there.

[tilt]

I dont always where a helmet around town (small town),  but on anything outside of that I do.  What really scares me though is lane-splitting, the few times I have done it I was puckered up.  Some idiot makes a slight adjustment while texting and your pretty much history.

[fastwin]

Texas had a helmet law for years. Then it was repealed after some bike rider pressure. I was shocked. How often does a law like that get reversed by a state legislature? Ever see them repealing a seat belt law? I just always figured that a bunch of people in the Texas legislature hated motorcycle riders and by repealing the helmet law it would quicken their demise. Like the dinosaurs. There certainly wasn't a riders group that powerful to pressure them to overturn the law. Had to be something else... I like my conspiracy theory.

[RBX QB]

...  What really scares me though is lane-splitting, the few times I have done it I was puckered up.  Some idiot makes a slight adjustment while texting and your pretty much history.

Helmet is law here (tho I'd wear one regardless), but splitting scares me, too. I'd have to be in a situation I can't imagine to actively split in traffic. Tho, I can see a difference in splitting stop and go vs splitting moving traffic. I'd never attempt the latter.

[duccarlos]

What everyone else has said. It's sad, but it's his decision. I wear mine or I don't ride, but that is my choice.

I'm very big on applying laws for motor vehicles. If cars can't lane split, then motorcycles should not either. In Florida they attempted to pass a law that they could confiscate your bike if we were caught going over 30 of the posted limit. If it doesn't apply to a car...

In the same fashion, will they force us to use helmets while we drive our cars? It's safer. As you can tell, I'm very conflicted.

[justinrhenry]

I'm all for less laws.  Riding without a helmet and gear is make the beast with two backsing stupid, but it should be up to the individual.  I still want to have the right to choose for myself.  If this guy were alive I'm sure he would be pissed at himself for proving someone else's point. 

[pennyrobber]

Last 3 states I have lived in haven't had helmet laws. My favorite is when I see sport bike riders with the mesh riding jacket and no helmet.

I will do short test rides around the neighborhood after maintenance work with no helmet but I feel pretty vulnerable. Getting hit by a car (wearing only a helmet and gloves) changed my prospective completely. I had more injuries than necessary but less than I could have had.

[DucNaked]

"...There are many things that we can point to that proof that the human being is not smart. The helmet is my personal favorite. The fact that we had to invent the helmet. Now why did we invent the helmet? Well, because we were participating in many activities that were cracking our heads. We looked at the situation. We chose not to avoid these activities, but to just make little plastic hats so that we can continue our head-cracking lifestyles.
The only thing dumber than the helmet is the helmet law, the point of which is to protect a brain that is functioning so poorly, it's not even trying to stop the cracking of the head that it's in..."
Jerry Sienfeld

[fastwin]

  Good one!

[Ddan]

I also disagree with the govt. mandating things like seat belts and helmets, but I still don't want to have to pay for someone else 'lifestyle' choices.  Why couldn't you get a different colored sticker when you register your bike to differentiate between those who wear helmets and those who have payed an increased insurance premium for the increased risk of riding without protection.

[fastwin]

On a different note, is that the beautiful Ms. Bacall in your avatar?

Back to helmet-less biker dies...

[redxblack]

I can't go along with the no-helmet-law vibe presented here simply because it's already regulated. You need an endorsement to legally ride, you need insurance and you need to register your bike. Unless all of those are bunk as well, a helmet is perfectly consistent with those other three mandates.