Helmets required where you live?

[kevin-vic-b.c.]

What about your insurance companies? What do they say or do they have a say... insuring a person that wears a helmet and a person that does not cannot be the same liability in my eyes. Yes helmets are mandatory here, and our government is our insurance company as well for the most part.

If I crash my motorcycle and end up in hospital for days... weeks... months I do not get a bill to pay when I leave. I may not have a motorcycle anymore depending on "fault" I may or may not receive personal injury payout again due to fault, but I do not have to sell my first born and the house we live in to pay the bill because they say wear a helmet and I did.

 

Just wonder about the States and insurance.

[meach]

If Tn does do away with the helmet law you could probably rest assured that the NC HP would be lurking at the boarder to get them some easy money............... Fl is one of the staes the for somereason repeiled the law in like the 80's I guess. I was out of the state in the military back then.

 

If TN did do away with law it might be worth a trip up to Deals Gap just to watch and see what happens since Deals Gap MC Resort is in NC but go 1/4 mile or so toward where all the curves are and you're in TN. Haven't been up there in a while to recall if there is a marker/sign/etc. at the state line. Like you say would be some easy pickens to have a NC LEO sitting in the parking lot at Deals Gap. Over the years don't recall seeing any NC LEO, usually its TN state or county LEO's sitting along the TN road.

 

I was stationed at Eglin AFB in FL back in the 70's, had a Yammy DT250 I took everywhere but I don't recall If I wore a helmet or not. We'd haul several bikes in a trailer with a cooler of beer and spend all day out on the military reservation riding the back road/trails/etc. having a blast

 

Al, the guy I bought my RSV from in Jacksonville said MC are not required to have Insurance, here in GA its required just as a car is. FL does have that over 21 and at least 10K? I believe in insurance to ride without helmet.

[kyle]

Indiana no helmet law if endorsed, no endoesement have to wear helmet and no passengers. I prefer the gov. to stay off my bike, outta my car, outta my house, and the hell outta my dr.'s office.

[djh3]

Far as I know Fl requiers insurance on a bike. I think if your on a military installation your wearing a helmet. I know when I was in even though Oklahoma was an option state us on the base had to wear them.

[dacheedah]

Illinois no law, as I remember they were required in 73 when I got my license, I choose to wear it, it gives me a place to park my head. . .

[luke000]

My "opinion" is that most 18 year olds do not have the maturity to make good decisions regarding motorycycle riding.......... A typical 18 year old, either still in high school, or fresh out of high school, thinks the only way to ride is full throttle, and doing wheelies or stoppies. When Mommy and Daddy go out and buy their 18 year old son or daughter a Suzuki Hyabusa (sp), and the kid has no motorcycle endorsement, no helmet, no training, and then the kid kills themselves the next week, Mommy and Daddy want to blame the motorcycle industry and the helmet laws for not mandating that their kid should have had a helmet on. That is not fair to those that act responsibly, or educate the kids to know better.

 

(my favorite icon)

 

 

I am offended!!!! I wont start on a rant (and I could), BUT let me just say this, I had my endorsement a 16, I BOUGHT my first bike at 15, have BOUGHT 3 since then (the venture when I was 18 a month and a half ago), all with money I have made working. AND another thing I do ride responsibly, I only ride like a you know what when I am on my mountain bike on the trails (again BOUGHT )

 

Back on topic MI= no helmet law we repealed it last april. And yes this 19 year old does wear his helmet.

[Wade 2000]

 

I am offended!!!! I wont start on a rant (and I could), BUT let me just say this, I had my endorsement a 16, I BOUGHT my first bike at 15, have BOUGHT 3 since then (the venture when I was 18 a month and a half ago), all with money I have made working. AND another thing I do ride responsibly, I only ride like a you know what when I am on my mountain bike on the trails (again BOUGHT )

 

Back on topic MI= no helmet law we repealed it last april. And yes this 19 year old does wear his helmet.

 

This guy is definitely the exception that Miles was referring to:whistling:

[Ventureless]

Helmets required here in VA. I heard they were trying to get rid of the helmet law here as well. I usually wear one, but when we are on our yearly trips, if we hit a state that does not require a helmet, I pop it off. The way I see it is that the half helmet that I wear won't do much good anyway and while I am on my trips, I am out to enjoy it and get that "free feeling". So 100 miles through a state without a helmet is really nice once in a while.

[alwrmcusn]

My "two cents worth"

(somewhat tongue in cheek)

1. I believe that there should not be a mandated helmet law. A person of any age should be allowed to make that decision themselves.

2. Should a helmetless rider have an accident they should be denied medical attention and must seek medical help on their own, after all it was their decision.

[Yammer Dan]

My "two cents worth"

(somewhat tongue in cheek)

1. I believe that there should not be a mandated helmet law. A person of any age should be allowed to make that decision themselves.

2. Should a helmetless rider have an accident they should be denied medical attention and must seek medical help on their own, after all it was their decision.

 

No helmet law?? Improves the gene pool. Thats all.

[CaptainJoe]

WV has one, Ohio and Pa doesn't.

 

I always wear one...

well 99.99 % of the time.

Say, If I'm in Florida, in town doing 20-25 mph going to dinner. Even at those speeds I know I could be killed if hit by a car. So I rarely do it.

 

 

As far as it being a personal choice..

well, of course it is...

so is:

riding shirtless in shorts and barefooted(flipflops)... (this is in no way directed at Jeff)...

Smoking

Drinking

and Spitting in the wind...

 

I just personally don't believe they are "healthy choices"... IMHO

 

What I'd like to know is:

Of the states that allow helmetless riding, do the insurance companies ask if you wear a helmet?

And, do they charge more for those that don't?

 

Because you know that a person that dosent protect his head, is going to have more injuries than someone that doesn't. And that's been proven on this site way to many times...

Edited February 27, 2013 by CaptainJoe

[BigLenny]

Arkansas has no helmet law for over 21, however, my wife and I wear ours because I require it to get on my bike. I am responsible for mine, and even more importantly, my wife's life while we're riding, and imagining what life would be if my wife received a brain injury because we wanted to "feel the wind through our hair", well, ugh, I just don't want to imagine it.

 

Having said that, I do believe it's a personal choice. If you don't want to wear them, then don't.

[BigLenny]

Helmets required here in VA. I heard they were trying to get rid of the helmet law here as well. I usually wear one, but when we are on our yearly trips, if we hit a state that does not require a helmet, I pop it off. The way I see it is that the half helmet that I wear won't do much good anyway and while I am on my trips, I am out to enjoy it and get that "free feeling". So 100 miles through a state without a helmet is really nice once in a while.

 

Bumble Bee,

I know a guy that a few years back was on his way to work at about 5:00AM running 75mph on the freeway, and out of nowhere a dog ran out from behind a bridge railing and into his path and he hit it. He de-horsed the bike, and skidded down the freeway and he can't really remember what all happened after that, but from the injuries he received (broken collar bone, broke ribs, broken ankle, collapsed lung, road rash all over), he did some pretty violent tumbling and stuff. He spent several days in the hospital. The amazing thing about the accident is this; my cousin who works with him, went to visit him in the hospital, and he said the guys HJC half helmet he was wearing had highway scuffs and scrapes and gouges going every which way all over it. He said that several of the snaps across the front of the helmet were grounded down flat from sliding on the freeway. It was completely and very apparent that the half helmet, as minimal as it is, had saved his life.

 

So, I'm just saying, don't underestimate what event a half helmet can do.

 

A short while back, someone on here posted a video of a motorcycle police hitting a speed bump at speed, and de-horsing. It was a crazy scary looking thing, but after rewinding it several times and looking at it closely, the amazing thing to me is that even though it happens so fast on the video that you can't detect it at regular speed, when you slow the video down, you can see that his head actually slaps the pavement 3 times before he gets stopped rolling and sliding. He was wearing a half helmet and it saved him.

 

Go find it and check it out.

[Yamamike]

"I wear a helmet 99.314159 % of the time, because that is also where my headset is for listening to music or the CB. But...I also believe that the wearing of a helmet should be the individual riders' choice, if they are over the age of 21."

 

LMAO...I'd like to see the mathon this!!

[Cougar]

When I was younger I had a shoie (sp?) full face and went down at 65 mph

arched my back and when all said and done with holes in my side and shoulders.

 

The Helmet had a baseball size hole in the back of the helmet from sliding on it so far. the ER DOC said oh boy your one of the LUCKY one's !!

[PBJ]

I've been wearing a full face helmet for 30 of my 35 years. wore a 3/4 for a day on my Honda sabre and was scared to death dodging bugs and stones on the expressway. Every time I hear a stone bounce off my helmet or face shield I am glad i have it on.

[RedRider]

By law, a helmet is required in WI for those under 18 only. However, where I live, a helmet is required to ride 100% of the time. The bikes are in my name and if one of the boys is caught riding without, his bike gets sold. No ifs, ands, or buts.

 

I've never had a problem with any of them. We got good helmets that FIT.

 

Now I need to work on the footwear.

 

I've turned into an ATGATT Nazi.

 

RR

[Phoneman1981]

Hello: As mentioned earlier, Nebraska has a helmet law. Neighboring states of Wyoming, South Dakota and Colorado do not. I am all for having a choice, however I have been on the pavement once in my life, and speak from experience that I am glad I was wearing a helmet at the time.

[kevin-vic-b.c.]

By law, a helmet is required in WI for those under 18 only. However, where I live, a helmet is required to ride 100% of the time. The bikes are in my name and if one of the boys is caught riding without, his bike gets sold. No ifs, ands, or buts.

 

I've never had a problem with any of them. We got good helmets that FIT.

 

Now I need to work on the footwear.

 

I've turned into an ATGATT Nazi.

 

RR

 

RR, I had to pick my big Brother up from the ER last summer after he took "a minor fall" in his words... imagine a 300+ lb man on a 500cc Suzuki (stupid to start) doing 40 mph hitting the ground. He had full face helmet... destroyed and ground down.... Joe Rocket jacket worn though the elbows and the back, holes in HIS elbows to the bone, knees through his jeans the same as elbows, his BMW duel sport riding boots wore the metal slider pads and most of the buckles off.

That is just at 40 mph! AGATT..... yup it is a personal choice.... every time I think about getting on one of the bikes in Jeans I think of big brother in the ER, closest I have been to throwing up in a long time ..... my choice.