Wow, this thread has gotten an enormous amount of attention and rightly so. One thing I have to say is that everyone should be able to easily and firmly get their point across without name calling. I do not agree with some of the responses, the wrong ones, but I'm not going to start a fight over it. Please be kind to others on the forum.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Wind in my hair and Bugs in my TEETh....

or tooth if your from the south (just kidding)

later,
skinns

 

i wear my helmet when i go ridin because i feel better and it would hurt alot less if i crash if i had my helmet on. i think when sombody don't wear a helmet they look pretty stupid.

 

I agree

 

Just like everyone else, I always wear a helmet while riding trails and on rallys or longer drives. I dont wear a helmet going across town, around my back yard, or going to a friends house.... It all just depends on my mood and if I remember to put it on.....

 

I used street bikes for comparison because it is the same argument on the street bike scene. A helmet is a helmet if ya want to wear one fine ..I'll not gonna tell ya your doing something wrong ... BUT if I, A grown American biker + atver with over 30 years experince want to ride with or with out one it ought to be MY choice! Wear them Don't wear them, I think thats YOUR choice just don't push your point of veiw on ME!

 

no not really... it isn't the same argument. Off road has a different set of possibilities when it comes to hazards. I generally do not have trees jumping in front of me, nor do I have to duck low branches etc. Then there are the ruts, water holes that suck you in too. I agree, there are hazards on the street too. Now if everyone were to drive responsibly, then there would be no need, but the numbers on both sides (Street vs Off road) indicate that in most cases, if you put gasoline with an engine on a vehicle, and place one human on it, they will 1)ride over their heads, 2) go to fast for conditions 3) show off 4) all of the above... and they get hurt. Most times they walk away to ride again another day... but, and this is important... statistically, using safety gear does reduce the chances of serious injury. You can stand there and deny that all you want... the statistics are there. Now you have the choice to choose to wear or not wear.. I didn't suggest you had otherwise... but I do take issue when persons like yourself suggest what I like to call the bully argument... that no matter what, you are not going to beleive it and will not wear one no matter what. Hey more power to you... but I do not want your argument to be read by some and give them the impression that it is OK and normal.

Speaking of statistics, they are the things lawmakers and insurance companies use to make laws and limit risks. It never fails that someone who yells at the blood sucking insurance companies for the rising rates are the same people that refuse to take what I would consider to be prudent safety precautions. They would rather lay in a hospital bed or lay around the house collecting their checks from those same insurance companies they despise. If for no other reason, I preach because I want my insurance rates to go down... and I don't want to see our elected officials get involved any more than they already are... All you have to do is look at the number of "Public" areas that are being closed to us to figure that one out.

You want examples? Just look at the personal watercraft market right now... with the popularity of the machines, they started popping up on every pond big enough to float a rowboat, and now they are being banned left and right.... Why? because the riders acted like idiots, and make a general nuicience of themselves. And when people get p-off, they contact their elected official to do something about it... and they pass laws and ordinances to eliminate the nuiscience.... It is all relative. They don't like helmets either, but the statistics show that a lot of them are getting killed that some hotshot doctors say they could have saved if they had been wearing one....

But speaking of riding in general, street dirt, water it makes no difference... usually the first thing out of the news reporters mouth is "they were not wearing a helmet... and in a car... a seatbelt"

 

The only time I dont wear a helmet is if im just putting around the yard other than that it always on.
I saw first hand what will happen to someone if they dont wear a helmet, its not pretty.

RoughRider01

 

ShastaDog...and all the rest of the non-helmet wearers....

Street or dirt, if you do not wear a helmet you should be required to have insurance covering your medical and rehabilitation expenses as a NON-HELMETED RIDER.

Why should the rest of us have to pay for your arrogance?

 

14mins, have you had one too many concussions from not wearing that helmet!! This is about as stupid a post as you started the other day when you asked if 12 years old is too young to let ride unsupervised!! Wear a helmet at least for your wife and kid(s) if not for yourself. Be the adult and act like one and set a good example!