Should 50ccs and peds be exempt from the helmet law?

[Whosthedaddy]

I recently had a moment when out and about

Spotted a beautiful Busa parked in the distance, as I walked closer, the rider fired it up and started to move forward with no lid on. As the bike was parked in the middle of walkway in the town, I thought that he would the put his lid on when he bounced down onto the road, but no.

I realised that he was a wheelchair user and had a side car.

A few blips of the throttle and off he rode.

I then had the moment that maybe he is classed as a trike.

Does a side car consitute a 'trike'? I thought that it was nt and even the side car users had to wear a lid?

So no lids for quads and trikes, does this mean that they are much safer and hence no need for head protection?

No lids for religeous reasons eg turbans and the like

Horse riders dont have to wear a helmet, cyclists dont have to wear approved lids.

Horses and cyclists can go as fast as some small cc bikes (around 30mph). Should the law reagrding wearing a helmet be relaxed if you have a small, limited top speed bike / ped?

I know that a fall at 2mph can be fatel and a spill at 70mph may not cause a single injury to the rider, what are your views?

In a much bigger debate, should helmets be optional as is all the other protective gear?
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Current : MSX 125 Past : CBR 900RR Monkeybike : c50 LAC : ZXR750 H2 : FZR600 : ZX7R P3 : YW100 : TRX850: Trophy 900 T309 : GSXR 600 L0: Monkeybike : XJ6S Whosthedaddy

[TheShaggyDA]

I believe helmets should be a choice, but in reality there's no way that the law on that is going to be reversed. I do think that the most basic 50s, like autocycles, Puch Maxiesque, etc. shouldn't require tax, insurance or helmets and should be allowed to be ridden by 14 year olds. "Race rep" 50s and chavvy scooters that inevitably get bigbored and powerbands fitted should require tax, insurance and helmets.
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[i:6e3bfc7581]But still I fear and still I dare not laugh at the madman...[/i:6e3bfc7581]

[.....]

I think there should be no laws regarding helmet use. I'd still wear one 100% of the time.

[h00dwink]

[The View Askew]

Despite the law in whatever country/state I am in, I will always wear a helmet and gloves, those are my essentials.

I beleive that 50cc riders are the most potent causes of accidents in my area and that they should keep it as it is and make sure they wear a helmet gloves of course are best left to choice.
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"Do what you always did, get what you always got"

[Kickstart]

Hi

Sidecar passengers do not need to wear a helmet. Riders of a bike with a sidecar attached do need a helmet. Quite how that works out for the rider being in the sidecar I do not know.

Personally I am against the compulsory wearing of helmets (although I also have no great wish to ride without one).

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[map]

[h00dwink]

the other problematic part with it would be as you can imagine, the ped boi's. you know how the only piece of safety equipment they wear whilst riding around like the twunts they are is just the helmet.
darwinism yes, still not a good thing though.
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[MarJay]

I think it should be compulsory for anyone under the age of 21, as they are the ones who seem to do the most foolish things on motorcycles!!

Maybe we should say that if you've been riding for more than five years then you can get away without wearing a helmet, but I can't see that being enforceable.
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[froggeh]

I have nothing wrong with the law making us wear a helmet.

But I guess if it didn't at least Darwin would have a say.

But then I would feel sorry for the poor paramedics.

Anyone who chooses not to IMO is a complete fool.

[Pete.]

Whilst I believe that each person has the right to choose their own path in life including how to protect themselves from harm, I think that the helmet law is a thoroughly sensible one. There is no part of the body that is more prone to serious harm or plays a more vital role than the head.

Since there is a law, I would say that since ped/scooter/moped riders are on average the lesser experienced and are used more in dense traffic than larger bikes the helmet is actually more of a necessity.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[KTM Gordo]

[Whosthedaddy]

[scoota bk]

In their standard form they ARE mopeds?

[froggeh]

[map]

[nick606]

[Fahd]

If it wasn't for me wearing a helmet when I crashed my RS50, I'd probably have half my face missing, answer enough for you?

[Pte1643]

[JakeyR]

I think the law regarding helmets being compulsary is spot on.

With so many bikes being stolen, and the introduction of chinese bikes people can readily get a bike for £200 and ride it illegally, no helmet, no insurance etc, when you see someone on a ped (usually a ped or a stolen pit bike/crosser) with no lid, you can tell the bike is most probably stolen, therefore giving more chance of the theives getting caught, but if helmets were not compulsary, you would not be able to tell which bikes are stolen and which arn't, thats just one of many downsides!

PS: plus, lids hide my ugly mug

[Racheldawn]

I have had similar thoughts to this recently. I see a lot of cyclists with no helmets on and really cant understand why. Even if it isnt compulsary, wouldnt you wear one anyway to protect yourself? I always wore my helmet (as silly as I looked ) while on my bike, even over the Chase. But the people I see are mostly adults on busy roads to and from work. Would have thought they'd know better.

[spike_Alike]

There is no way I'd ride my 50 with no helmet. If I come off, I'd lose my precious face! And since they don't offer replacement faces (I'd have got one at birth otherwise! ) I'd keep my lid on.

[Stiffler]

About 4 years ago I hired a clutchless Geared 125 Honda (Wave I think?) in Thailand. I drove about for a couple of days with a pillion, neither of us wearing a helmet... I never went over 45, But when I think back now, I can't believe how crazy I must have been! I'd never even been on a motorbike or scooter before in my life. There I was riding about with a passenger, in a foreign country, and no helmets. Normally I won't even go out on my bicycle without a helmet.

It's all well and good not using a helmet, but if you fall or get knocked off and sustain a head impact it doesn't matter what bike you're riding, you are at risk. 30mph is more than fast enough to cause significant damage.

The question I suppose is should this choice be imposed upon us, or should we be free to make our own decisions about our fate? There are arguments for and against both sides. The fact the law plays on the side of caution is probably for the best. After all, look at the recent thread about the three teenagers on a bike without helmets... They made their mistakes, unfortunately for them, there was never a chance to learn from them.

We were all young and stupid once, some of us still are... I like to think the law gives us the best chance in life.
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[froggeh]

[spike_Alike]