No helmet law in the likes of America

[Jayy]

We all know Americans are fuck wits and in some (if not most?) states, they don't legally have to wear a lid, which in my view makes them a helmet if they don't.

Question is, imagine for a second that they did the same here (will never happen) but would you do it?

[cb1rocket]

I actually feel safer riding with a helmet than no helmet, ok i have ridden bikes up to 40mph with no helmet but it does get a bit unpleasant

[Kickstart]

Hi

If the helmet law was repealed I would still use one most of the time. But there are times I wouldn't bother.

Wonder how many would do without a seat belt if that law was repealed. No seat belt was perfectly normal 30 years ago.

All the best

Keith
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[Jayy]

It feels wrong riding without gloves on, nevermind a helmet.

[Kickstart]

Hi

Riding at low speed without gloves feels way worse than without a lid to me.

All the best

Keith
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[cb1rocket]

gloves for me all the time regardless of speed

[Nai]

They are f****tts because they take the responsibility to make their own decisions on their own safety?

Hot diggedy damn! Call the EU and MAKE them have helmets, hi vis, ABS, and other things that EU safety panel can think of!

>.>

[cb1rocket]

[Nai]

On a serious note, given the choice, I would always wear a helmet, gloves, jeans, boots and textile armored jacket. But I certainly would want to be able to make the choice.

[fatpies]

[blurredman]

Helmet for long journies, no helmet for short.

I like America for standing up for what is their right, and I stand by them for what they have that we seem not to. Or at least, they think they have.

What sense does a country (ours) have, to force you to wear a helmet that only serves a purpose to protect yourself, and yet legalise suicide at the same time!


I often think about arguing that I'm a Muslim and going out in a Berret as my choice of headwear. Sunglasses optional

And if I can't get away with that, I'd argue the £30 fine in court.

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[johnsmith222]

full face helmet for me, but I am 100% anti-helmet laws.

Nothing is more ridiculous than giving someone a fine for risking their own head.

[Paulington]

I would love to be able to hop on the bike and pop to the shops without a helmet on in the summer, would be nice.

Basically what others have said, for a 1-2 minute journey it would be nice, pretty much exclusively in summer, to have the wind in my hair rather than be in a stuffy helmet.

However I doubt this law will ever be changed to the wearing of helmets being optional, England as a country just loves to control what we can and can't do because we're obviously not capable to make the decisions ourselves. .
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[Shaft]

[Llama-Farmer]

100% of the time I'd wear a helmet and gloves. I've cut my hands pretty bad a few times walking home from nights out and socials at uni (copious amounts of alcohol cause me to trip over imaginary objects), coming off at 20 or 30 will shred the hands to the bone.

I've also seen someone killed in a fight outside a bar... went down with the first punch and hit his head on the edge of the kerb, depressed skull fracture and massive brain injury, never regained consciousness and died in hospital the next day. He didn't hit the ground all that hard, about the same if you stopped on a bike but didn't put your feet down and fell over. Doesn't take much force if you hit the right (or wrong) part on something like a kerb.


In the UK, we have the NHS, and they shouldn't be forking out for people who injure themselves riding due to not wearing the correct protective equipment. America is different, they pay for their own health insurance, and if they don't, they don't get treatment. So yeah I don't disagree with helmet laws in this country, but I don't disagree with America's policy either, purely because the circumstances are different.


I just don't think it's worth the risk, which is why, as well as helmet and gloves, I'll also always wear one of my jackets, and shoes/boots with decent protection and ankle support.


As for the EU bollocks, I don't know too much on the details, but I certainly don't want to be forced to wear a hi viz. If I feel I need to increase my stand-out-edness, then I'll do so of my own volition, not because Brussels or France or wherever it is says I have to. THAT should be a recommendation not a requirement.

[pinkyfloyd]

I'm with Ben on that one.

I went to Holland to work and one of the fellow workers said that you can ride a scooter around without a helmet here, I replied "well why would you want to?"

I wont get on the bike with a helmet, gloves and a jacket regardless of how hot it is outside. Your just as likely falling off your bike going to the local shops as you are going out for a few hours ride out.
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[WannaBeDude]

I even wore a helmet 20 years ago on a mountain bike, well i was going to Kenilworth common which is insane downhills.

I have as of today a 400 quid full face, a flip up and a open face with a visor.

My approach to safety is sum what hap hazard, but i'm beginning to at least wear the bare minium.

When i'm going for a 'real ' hoon where i know i'm pushing to my limits, well 99% as don't want to crash damage bike etc .. i wear the lot.

Can't stand gimp suit wearing sportbike riders who tut tut when your out for 30 mins in summer with little on.

You wanna sweat and be safe, fine, no problem, so don't have issues with my choices.
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[doggone]

If you're just riding round town you're no more likely to bang your head than cyclists who reach similar speeds.

Longer runs it soon gets uncomfortable without, apart from on about 3 hot summer days - and in rain a full face helmet is hard to beat.

[parkmoy]

I first rode a motorcycle in 1964, 9 years before helmets became compulsory. I, and the vast majority of my friends, wore helmets. Why? Because we thought it was a sensible thing to do. Plenty of others didn't bother and we thought they were daft but it was their choice.

Protective clothing though was another thing entirely. None of us could afford leathers (I'm not sure there was any available for ordinary bikers) and to be honest we never thought we needed anything other than weather protection. There wasn't as much traffic about, it moved slower, and you weren't all that likely to get knocked off. If you were silly enough to come off it was usually your own fault and you put up with the resulting injuries, which normally weren't too serious.

We were all on L plates riding up to 250cc though the performance wasn't anything like today's machines. Hardly anyone bothered to take a test even though it was basically a ride round the block with the examiner stepping out for an emergency stop. We looked with awe on anyone riding a 500cc machine and I still remember a group of us gathered round an Ariel Square Four listening reverently to the tickover

A different world to today and having recently started biking again I am very happy to get as much protection as posssible. Part of that, of course, is being older and wanting to preserve what's left for as long as possible A lot though is down to the fact that the gear is available, it's reasonably affordable, we know it works, and training and safety are at much higher levels.

There will always be those who argue for personal choice but I think when you consider the personal and financial effects of road deaths and serious injuries on families and society at large, personal choice is a luxury we cannot afford. We are better educated in safety than we used to be and we can't ignore it.

[Taught2BCauti...]

I'm not lucky or brave enough to ride a bike without a full-face helmet - apart from one time off-road, to locate the source of a noise that was bugging me.
Even just a couple of minutes at less than 20mph, in an area with no other traffic or pedestrians, I felt very vulnerable.

[Irn-Bru]

I would like it because it would allow me to move the bike from the front of my house to the back without getting tasered off my bike for not wearing a helmet by the rozzers. For now I have to push it around.

I love the feeling of not wearing gloves on my DRZ, makes it feel like a pedal bike. Have only done it a few times while testing it up and down the street, can't imagine the skin on your hands staying there for too long once they meet tarmac tho!
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[daemonoid]

I spent a few weeks in India without a helmet. I bought the bike off a friend of a friend then spent the rest of the day going round every bike showroom I could find trying to buy one and none of them had any! I was then working pretty solidly so only went to and from working, no chance to go shopping. Eventually found out that helmets are sold in sports shops over there!

Initially it felt very odd, a bit of highway driving showed that a helmet is useful for more than accident protection - muck and flies in the face are not fun!

I was definitely more careful, not sure how long that would've lasted as I got used to the lack of helmet.

I did it again when taking passengers - they tended to get the helmet as I thought I'm the one who may f*ck up so they should have the protection. Even did 3 up with no helmet for a couple of journeys...

Last time was in Goa, again I had a passenger and only one helmet was supplied with the hire bike.

Over here in the Netherlands there's no helmet laws for mopeds, 90% of youngsters wear them despite no requirement, 80% of the 25+ don't.
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