I have a serious question for any motorcycle lovers that ride and dont wear helmets... WHY?? I have today, for what seems like the millionth time, had to watch someone die and a familys life destroyed b/c this person chose not to wear a helmet on his bike and flew headfirst into a wind shield. The Pt's brain was soooo swollen they couldnt even get the bone flap back on, or stich the dura back together....there was brain everywhere! Out the nose and Ears.. And then the pt's off the OR table only to die in PACU with a waiting room FULL of screaming crying family members..
I am not judging anyone, but rather trying to understand why someone would make the choice to not wear a helmet. Is it the feeling of freedom, or does the helmet restrict your head that much as to the point of discomfort?
Wow this is a touchy subject and one that I am definitly not sure about. My husband just bought a bike to cut down on fuel costs which I have agreed to but at the same time my daughter just lost her dad in a motorcycle accident this last week (he was wearing a helmet). I have been devastated by this and would hate to lose my husband this way also; but even on that note I would hate to see my husband with brain damage or even worse my daughter to have seen her dad in that condition. I don't know wear I stand on this issue.
Specializes in Peds Cardiology,Peds Neuro,Pedi ER,PICU, IV Jedi.
I'm definitely thinking some of you need to read up on recent advances in helmet technology. Try the Motor Cyclist annual Helmet comparo, or two issues last year entitled "Blowing the Lid Off"..there were two very well written articles about how far helmet technology has advanced and how much better the newest one's are compared to those just a few years old. They're NOT just tested at 13 mph, they go thru several tests to compare G force loads on the head - the higher the G load, the more likely there is to be brain damage. Funniest thing of all is that the helmet that performed the best (transmits the lowest G load to the head) was a bargain helmet --around 100 bucks.
Every helmet manufacturer has to submit helmets to be sold in the US for DOT approval. No DOT sticker = No selling in the US. All DOT helmets pass standards that are revised every 5 years or so.
The Hurt Report (it was USC by the way...you were right) was an eye opener in it's time, but it desperately needs to be re researched. Todays helmets are stronger, lighter, and in every way better but there are thousands more bikers than there were then, and we're all riding larger, faster, better engineered machines. And more of us are getting into accidents, too - which has led to much higher mortality rate among motorcyclist. Not wearing a helmet is tempting, but wearing one is better for my piece of mind...oh,yeah...and my wife told me she'd pull out the Home Castration Kit if I ever rode without one.
As for the EMS aspect, the if the airway is patent, the helmet stays on. There is no need to remove it if there is no evidence of respiratory distress. C spine can be maintained and the helmet and head can be secured to a backboard if necessary using a variety of techniques.
Who said helmets weren't cool? I enjoyed riding around looking like Marvin the Martian with my black Shoei RF 200...and I've got a huge head so you can imagine how big it looks with the helmet on. But I'm not the typical motorcyclist either. I don't care that I didn't ride the latest GSXR, I just wanted to ride - and to be safe.
Does it matter to me that you don't want to wear a helmet? Not really, except to say that I truly don't want you to become a statistic. I don't care what you ride but I do care that you have the ability to ride it. And riders with head injuries become former riders immediately after the accident occurs. You'll recover from the broken arm and possibly get back in the saddle someday. How often is that said of head injured riders? Almost never.
Everyone who rides a motorcycle takes a chance, helmet or no.
I'm definitely thinking some of you need to read up on recent advances in helmet technology. Try the Motor Cyclist annual Helmet comparo, or two issues last year entitled "Blowing the Lid Off"..there were two very well written articles about how far helmet technology has advanced and how much better the newest one's are compared to those just a few years old. They're NOT just tested at 13 mph, they go thru several tests to compare G force loads on the head - the higher the G load, the more likely there is to be brain damage. Funniest thing of all is that the helmet that performed the best (transmits the lowest G load to the head) was a bargain helmet --around 100 bucks.
Every helmet manufacturer has to submit helmets to be sold in the US for DOT approval. No DOT sticker = No selling in the US. All DOT helmets pass standards that are revised every 5 years or so.
The Hurt Report (it was USC by the way...you were right) was an eye opener in it's time, but it desperately needs to be re researched. Todays helmets are stronger, lighter, and in every way better but there are thousands more bikers than there were then, and we're all riding larger, faster, better engineered machines. And more of us are getting into accidents, too - which has led to much higher mortality rate among motorcyclist. Not wearing a helmet is tempting, but wearing one is better for my piece of mind...oh,yeah...and my wife told me she'd pull out the Home Castration Kit if I ever rode without one.
As for the EMS aspect, the if the airway is patent, the helmet stays on. There is no need to remove it if there is no evidence of respiratory distress. C spine can be maintained and the helmet and head can be secured to a backboard if necessary using a variety of techniques.
Who said helmets weren't cool? I enjoyed riding around looking like Marvin the Martian with my black Shoei RF 200...and I've got a huge head so you can imagine how big it looks with the helmet on. But I'm not the typical motorcyclist either. I don't care that I didn't ride the latest GSXR, I just wanted to ride - and to be safe.
Does it matter to me that you don't want to wear a helmet? Not really, except to say that I truly don't want you to become a statistic. I don't care what you ride but I do care that you have the ability to ride it. And riders with head injuries become former riders immediately after the accident occurs. You'll recover from the broken arm and possibly get back in the saddle someday. How often is that said of head injured riders? Almost never.
Everyone who rides a motorcycle takes a chance, helmet or no.
vamedic4
Have a safe night, all.
Sold both my bikes now
1983 KZ 550...my fav bike
1986 Yamaha Radian 600
Thanks for the update--still, the bike sits in the garage untouched...and probably always will. But, I can't bear to sell it...
Where do we draw the line in requiring people to wear helmets? Should joggers wear helmets? How about people walking their dogs? Kids playing kickball in the street? I'd much rather see the safety police put energy into encouraging proper driving of cars. Rather than nag their friends about wearing helmets, they could nag their friends about courteous driving. :nono:Tell your friends to slow down and not be in such a hurry, don't tailgate, give the right of way, don't apply makeup while driving and please hang up the phone. A safe driving campaign would go a long way in preventing nasty car-motorcycle accidents, helmet or no helmet.
Specializes in Peds Cardiology,Peds Neuro,Pedi ER,PICU, IV Jedi.
Where do we draw the line in requiring people to wear helmets? Should joggers wear helmets? How about people walking their dogs? Kids playing kickball in the street? I'd much rather see the safety police put energy into encouraging proper driving of cars. Rather than nag their friends about wearing helmets, they could nag their friends about courteous driving. :nono:Tell your friends to slow down and not be in such a hurry, don't tailgate, give the right of way, don't apply makeup while driving and please hang up the phone. A safe driving campaign would go a long way in preventing nasty car-motorcycle accidents, helmet or no helmet.
I agree with the basic premise of your post, leigh anne, because it's so very important that drivers be responsible while behind the wheel. Take the automobile out of the equation and you'll save thousands of lives per year. Unfortunately, we live in the real world. A world where getting somewhere quickly is a way of life, where safe speed is easily exceeded, a world where people truly don't understand the price others pay for their mistakes. Even courteous drivers make mistakes, whether they mean to or not, and the single most important thing y ou can do to guard against injury (aside from staying in bed) is for bikers to wear helmets.
I think driver's education programs for kids should be an entire year long- that way we can get much more information across to kids about the dangers and responsibilities of getting behind the wheel. It could also allow for more of the time behind the wheel with good instructors than current programs do.
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serendipitycandles
1 Post
Wow this is a touchy subject and one that I am definitly not sure about. My husband just bought a bike to cut down on fuel costs which I have agreed to but at the same time my daughter just lost her dad in a motorcycle accident this last week (he was wearing a helmet). I have been devastated by this and would hate to lose my husband this way also; but even on that note I would hate to see my husband with brain damage or even worse my daughter to have seen her dad in that condition. I don't know wear I stand on this issue.