The Helmet Vote

As I am sure the helmet laws will never be reversed & they are without doubt here to stay. Out of curiosity if there had not been helmet law enforcement the question is..............
If the law had not been brought in would you ever ride on a public road without one, even for a short distance?
Personally I would probably still wear a helmet for at least 99% of the time but that makes me a yes!

Please place your vote at the top of the page.

I would like to have a choice like you say Mr I but I would still wear a helmet for practically all the time I was out. So I suppose I wiil have to vote yes as I am sure I would pop out mid summer for a bimble in to the villiage.

The guy Farmboy told us about had got it right WHAT CHOICE.

Yes i would

I'm a no because I often think as I go out in my ordinary jeans and thin pretend leather jacket in summer -"oh I'll only be going slowly". There I am 2 minutes later doing 40 downhill across potholes with lorries coming uphill - at least I've got my helmet on!! I live at the top of a steep hill - the only way out is down and fast and the Welsh roads are in a bad state of repair.

Yes I would. When I go to a bike rally I always enjoy having a bimble about without my helmet

Before the helmet law i wore one 90% of the time, and allways started out with it on, but poodling along through the New Forest with the sun out, or similar, i would pull over and remove it until i got to a built up area or busy roads, apart from any thing else a bee in the head over 30mph dosnt half smart. but yes is the short answer!

Yes ... 'cos I wouldn't want to muss up my hairstyle....

you have hair!

Oh YES ..... I do keep it short so as not to embarrass MOST of the ol' boys on here though ...

I would vote no for me but think it should be our right to choose.

I voted yes, as some have said it is a fine feeling to ride without a lid and I believe it should be personal choice. Saying that I would probably ride 99% of the time wearing an helmet. I have never ridden a trike but again would choose to wear a helmet if I did.

Bluesman wrote:

I'm a no because I often think as I go out in my ordinary jeans and thin pretend leather jacket in summer -"oh I'll only be going slowly". There I am 2 minutes later doing 40 downhill across potholes with lorries coming uphill - at least I've got my helmet on!! I live at the top of a steep hill - the only way out is down and fast and the Welsh roads are in a bad state of repair.

Stop fibbing, there are no steep hills in Wales, they are all mountains.

I would say yes for there has been times when I have done it going round the corner to a lock up.

Very surprised how few members have actually voted on this pole!
Possibly down to a majority of people not really caring either way maybe.
Which in turn would possibly mean that most people give very little thought as to why rules are there or not as long as they can ride or have we simply reached a national/world-wide state of conformity?

I would never ride without one. I wouldnt be here now! Hit a tree as a teenager, Bust the helmet, not my head!

It is odd that so few members have voted on this one, I'm surprised at the amount of riders who would go without a helmet, almost 50% more.

pledge wrote:

It is odd that so few members have voted on this one, I'm surprised at the amount of riders who would go without a helmet, almost 50% more.

Interesting point pledge. My view is that when you get an emotive subject, those who feel strongest shout loudest. I think the anti helmet law brigade resent not having freedom of choice which is a fair point. The ones who are not really bothered may or may not vote. I would imagine if you asked all bikers in the UK, most would be in favour of wearing a helmet. I think the issue in our pole is as much being 'made to wear one' as it is being 'better to wear one'. If you asked most people whether they resent being made to do anything, they would say yes. I think the vote above reflects personal liberty as much as head protection. I don't really like being told to drive at 30mph but I do understand the reasons behind it but of course this is something which obviously impacts on others. Whether having your brains splattered is no one else's concern is a debatable issue. It's possibly none of the Government's business but if the law were to be repealed, overwhelming pressure from bikers' family and friends would overturn the appeal, I'm sure. Some laws are plain stupid. I believe the helmet law is not one of those even if it's implementation was for 'big brother reasons'. I actually think the poll above was a bit of fun - a chance for some of us to afirm our free spirit so perhaps best not to read too much into it.

The interesting point that I have noticed is that even the ones that vote yes would still wear one the majority all the time

I agree it is more likely the fact that there is no choice in the matter that gets peoples backs up.

50/50 half sensible, half not so.

meerkat wrote:

50/50 half sensible, half not so.

Not anymore

Seems the "sensible" ones have now got the majority

Who did you have to pay to do that?????

I see another State has repealed the helmet law in USA (Michigan?) - any way thats well over 30 that do not require helmets to be worn. I wonder is this something to do with:

1.The weather

2.VIP's who are bikers

3. American philosophy

I understand CA is a bit anti biker. Wonder why the country is so diverse? Perhaps some of our members across the pond can enlighten me here?

I saw that as well blues, I think it is about giving Americans choice

meerkat wrote:

Who did you have to pay to do that?????

I payed all 15 of them

A choice is what a lot of bikers want, you have to remember that although it is a two way vote and just because someone would possibly ride from there house to there garage or from there house to the corner shop does not mean that they would ever contimplate riding on a major road without a hemet. I would happily ride through my little villiage without a helmet but would not go further afield without one.

I know there are many arguments why we should always wear a helmet but as many as there are for that, there are a darn site more why we should never get on a motorbike in the first place but we do because we have a choice

You say choice,that has nothing to do with it, common sense is somthing you have or you do'nt have, it's not a thing you choose to have or not.

Human nature - we preserve the right to be daft!

meerkat wrote:

You say choice,that has nothing to do with it, common sense is somthing you have or you do'nt have, it's not a thing you choose to have or not.

There will be plenty of people that would use that argument with regards to riding motorcles against you but you have a choice that they would argue you shouldn't have.

The point at which you see or deem something to be dangerous is personal to you and that is how it should be because if it was a backward scale of what someone else perceived to be dangerouse or common sense or not as you say then where would it stop.

You have a choice that to ride a motorcyle that many would percieve to be reckless yet you still do it so to them you are the one that does not have any common sense.

stone wrote:

I would never ride without one. I wouldnt be here now! Hit a tree as a teenager, Bust the helmet, not my head!

i would allways wear a helmet for the same reson as stone i had a couple of minor crashes in the past but iv also gone strait into the back of a car and gone over the bonnet of two cars aswell the worst one was at about 60 mph (my fault) the last one was in december last year i was doing about 35/40 mph (not my fault) . if i hadent worn me lid id be dead as it is im alive yyyeeeeeehhhaaa reddy to ride another day id wear a helmet wether i had to or not

Yep i'd always wear a helmet just in case.

Now you surely can't tell me that she is inapropriately dressed, she gas got a helmet after all

I wouldn't have a problem with her

looks like shes wareing those invisible biker boots aswell good size heel on em

back to the helmet vote just a thought there is no law that says you need to wear gloves when on a motorbike yet im gessing you all wear them when going out on your bikes . can you imagein how cold your head would get and maney other down sides to not wearing a helmet . i think the rite to wear one or not is a nice idear but to be onest ther would be a lot more deths and if youv ever seen poeple that have been killed in motorbike crashes its not always nice as they are sometimes missing limbs but the poor sods that have to kleen up the mess probaly wouldent need to see half someones head missing aswell so be nice to have a choise but i think the law to wear a helmet aint a bad one

So would it not be better if we were all stopped from riding motorcycles, even with a helmet on its very dangerous?

Good post Fat Intruder.

I wonder if these poeple who drone on about having a choice to wear a helmet or not ever give others a thought like the poor sods FI has mentioned those who have to scrape the brains of the road from those who chose not to wear a helmet, or their family when they get a knock on the door to be told their loved one will not be home again due his choice, what choice do they have.

But we all do have a choice, if you want to ride a motorcycle in the UK you MUST wear a helmet if you don't want to wear a helmet then DON'T ride a motorcycle. SIMPLES

Mr Intruder wrote:

Very surprised how few members have actually voted on this pole!
Possibly down to a majority of people not really caring either way maybe.

No Dave, it's not that for me.... I can't vote, there is no way displayed on my computer to do it. Normally there are buttons to press ? Not this time ....

Mick



PS - Hey Crash, I like your missus, she looks really nice !!

Twojobmick wrote:

Mr Intruder wrote:

Very surprised how few members have actually voted on this pole!
Possibly down to a majority of people not really caring either way maybe.

No Dave, it's not that for me.... I can't vote, there is no way displayed on my computer to do it. Normally there are buttons to press ? Not this time ....

Mick

Sorry Mick I have tried to work out why you cant vote on this poll but can't find anything wrong. I have just been through the settings again and everything indicates that you can, so I am flummoxed on this one.

captain crash wrote:

So would it not be better if we were all stopped from riding motorcycles, even with a helmet on its very dangerous?

yes your rite crash even with a helmet on its very dangerous but i said it would stop more deths from happening not all deths plenty of poeple die wilst wereing a helmet and i dont think i said anything about stoping people from riding motorbikes and i never would i was riding on the road from time to time by the age of 12 and had 125cc on the road by 14 i luv bikes . and as for other coments maid iv been at crashes cleening up lorrys/cars and motorbikes that have been in crashes theres no need to make it any worse . not only that me bleeding insureance would go up no dout . good to have different viuws on stuff as always ride safe mate

Always wear my helmet always would even if the law was changed, would be mad not to.

Always would wear one as if I didn't I wouldn't be here now. Crash.... helmet wrecked, head intact...desired outcome achieved. Some would say that as I still ride there was some damage done.

It is surprising how many members would ride without their helmet.

I think that the initial response of why so many actually would, is because it is not so much about would you predominantly ride without a helmet but
"Would you ever ride on a public road even for a short distance without a helmet, if the law had not been changed?"
For myself, on a lovely warm summers day I may very well ride the 3 residential streets to my local shop but I would never go out on to the main highway roads without one on.
My Mum actually stopped riding a motorcycle in 1973 because the helmet law came in to place!

This may seem a safe and reasonable to do but one can have an accident and be injured or killed on any road or street no matter how close to home. Some laws are passed to protect us from ourselves. In the USA some states have the helmet law others don't it would be interesting to see the figues on the differant states if the injury or death rate is higher where they don.t have the helmet law. Perhaps some of the US members may be able to shed some light on this.

Lowey wrote:

This may seem a safe and reasonable to do but one can have an accident and be injured or killed on any road or street no matter how close to home. Some laws are passed to protect us from ourselves. In the USA some states have the helmet law others don't it would be interesting to see the figues on the differant states if the injury or death rate is higher where they don.t have the helmet law. Perhaps some of the US members may be able to shed some light on this.

I think you'll find Lowey that most of us on here are all too aware of the dangers of riding without a helmet. This topic, which was started quite a while ago now, really centred on the matter of personal choices. Some feel that being told what to do is a bit 'big brother'. Opinions are split but one thing unites the site and that's for sure - helmet or no the Intruder 800 is the one to ride!

Bluesman wrote:

Opinions are split but one thing unites the site and that's for sure - helmet or no the Intruder 800 is the one to ride!

I'm thinking you've been in that bike shop again John and an Intruder has taken your fancy ? Especially with the quote in the Mic mod (between Intruders)

simbo wrote:

Bluesman wrote:

Opinions are split but one thing unites the site and that's for sure - helmet or no the Intruder 800 is the one to ride!

I'm thinking you've been in that bike shop again John and an Intruder has taken your fancy ? Especially with the quote in the Mic mod (between Intruders)

Funnily enough a recent thread of a bobberised Intruder caught my fancy this week. I can see myself on something mean and cool. Trouble is Mrs.B had 4O fits when I swapped my gleaming C800 for a 'boring' sportsbike! I'm stuffed for the moment but one day when she's in a good mood.........! Wouldn't mind and older bike to rip apart sometime.

Bluesman wrote:

Opinions are split but one thing unites the site and that's for sure - helmet or no the Intruder 800 is the one to ride!

The second thing to unite this site is if you ride any bike then you must wear a helmet.

Lowey wrote:

The second thing to unite this site is if you ride any bike then you must wear a helmet.

With the "Must" being forced!