Whether you choose to wear a helmet or not, sometimes the answer just boils down to freedom of choice.
When it comes to touchy subjects among bikers none elicits more heated arguments than the simple helmet. For some, wearing a helmet is a no-brainer, a choice they make to protect themselves from catastrophic injury. For others, donning a lid simply defeats the purpose of what riding a Harley stands for in the first place. And then there’s a third school of thought, one that goes much deeper than personal choice.
‘I live in rural America and choose mostly not to wear a helmet.Engines Society find a helmet debate at HD Forums. And the member’s opinions on the subject are a pretty good reflection on the way society as a whole feels about it. But there are folks out there who aren’t really sure which side of the argument they want to be on. Or if they should even wear a lid. Folks like Robs2KFLHRCI, who posed a simple question in this thread. Of course, little did he know what kind of firestorm it would start.
I understand that you can get just as dead in rural areas as you can in major cities.
I also understand you can get just as dead with or without the brain bucket.’
“I am torn between wearing a helmet and not. When I know I will encounter heavy traffic in cities I wear one, but I live in rural America and choose mostly not to wear one. I understand that you can get just as dead in rural areas as you can in major cities. I also understand you can get just as dead with or without the brain bucket. My wife will not ride without hers (rarely rides anyway) and hates that I do not, says she don’t wanna be changing my diapers the rest of my life. I am 6′ tall and at 185 not a huge burly guy, so a helmet makes me look – uhhh weird I guess is my biggest issue. I have considered one of these. I see many bikers wearing helmets and some in full leather even in summer, and I do see some without.
So, I guess my question is, do you ride helmet-less and if so when?”
‘It is your personal choice, but have good health and life insurance.
My helmet protected me and the insurance bills at last tally are north of $1.6 mil.‘
For folks like Jonesee, the answer touches on some unpleasant personal experiences.
“Yes I do and there is no doubt it saved my life.
There are only 2 real reasons riders don’t wear a helmet:
1) ego/vanity
2) expression/feeling of freedom
It is your personal choice, but have good health and life insurance.
My helmet protected me and the insurance bills at last tally are north of $1.6 mil.“
For some, like Gusotto, the subject hits close to home after enduring a horrible tragedy.
“Iowa doesn’t have a helmet law but I wear one because I want to. Had a 1st cousin who was the same age as me. MC accident and she hit her head. Been dead 50 years ago now. A lifetime lost. Left behind a one-year-old baby. Interesting because the MC driver had a helmet, she didn’t and he lived.”
Springer, like most folks, knows some people who benefited from wearing one. But he also believes in having the freedom to make that decision.
“Personally, I believe in freedom of choice as to whether or not a person wears a helmet. On the other hand, I know of some that have had an accident and got a direct hit to the top of their head and it helped them out so they could ride another day. Just something to add to it. be thankful that your wife feels the way she does, some might not.”
Of course, plenty of folks, like Chekoz77, simply choose to accept the risk.
“I choose not to wear one. A half helmet won’t do anything unless you tip over at 5 mph, and a full face is just too restrictive. If I had to ride around in a space suit all the time I would probably just drive the car. At least then I could roll the windows down and enjoy the weather.”
After all, riding a motorcycle is inherently more dangerous than driving a car, as Skumbum points out.
“Don’t wear one if I don’t have to. If I’m worried about safety that much then I just won’t ride. I’ve seen people die with and without helmets. What do you think keeps you more safe? A helmet or driving a car?”
Regardless of which side of the fence you reside on when it comes to helmets, there’s one thing we can (mostly) all agree on. And that’s the fact that we should have a choice. Depending on which state you live in, you may or may not enjoy that freedom. And that, my friends, is the biggest problem of all.