Motorcycle Fatalities Increase in Florida (thanks Jeb)

[DoYouEverWonder]

August 8, 2005, 11:48 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- Motorcycle fatalities have risen sharply in Florida since the state repealed its mandatory helmet law.

States that repeal such laws run the risk of increased deaths and mounting health care costs for injured bikers, according to two studies released Monday, one by the government, the other by the insurance industry.

The first, by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, found that in the three years following Florida's repeal of its mandatory helmet law in 2000, 933 motorcyclists were killed, an 81 percent increase from the 515 bikers killed from 1997 to 1999.

Even though the state requires helmet use by riders under age 21, fatalities among that group nearly tripled in the three years after the repeal; 45 percent of those killed were not wearing helmets. The cost of hospital care for motorcycle injuries grew from $21 million to $44 million in the 30 months after the law changed; the figures were adjusted for inflation.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-motorcycle-deaths,0,340909.story?coll=sns-ap-nation-headlines


Jeb supported and signed the no helmet law. At the time, people tried to tell him that this would lead to an increase in fatalities and injuries, but no Jeb would rather suck up to a special interest group for a few more votes. Way to go Jebbie.

[Heddi]

1. ah...but you miss the REAL point

because motorcycle fatalities are up, Insurance Companies can then cite that as a reason to raise insurance rates ACROSS THE BOARD FOR EVERYONE--moto and non-moto riders alike. Helmet wearers and non helmet wearers alike.

The same thing happened in South Carolina when they raised the speed limit to 70 or 75 or whatever. There was an increase in traffic fatalities and accidents and the insurance companies were MORE than happy to translate that to a need to increase rates across the boards.

And not just auto insurance--health insurance too. Hospital costs too. EVERYTHING will cost more, but wages won't go up.

It's a win-win situation for them.

[jeff30997]

4. Do you wear a Helmet when you ride your turtle ?

:)

[Heddi]

6. No. THe turtle is my helmet when I ride my hippo

it's safer that way

[jeff30997]

7. Makes sens.

:)

[Born Free]

82. "ah...but you miss the REAL point"

"Insurance Companies can then cite that as a reason to raise insurance rates ACROSS THE BOARD"

I think you are correct, but also find it interesting the recent article in the Pa Biker News claimed that in the months following Pennsylvania repealing it's mandatory helmet law there were no significant increases in fatalities related to cyclist not wearing helmets. We do get motorcycle fatalities more often than I like but most of this is do to driver and or cyclist error.

Aggressive driving has been getting worse and it all fairness, any time there is aggressive driving the guy in the smallest vehicle loses - must be why these guys love the big SUVs, so they case force the little guy out. It's ironic that it seems the biggest vehicles on the roads, the tractor trailer combinations are more respectful of motorcyclist than the SUV/pickup drivers -perhaps it's a penile envy thing for the SUV/pickup drivers, they don't have enough to satisfy their own needs so they compensate by being more aggressive - of course they are too scared to attempt going out on something as small as a motorcycle.

Personally I like the new PA helmet law, we choose to wear helmets but there are times when I am moving the bike from the the garage to the street etc I will not put on the helmet.

[jeff30997]

2. Idiot brother of an idiot.

[KG]

3. mandatory helmet laws are good, but really not jebs fault if people

are too stupid to wear their helmets while riding.

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. Wearing helmets while riding used to be mandatory

that way even stupid people had some protection from themselves. Besides it is the rest of us who have to pay for the stupid ones when they get hurt. This stupid law needs to be repealed.

[toopers]

14. I'm sorry . . .

It is not the governments job to protect us from ourselves. I've given up enough freedoms as it is.

[4MoreYearsOfHell]

17. Since driving/riding is referred to as a privelege,

not a right, I have no problem with regulation of that privelege to the tune of wearing helmets/seatbelts for the betterment of society. I must respectfully disagree...

[toopers]

22. A lot of things we do are privileges and not a right,

and could easily fall under government regulation. While I don't really have a problem with these laws, to blame the government for not regulating our lives is not appropriate in this case. It is not the job of government to protect idiots from themselves. Thanks for the respect! It is certainly reciprocated.

[4MoreYearsOfHell]

23. Once again disagreeing...

since there is a cost to society in the form of higher insurance rates.

[One_Life_To_Give]

37. Well, We all have to pay for costs incurred

from peoples choice of food as well.

[HuckleB]

39. Great.

Then I guess we should all return to paying for rescues of mountaineers who get lost or injured again, as well. Everyone should do what they want, and the rest of us can pick up the tab. Freedom is such a wonderful thing, at least when it comes without responsibility!

:eyes:

[One_Life_To_Give]

45. You pay to rescue Fishermen

Last I checked USCG doesn't charge to Rescue people. Perhaps we should charge for expenses incurred/ fuel consumed.

edit typo

[HuckleB]

46. Yeah, that would only be fair.

Those who put themselves in risky situations or in great danger for fun ought to be able to pay to get out of those situations.

It's basic responsibility.

It might increase the price of fish, but we're all paying for those costs now in another way, so let the fish eaters pay for their treats.

And, yeah, I'm a big fish eater, wild only.

[DS1]

31. Then I'll give you a toot of my horn as I pass by your wreck

on the highway - give you a prayer, and put some faith-based healthcare into action!

[Runcible Spoon]

51. "faith based healthcare"

SNARF! :spray: Good one

[arewenotdemo]

79. lmao!

[HuckleB]

32. Can I assume that you've taken care of the responsibility...

of obtaining health care coverage and life-long disability coverage so you can enjoy the "freedom" of riding sans helmet?

[reprobate]

52. What do you call people who ride motorcycles without helmets?

ORGAN DONORS!

[Shakespeare]

56. In that case, please sign an organ donor card. n/t

[CAcyclist]

67. Then Don't Use Our Hospitals Or Public Roads

We all pay the cost of increased injuries and hospitalized cases that result in deaths through the increased cost of health and vehicle insurance. We all pay for the increased pollution and waste of gas and time resulting from the traffic jams second to these motorcycle incidents. We all pay the police and firefighters and ambulance companies - either directly through our taxes or indirectly through increased medical costs to us. We pay the courts and the judges. We all pay in mental pain and anguish when these people die - even idiots are loved by their friends and family and that pain spreads out across society like a rock thrown in a lake.

No one stands alone - what you do affects everyone else. I don't like wearing a bike helmet either when riding my bike or a riding helmet when riding a horse, but I do it because it is the responsible thing to do.

[bluestateguy]

34. I have a fair compromise

Have helmet laws for people under the age of 21.

If you are over 21 and do not wear a helmet and get hit, or run over, fall off, etc. then hospitals should be free tp not treat you if you don't have insurance or an ability to pay.

People should have the right to be idiots if it brings no harm to everyone else, but I should not have to pay for it.

[melm00se]

36. helmet requirements

some states do have that exact requirement:

Minors or those with less than X years riding experience must wear a helmet

all others are their own choice...

BTW, one of the big issues with helmets is, that while states who do require helmets require DOT approved helmets, there is no list of DOT approved helmets (which is why you can get a "novelty" helmet and put a sticker that says DOT on it and you are within the law...

[HuckleB]

38. One big problem.

Health care practitioners aren't going to not treat someone, and the ensuing years of disability are going to be paid for by whom? We all know that we're not going to let these people crawl into a corner and die.

If someone wants the "freedom" to ride without a helmet, then someone ought to have the insurance (health and disability) that is the responsibility side of the "freedom" equation.

[Zynx]

49. Hospitals will not refuse ER cases

[reprobate]

53. But you do have to pay for it. Every trauma patient gets treated in ERs.

Even it it's just to stabilize them, and that can cost a great deal considering the massive trauma that most motorcycle accidents result in. If the patient has no means to pay for the usually $100K or more then it's you and I who pay.

If you aren't aware, when one patient can't pay, every other patient will pay for him in the long run. His bill will raise the hospital's costs, so every service they then provide will cost more.

And Fla does have a hemet law for those under 21. The problem is that it just isn't enforced because how does the cop tell the difference between a 19 yo and a 21 yo, unless he stops them all to chech their ID?

[rinsd]

81. Then I guess we can blame Clinton.....

..because federal penalities for not observing mandatory helmet laws were repealed in a hwy bill in 1995.

So not only if FL his fault, so is LA, so is KY and the other states that have sinced relaxed their mandatory helmet laws.

:sarcasm:

The people who are responsible for the increase in fatalities are the asshats who refuse to wear helmets when they ride.

[izzie]

8. He should know better with his brother's history on things with 2 wheels

Ins. thing is a good reason

[the other one]

9. Going to have to disagree folks

What is the increase in the number of riders in the "no helmet" era?

How many of the fatalities were inexperienced riders?

If 45% of the new biker fatalities were not wearing helmets, does that mean 55% were wearing helmets?

How many people suffered paralysis because the helmet saved their life but didn't protect their spine?

[onehandle]

12. An 81 percent increase, dude.

Your questions have Nothing to do with that statistic.

Given that extreme of an increase in fatalities, it's unlikely that any other detail caused that change other than the obvious.

Helmets save lives.

[fishnfla]

54. 45% of those under 21 y.o. / 81% increase overall

even though the law mandates helmets for that group

[sendero]

10. This kind of law...

... is one that really taxes my ability to make a decision.

I used to ride, I haven't in many years. I would always wear a helmet.

And I have no problem with seatbelt laws. Because a seatbelt does not really detract much from the experience of driving a car, but wearing a helmet does detract from the experience of riding a motorcycle.

I could see not wearing a helmet out on the open road, in good weather, in light traffic. But it's impossible to make a law that would provide for that. And the argument that "if you bust your head and have to be connected to machines to live, who has to pay" has merit.

I guess my perfect world would allow you to ride without a helmet. But - to be legally able, you would have to buy supplementary insurance that would cover long term care for head injuries.

[theHandpuppet]

15. Not long ago I witnessed a motorcyclist get broadsided

He got flung head first into a garage door (it was his fault). The guy wasn't wearing a helmet. He lived, but not without injuries that made him look like Dr Frankenstein's botched experiment. I felt badly for the lady who hit him -- she was totally traumatized, and no doubt it was probably HER insurance rates that went up.

-Nuff said.

[ClintonTyree]

11. Not to be gruesome........

but it does help cull the herd of the idiots that would rather, "ride free or die". OK, you get what you wish for. If these people are that cavalier with their lives they can pay the price.

[Tesha]

13. The problem, of course, is that lots of them don't quite make it to death.

> "ride free or die". OK, you get what you wish for. If these people
> are that cavalier with their lives they can pay the price.

The problem, of course, is that lots of them don't quite make it to
death. Instead, they become life-long invalids, costing hundreds of
thousands or millions of dollars to support. *WE ALL* pay the price
for their macho hormone-fueled stupidity.

If the outcome were a binary "live fine or die", it would be a lot
easier for society to support the concept of the helmet-free simply
self-thinning the herd. But it's not nearly that binary and these
clowns can't dismiss society's interest in their well-being.

Tesha

[NoSunWithoutShadow]

18. You're exactly right.

This is also my argument for mandatory helmet laws. It costs all of us.

[uncle ray]

61. well, many don't want to face life after

being hit by some blind blue haired old lady, or SUV driver who was yapping away on their cell phone, tucked away in their little cage of "safety". believe me, when you're out there, NOTHING between you and the other traffic, you are DAMN well aware of what is around you, and aware of how bad people drive in general, it's amazing how people will look right at you, as they move to occupy the space of the road you are currently using like they don't see you!

this thread illustrates all to well the fear and loathing the general public has of bikers, what you see here in words, we see on the highway, "oops, did i run into your bad-ass little bike? sorry, you apparantly didn't care about yourself enough to not get run over by my Hummer while i was chatting on my cell phone." many of "us" so called liberals are treating bikers like Freepers view liberals.

"people will talk to you, and talk to you about freedom, but when they see a free man, it scares them." George(Jack Nicholson), Easy Rider

statisitics can mean whatever you want them too, instead of total number of fatalities, how about a ratio of fatalities to registered bikes/riders? perhaps nobody here has noticed, but the popularity of "choppers" has grown incredibly, it comes and goes, the same thing happened in the early 90's, there was a big harley craze, and then, like now with the so called choppers that are so popular now, there is an influx of inexperienced riders, on bikes they can't handle. i'd love to see a breakdown of those deaths, by cause, experience of rider etc. for a span much greater than two years.

[Patchuli]

68. Thank you for that

You just expressed my opinion pretty well. I gave up riding when helmets became mandatory in my state.

I noticed no one until you happened to mention that it is usually cars causing bikes to have accidents. We used to chase people down when they'd pull a left turn or some other idiocy in front of us just to find out WHY?! The biggest answer was "I didn't hear you!" If you cannot hear a Harley, you are hearing-impaired and shouldn't be driving a car. With the influx of idiots on cell phones, I am glad I don't ride anymore. I was hit head on (sitting still on my brakes!) at an intersection by a stupid woman on her cell phone that sped up to run the red light but didn't bother to steer her Jetta away from my front end. *Upon edit, I should note that I was sitting in a bright red pick up truck!

Cell phones while driving need to be outlawed and I wonder how many posters here are guilty of that one?

I hate hearing otherwise normal libs bashing bikers.

[CAcyclist]

69. I Beg To Differ

"this thread illustrates all to well the fear and loathing the general public has of bikers,"

Not true at all! this thread is specifically about people who don't wear helmets. I fully concur with you about the very bad driving behavior of motorists and I even helped put together a website to go after those drivers - http://www.penbiped.org/incidentreport.html

You are right, there is a huge influx of inexperienced motorcycle riders now. But a few years back the average number of motorcyclists dying countrywide was about 1000 and this last year it was 4000. There is more going on than just an influx of new riders.

[flvegan]

16. From local experience here in Tampa, the helmet law isn't the big issue.

Granted, I see far too many folks not wearing them. However, I don't think the huge increase is due to Joe Biker riding his Harley w/out a brain bucket. What I DO think it is, is the recent surge in popularity of the crotch-rocket (Ninja, etc) bikes with the 18-28 year olds. Now, many of these folks are good riders, love their bikes and riding, wear a helmet, etc. On the flip side, too many yahoos that have watched too many "Fast 'n Furious" type movies, pulling wheelies at 65 mph on a busy street, cutting past/through traffic, and generally just driving like morons, seem to be the current norm.

Additionally, there seem to be scads more auto accidents. Either folks are getting even more ignorant, pre-occupied, or...well, stupid. Sadly, if a bike is involved with one of the aforementioned, the rider will likely always lose.

Personally, I'd love to have a bike. Where I live, it's little more than a death wish, though.

[Mairead]

19. Simple rule: don't bother with a helmet if you've nothing to protect

The complaint that someone who gets wrecked is a burden on the rest of us seems uncharitable (at best!) to me. They themselves pay for their foolishness every moment of every day left to them --and the number of those days is typically small.

Given the amount of outright, malice-aforethought theft that goes on by people in high places, to complain about paying for the medical care of the foolish few just seems cheap and unworthy.

[DoYouEverWonder]

20. So what about the other people who are traumatize

by hitting these fools? Even if the accident isn't your fault, it is something that will haunt you for the rest of your life. If the sucker survives with a good outcome that makes me feel a lot better then to have to live knowing that I made someone a paraplegic.

[Mairead]

21. I agree -- it's a terrible experience to be the one who hits them

But I was only trying to address the (to me) mean-spiritedness of the 'we have to pay to take care of them' crowd.

Certainly the folk who can't avoid hitting them deserve psychotherapy care to help them recover.

[BiggJawn]

24. How does this relate to the number of motorcycle registrations?

If new bike registrations have increased 81%, then there is no change in fatalities. If registrations have increased 100%, why, that's a net DECREASE in fatalities!

"Jeb supported and signed the no helmet law. At the time, people tried to tell him that this would lead to an increase in fatalities and injuries, but no Jeb would rather suck up to a special interest group for a few more votes. Way to go Jebbie."

Would you explain to me just which "special interest group" Jebbi was "sucking up to"?

How are they anymore evil that the "special interest groups" that were lobbying Jebbi to NOT sign the bill?

We should outlaw jogging, too. I'm damn sick and tired of seeing my insurance premiums go up because all these yuppie morons who think they're Jim Fixx out there pounding their knees and hips into dust.

[Cha]

25. What kind of special

interest group would want a "no helmet law"?

That's just stupid. Helmets were put into law in Cal and other states for a very special reason..so people on bikes who got into accidents wouldn't be vegetables the rest of their lives and they had more of a chance to survive.

On Edit~I see it's the insurance companies who are the special interest groups? My God~ That's just Ghoulish.

[DoYouEverWonder]

26. Jeb was catering to a very large special interest group

who can take over Daytona Beach for a week and bring millions to local economies.

[Cha]

27. Well, that sounds like a move

that should come back to bite jeb in his fat corporatesleeze ass.

[melm00se]

28. helmets and fatalities

while helmets may have an affect on rider fatalities (and that is a HOTLY debated subject in the motorcycle community), one of the larger impacts (no pun intended) is the increase of SUV's on the road.

As SUV's ride higher than cars, when an SUV hits a rider, the impact is much higher on the rider's body then when struck by a car. this has caused an increase in thoracic and internal bleeding injuries than in previous years.

This uptick in fatalities is not just limited to FL, it is endemic across the USA as the number of riders increases. In addition to SUVs, there are other issues as well:

- Increase in inexperienced riders (the liklihood of accidents are higher after riding for 6-12 months, "lower" on either side of that window)
- Increase in returning riders (their reactions are just not as fast as they were 5-10-15 years ago..this is another high risk group)
- Increase in performance of "beginning" bikes as compared to the past. there are many "beginning" bikes that are more powerful than some of the racing bikes from a generation ago. (too much power + inexperience = big time issues.)
- While there are training courses for riders (MSF's BRC and Harley's Riders Edge to name 2), there is no formal requirement for these courses in all states and there is a reported drop off in the quality of the available training (especially the MSF courses, Motorcycle Consumer News has had a series of articles on this subject).

With the upward movement of gas prices, motorcycles and their derivatives, will become more and more attractive as a mode of transportation (some bikes get 70+mpg), addressing the training issue (similar to the UK's version of beginners training would be nice) will become a priority.

BTW, MSF training is a user funded (students and part of the motorcycle registration fees) in most states.

BTW, i am an ATGATT (all the gear, all the time) rider: full face helmet, jacket and pants (with armor), gloves and boots..

[XemaSab]

33. Thanks for the analysis

and welcome to DU!

:hi:

[CAcyclist]

72. Strict Liability Law

We need a strict liability law like they have in Europe. The larger vehicle driver is thus strictly liable for injuries when their vehicle hits a smaller vehicle or the motor vehicle hits a motorcyclist, bicyclist or pedestrian. This would be for actual damages only and not include punitive damages. Also excluded would be cases of gross negligence on the part of the victim - ie being drunk, not wearing a helmet if helmets are mandatory, flagrant disobeying the law - ie a wrong-way rider or redlight runner.

Strict liability laws dramatically reduce injuries because the motorist can no longer just say "but I didn't see you"

[HuckleB]

29. No riding sans helmet without disability insurance.

Don't expect the rest of us to pay to keep your vegetative body alive for years on end because you are too cool for a helmet.

Same goes for bicyclists!

On edit: And I am a bicyclist who puts more miles a year on his bike than in motor vehicles (not counting air travel).

[patcox2]

30. Good. More organ donors.

Thats what EMTs call motorcycle riders.

[Toots]

35. More head injuries are reported in Car accidents than motorcycle accidents

Why is wearing a helmet not manditory for people in cars as well?

[HuckleB]

41. Do you really want to go down that road?

Oh boy, that's the best distraction post of the day so far.

You do understand risk assessment and the basic definition of risk, no?

[Bridget Burke]

42. Are there more cars on the road than motorcycles?

Please post your figures so we can check the percentages. Raw numbers alone are not that meaningful.

Seatbelts help reduce head injuries in cars & they are usually mandatory.

[HuckleB]

43. So what!?

I'm still ticked off that I can't ride helmetless and seatbeltless in the back of a pick-up truck anymore!

Where's my freedom!?

;)

[Zynx]

47. Um, I count at least two logical fallacies here

1. Many, many more drivers/passengers of cars than riders/passengers of motorcycles.

2. Average head injury of car passanger nowhere near the severity of motorcycle injury because the car passanger isn't actually having his head dropped on concrete.

[slackmaster]

40. Arizona is the same way

When I travel there (from California) I'm always shocked by helmetless motorcyclists and people smoking in restaurants.

[High Plains]

73. Maybe the state motto should be "Live Free AND Die"

[napi21]

44. We need a further breakdown on those fatalities.

I personally believe in wearing a helmet, but, having said that, my BIL & SIL were severely injured in a bike accident during that period of time, and IN FLORIDA. They both were wearing helmets, and were riding with their group when a large dog ran onto the highway. The lead biker hit the dog, and there was a chain reaction of collisions involving 7 bikes. My relatives were life-flighted, and spent 6 weeks in the hospital. No, they weren't killed, but the Dr's said they were both very lucky, as they didn't expect either would survive.

As someone else here posted, all the referenced fatalities were not due to riders not wearing a helmet. I'm sure SUV's play a large part too. As an accountant of many years, I can assure you, an any list can make true numbers prove almost anything!

[Zynx]

48. I get tired of people who argue physics

Of course bikers can still easily be killed even if they're wearing a helmet. Being tossed off one's bike at highway speeds is going to be bad.

However, it's an undeniable fact that armoring one's head in an impact helmet makes it much more likely that said person will stay alive if the head gets hit hard because less force is going right into the skull. You're better off with the head armor than without it, period.

[napi21]

59. You're absolutely right! My point is the stats given for Fl. don't

show the whole picture. It's the right thing to wear a helmet, but to simply state that fatalities went up BECAUSE the law was suspended is not demonstrated. It very well my be the case, but without showing the causes of the fatalities, we simply don't know.

[uncle ray]

62. well then let's have helmet laws for pedestrians

seriously. i frequently drive or ride through a fairly busy downtown area, EVERY DAY i see pedestrians walk out into the street, THEN look for traffic! and of course, they have that priceless look on their face when they turn to, gasp, see a car coming! or those silly little walk/don't walk signs, oh, they're just a recomendation, right?

and i'm not talking teenagers or children, these are professional adults who work in a busy downtown environment who don't know to look both ways before crossing the street. the problem ain't fucking bikers, it's stupid people who don't give a whit about their own safety, not to mention some biker trash's safety.

[Patchuli]

70. "You're better off with the head armor "

except when the head armor twists your neck and breaks it. Ever had a heavy helmet on your head?

[hedgehog]

50. My daughter is alive and well today because she wore a helmet

She was actually riding her bike across the street. She and her friend decided to ride down the steep driveway down to the sewer department not realizing they were riding off the sid of a river cliff. When the bike started moving too fast, she hit the brakes and flipped. She came out with a ruptured spleen and a ruined helmet. Without the helmet, she would have smashed the upper right front of her skull, which happens to be where personality resides. That was a bicycle going maybe 15, 20MPH tops?

[One_Life_To_Give]

55. Nanny Laws

1) What does it say about us when we pay police to go out and enforce laws like this. (Is my biggest problem that someone will go out and hurt themselves?)

2) Where does the use of Nanny Laws end? Limiting beef to avoid heart disease? Banning tighty whities to prevent testicular cancer?

[Not_Giving_Up]

57. Texas repealed the helmet law as well, years ago

From what I understand, if you have a head injury and were not wearing a helmet, the state won't pay for any of your treatment.

[brentspeak]

58. Gary Busey used to be an anti-helmet activist

until he almost became road-pizza following an accident. Now he's a PRO-helmet activist.

[Miss Chybil]

60. People should have enough brains to wear helmets without the state

telling them to do so. Of course, they don't. Just like they don't have enough brains to wear a seatbelt without threat of a traffic ticket. Instant death doesn't seem to be much of a motivator compared to a fine.

I'm split on this. We don't have a helmet law in Arizona. Some people wear them, some people don't. I guess since I agree with the seatbelt law, I agree with a helmet law. Still people should use their heads when it comes to protecting their heads.

[nolabels]

63. Motorcyles are deadly enough why do people like to make it worse

Of course watching some dim bulb on the freeway one night pulling wheelies at about 85 mph made me so I don't wonder much anymore


The High-Speed Wheelie contest was not won by this Hayabusa, as you might expect, but by another strong Suzuki: a GSX-R1000 that ran the length of the strip on one wheel and cut the lights at 111 mph.
(snip)


http://www.superstreetbike.com/stuntcompetitions/030_0312_freestyle/

[Name removed]

64. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

74. Helmet and seatbelt laws SAVE LIVES, period. (nt)

[ashling]

65. A mind opening experience

riding a motorcycle without a helmet can me a mind opening - or rather, a skull opening- experience.

[Sgent]

66. Can someone point me

in the direction that says that motorcycle helmet laws actually result in a savings of costs for healthcare???

It would seem to me, that most people who are in a wreck where a helmet would have been of use, are now dead. Dead people don't need lots of surgery and recovery time, collect disability, etc.

[Bridget Burke]

75. From the linked story....

"The cost of hospital care for motorcycle injuries grew from $21 million to $44 million in the 30 months after the law changed; the figures were adjusted for inflation."

[GinaMaria]

71. Donorcycles

that's what they were called when I was in RN school. Usually the cyclist was young, male and relatively healthy... ideal candidate for organ donation.

Take care of yourselves DUers! Please wear helmets and protective gear.

[progressivebydesign]

76. Can't believe anyone would be stupid enuff to repeal that law.

I have had 3 friends in serious motorcycle accidents. 2 died. 1 did not. Which ones were wearing the helmet?

[Mojorabbit]

77. I am sick to death

of nanny laws. Let's just legislate every freeking possible aspect of our lives and while we are at it don't forget to say, "If it will save just ONE childs life it is worth it. Sheesh.

[Bridget Burke]

80. How much is one child's life worth?

Or one adult's life?

Of course, the result can just be brain damage.

[yasmina27]

78. I hate...

...motorcycles! Sorry all you cycling enthusiasts, but nearly every cyclist I've encountered on the road has been rude and dangerous. Weaving in and out of traffic, riding curbs and so on. I have no patience or sympathy for them.

Perhaps my vision is clouded. When I was young, just got my license, I came upon a cycle accident before the policed arrived. The person was literally splattered across the roadl. It was horrifying.

To all who are responsible riders, kudos to you!

[Name removed]

83. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Pewlett Hackard]

84. people sue gun manufacturers

sue the motorcycle manufacturers for selling an inherently unsafe product. it doesnt even make sense that motorcylces are legal: no airbags, no side impact protection.

[benEzra]

85. Too bad they don't give deaths per rider-mile figures

since the no-helmet law may have encouraged people to ride more (Florida is HOT, folks, and wearing a helmet when it's 101 degrees is no fun).

I thought it was supposed to be the repubs who want to tell everybody how to live?? If I were riding a bike in traffic, I'd wear a helmet, but if I were out for a scenic ride on a speed-limit 35 oceanfront highway, I might not...should I have that choice?