Oregon rides familiar road with motorcycle helmet legislation

[The Straight Story]

Oregon rides familiar road with motorcycle helmet legislation

It’s not unusual for a tide of bills to surge across the nation trying to change mandatory motorcycle helmet laws as State governments settle into their new sessions.

Joining the State of Michigan, Oregon legislators are considering a proposal that would only require riders under 21 years of age to wear motorcycle helmet while riding on or operating motorcycle.

Under the proposed law, other riders who choose not to wear a helmet would have to carry $25,000 in personal injury protection in their vehicle insurance policy.

Oregon is one of 20 states that require all motorcycle riders to wear a helmet. Twenty-seven states have motorcycle helmet laws that only require younger riders to do so, and three others do not have any helmet laws.

http://www.clutchandchrome.com/news/news/oregon-motorcycle-helmet-legislation

Your head, your body, your choice.

[Drale]

1. If they can regulate that you have to were a seat belt,

I don't see why they can't do the same for helmets. I have a friend who is only alive today, because he was wearing a helmet in a motorcycle accident.

EDIT: Someone I went to school with is not alive today because he was not wearing a helmet.

[blondeatlast]

2. +1; in my case, a beloved uncle (who passed a few years ago)

would have passed MANY years ago were he not wearing one.

[Fumesucker]

5. Mandatory helmets in cars would save far more lives..

Motorcycles are toys in the USA, only a very small percentage of motorcyclists ride for everyday transportation.

Not denying that helmets on motorcycles save lives, I always wear one, just pointing out that if saving lives is the criteria then auto drivers and passengers should be wearing helmets also.

[The Straight Story]

6. My Brother-in-law is alive today because one time, the only time ever, he did not wear

a seat belt - his best friend fell asleep behind the wheel and hit a truck and he was thrown from the car.

He was, still is, a seat belt nazi. That one day he took his off to recline and sleep - and it saved his life.

His body, his choice.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. Mixed feelings here

I will not ride without a full face helmet and armor, and I ride daily. Other make other choices. I would need to see a valid study of helmet optional states before I came to a conclusion one way or the other.

[IDemo]

4. I don't know whether my life was saved or not by a helmet

But the back of my head was very definitely saved from a severe belt sanding.

[gratuitous]

7. Your head, your body, your choice

And no medical care that you can't pay for out of pocket. Otherwise, yeah. Helmets for everybody on two wheels, and as a bicycle commuter who does 25 miles a day, that goes double for non-motorized two-wheeers.