Helmets, Laws, Etc.

I thought I'd discuss that ever debated topic, helmet laws and helmet use.  For some inexplicable reason, this topic has generated more emotion than any I can remember over the past 27 years.  So, here's my take; accept it, don't accept it, debate it, whatever.

Increasingly, motorists are using seat belts.  Why? Well, for one, its mandated in law in most states and two, it has been proven to save lives.  Interestingly, few people question this.  Helmets, however, not only save lives but they can prevent an accident from happening.  You're probably saying to yourself, self, can't happen, right? Well, we'll get to that part in a bit.  First, lets discuss what the purpose of a helmet is - to protect you should you get into an accident.  It isn't guaranteed to save your life, ensure life and prosperity, nor will it ensure that you won't suffer some sort of head injury.  What is does is based upon simple physics - it diffuses the blow.  If you've ever studied Judo or any martial art, you learned to take a fall.  On the mat, you were instructed to slap your hands down as you hit the ground.   The reason, you learned, was to diffuse the blow to other parts of your body.   The helmet does the same thing.  Its constructed of high impact polyurethane which, when a blow occurs to the helmet, diffuses the blow throughout the helmet instead of allowing the full impact to center at one spot.  That translates into less damage to the head.  Now the problem... it only works once!  Drop your helmet, slam it against something and the blow is absorbed.  Result, reduced protection when you need it.  Lesson - take care of it.  Next problem - the polyurethane breaks down over time.  Unless the process has changed over the past couple of years (quite likely), a helmet should be good for about three years before it needs to be replaced.

Next, not only can a helmet protect you once you've been in an accident, it can also prevent one from happening in the first place.  Now, if you're a real macho type, you're probably saying this is pure bull but then, you also probably disbelieve that flying rocks, etc. can cause shattered windshields.  My new 1998 Electra Glide Classic has a nice pit in the windshield because of a flying rock.  Imagine, if you will, what my head would look like if that had hit my head.  The natural instinct is, in alarm, to raise a hand to the wound.  Depending upon how hard it hit, how big it was, and your natural tendencies, its quite possible that you will go down.  Perhaps you'll stay up but swerve startling other drivers who may react to your actions.   Perhaps, their reaction causes an accident.  But... because what do you care, right?  Think about it.  I've seen a number of riders go down over the years from flying rocks, etc.  In the late 80's in July, on I25, three sport bikes passed me; none of the riders was wearing a helmet.  Hail started coming down and it was big hail.  Two of the bikes went down just North (less than a 1/4 mile) of an overpass.   The third made it to the overpass.  The two that went down were hit by hail and lost control of their bikes.  Question - while I won't argue one's right to kill themselves if they wish, do they have the right to kill someone else?  Let me put it another way - if a rider gets hit in the head by a rock and goes down and their bike (or body) goes into traffic resulting in other accidents and someone is killed, did they have that right?

Some of the arguments against helmets are:

1.  The helmet reduces vision.  Take a typical full face closed helmet and read the specs on peripheral vision.  Then, have your eyes checked.  My guess is that you'll find no reduction of vision or if reduction does occur, its insignificant.

2.  The helmet blocks out sound.  This is an interesting argument considering that most people drive down the road in their cars with the windows closed and the radio blaring (and lets not forget the heater and/or air conditioner going).  Is hearing reduced?  Depends on your perspective.  If you don't wear a helmet, its a guarantee that you'll suffer hearing loss over time assuming that you put any amount of miles of your ride.  Motorcycle Consumer News did some interesting studies on noise.   One thing is certain, whatever reduction the helmet causes is significantly less than the reduction of sound within an automobile.  And, hearing loss is reduced.   Many riders wear ear plugs to reduce damage from wind and other sounds thus, this argument is further reduced.

3.  The helmet can cause injury or death itself.  This is probably the most interesting statement and contains little substance.  Can a helmet cause injury? If the conditions are right, yes.  Are the conditions likely to occur? No.  First, remember that the primary purpose of the helmet is to diffuse a blow.  Without a helmet, there is no diffusion thus whatever portion of the head hits will take the full force of the blow.  As the body falls to the ground, studies have shown that based on the shape of the body and the physics of the head, the back center of the scull is likely to hit first.  For the back of the helmet to break or injure the neck is extremely unlikely.  Some will say that a full face closed helmet's face shield can shatter during an accident destroying the riders face.  Is it possible? Yes.  Is is likely? No.  In order for the curved face shield to break inward, the impact will have to occur at the face shield.  Its highly unlikely that this will ever occur; however, if you were thus hit without wearing a helmet, the point would likely be mute - you'd be dead.  There are other such statements but I think you get the point.

The bottom line is this.  Anything on your head can help either prevent an accident or reduce injuries sustained in an accident.  Add to that material specifically designed to diffuse a blow to the head and you have a potential life saver.   But even if you think this is all bunk and you have the right to decide for yourself your fate, do you believe you have the right to make that decision for someone else? If you're a guy, think about your daughter, wife, whatever, being killed in an accident that resulted from a helmetless rider going down from being hit in the head from a rock.  Will you say that no blame should fall to the rider?  That he/she had their rights and the death(s) of your loved ones is justified by the rider's rights? I've known riders who have died; I've seen them go down and I've seen the head snap to the side as a rock slammed into their head.  Its not a pretty sight.  Personally, I suspect a good lawyer could make a case against the state that doesn't have helmet laws and does have seatbelt laws if someone is killed in an accident (or injured) as a result of a helmetless rider going down.  The problem is in determining what hit them.  

Well, just some ideas and thoughts.  Again, like 'em, don't like 'em, your choice.  

Live to Ride,
Ride to Live