Wearing a motorcycle helmet is a choice in your state/country?
Great. Good for you.
My home state – Michigan – repealed it’s helmet requirements in 2013, and allowed the riders to make the choice to wear one. And with any choice, what follows are the consequences of those choices. For this reason here are what I think are,..
The only 10 Reasons to Wear A Motorcycle Helmet
1. Bugs! – June bugs are the biggest ride killers out there.
.
I once caught one in the upper right corner of my lip and it split wide open.
Talk about looking tough pulling into your next stop. (Minus all the bug juice that is.) Didn’t have a helmet on, didn’t have a face mask on either.
.
2. Crashes.
Crashing on a motorcycle sucks. Crashing on a motorcycle without a helmet sucks more. Crashing on a parked motorcycle, well that is about the worst.
3. Helmets are disposable, your brain/face is not (brain on pavement)
Your brain is not a disposable, replaceable item that you can buy. You might be able to customize it and make it your own, but what you cannot do is replace it.
Helmets you can dispose..
Helmets you can replace.
Helmets you can exchange.
You cannot do these things with your brain.
4. Neck injuries suck. Period.
5. Road rash = skin graph
6. Teeth are replaceable
and they are expensive, and it is hard to chew a big steak with fake teeth.
7. Chin wagging
is a lot of fun for us old folks. It’s hard to wag that chin if it is full of pins and fake parts. You can chin wag on the road all you want with a bluetooth motorcycle helmet.
8. “Fascinating –the face can serve as sacrificial crumple zone for the brain.”
9. Cauliflower ears are not very attractive.
10. Your hair can be fixed when you get there.
Ok, so there may be a few more reasons to wear a motorcycle helmet than just 10. Each year, hundreds of people in Canada and the U.S. are in motorcycle accidents that results in fatalities and permanent head injuries. Though these people are constantly warned by all kinds of marketing campaigns that tell bike and motorcycle rides about the importance of riding their bikes with the proper head gear, these warning will often go unheeded and the inevitable does occur.
According to the latest statistics, many of these injuries could have been avoided if the person had worn a helmet when they were riding.
Even when people travel short distances, wearing a helmet with each trip is highly recommended by the medical profession.
While some people have injuries that may cause them a little time off of their feet, others have permanent damage that cannot be reversed. From traumatic brain injuries that results in disabilities that will not allow them to walk to riders having speech problems, there are a lot of things that can occur because the person decides to ignore the warning and travel without their helmet.
Based on studies conducted at John Hopkins Medical School, statistics show that bike riders are less likely to sustain spinal injuries when they are wearing the helmets as prescribed. These studies show the probabilities of fatalities rise when drivers do not wear their head gear consistently with every ride. As a result, states like Virginia require all of their motorcycle riders to adhere to Universal Helmet laws since they require riders to not only wear a helmet, but also safety glasses and a face shield. To support these efforts and reasoning, according to statistics that were compiled in the year 2009, 69 of 2,115 crashes ended in fatalities.
So it is critical that everyone understands that head injuries and fatalities are linked directly to riders who did not wear their helmets.
Due to the increase in popularity of motorcycle riders, its also a growing concern for safety awareness. Since people are using these bikes as a mode of transportation to maneuver around, especially in tight places, the number of motorcycles on the road is rising. Which means, the safety campaign that emphasizes the importance of wearing a helmet to prevent severe and fatal injuries cannot be published enough.In these campaigns, drivers should be told why they are essential to their safety, health and welfare. As an added inducement to wearing the right protective gear, each rider should know the exact function of a helmet in an accident. For instance, the function of the helmet is to absorb the impact of the accident when it occurs. Because bruises and scratches on the arms, legs, and knees are easier to treat, it’s the head that is exposed to the greatest risks. Therefore, without the helmet buffering the impact, the head takes a direct hit, which causes brain damage problems up to and including death.
It is also important to note, that traveling at reasonable speeds is also important to safety of the individual. Even though many motorcycle riders are often tempted to speed and maneuver around large vehicles quickly, they can better protect their lives and others when they are traveling safely and at speeds that will not cause an instant fatality.
Which means, even with the most expense helmet that they can sell on the market today, at certain speed the helmet that they are wearing will not protect them from brain damage or other severe problems. See the bird ->
Another area of importance that some people may not be aware of is about the elements that a motorcycle rider may come in contact with. For instance, smoke, dust and high winds are sometimes inevitable and the driver is highly at risk of being adversely affected if they drive without one.
Because smoke, dust and too much wind can compromise their view, it makes it difficult for the person to see what is ahead. So, if they are driving too fast or even slowly, the impact that it has on their view can also be a recipe for disaster. Therefore, this is also why some states are requiring their drivers to adhere to universal helmet laws that require face shields as well.
Before buying a helmet, it is also important to note that there are some specific requirements that must be met. It does not matter if the helmet is cheap or very expensive, it must meet specific standards before it is considered to be safe. Once the helmet meets these standards, it is also the rider to have a helmet that fits properly. So, it is essential for people who make a choice to test someone else’s bike to have a helmet that will fit them as prescribed.
Helmet Injuries Breakdown.
In addition to making sure the helmet meets specific standards and fits well, it is also important for the rider to inspect the hat from time to time. Since cracks and abrasions can compromise the overall safety of the hat and its ability to absorb the impact, this is also a critical part of remaining safe while on the road.
The laws are also changing to accommodate new technology. Because some of the fatalities are being linked to cell phones, people playing loud music, mobile games and other things that can distract a driver’s attention, it is important that safety awareness is heightened in these areas as well.
For instance, some motorcycle riders practice maneuvering around the car that is ahead of them without any warning. Because of the many different distractions of today, these moves can easily become fatal.
Also, as information is being reported and emergency rooms see more activity, experts are trying to address these concerns with a flood of awareness programs. In fact. [art of the group that has been identified as problematic is dealing with the parents. Based on the information that they secured and compiled in this area, most parents failed to provide a helmet to their children because they did not think it was necessary when riding in the safe environments. Or, they did not have a helmet that was small enough to fit the child. Whatever the preference, parents did not know the importance of making sure their kids had a helmet every time they were placed on a motorcycle for a ride down the street or around corner.
To sum it up – Here are the reasons that you should be wearing a helmet.
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Ride safe, Ride hard.