Pursuing happiness as a member of a free society involves risks. Having the freedom to make these kinds of choices is a good thing. Being denied your rights to this freedom is a bad thing. A very bad thing.
The claim that mandatory helmet use is not a freedom issue because "Society" bears the cost of injured Motorcyclists is an argument that could be applied to just about any activity one might want to pursue. This is the kind of logic that Communist Countries use to enslave their Citizens.
In fact, 3 times more Pedestrians die in America (a large percentage involve head injuries) than die in motorcycle accidents. I don't see Government promoting mandatory helmet use for Pedestrians although I have no doubt that they will get around to it eventually. As you are probably aware, there is a move afoot to force Skiers to wear helmets based on a tiny, yet high profile number of accidents and fatalities encountered in that sport. To put this in a context that everyone can relate to: the majority of automobile fatalities involve head injuries. Interestingly, it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle (car or truck) in Oregon while wearing a motorcycle helmet.
Using NHTSA's own figures, tens of thousands of lives would be saved each year if Motorists were forced by the Government to wear helmets. Is a mandatory helmet law for all Motorists and automobile passengers legislation that you would vote for?
The U.S. Constitution guarantees Americans the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It does not guarantee or promote the pursuit of these things provided that they are performed under Government mandated safety constraints. There is nothing in the Constitution saying that it is Government's job to force Citizens to adhere to safety edicts against their will. In fact, the Constitution is pretty clear that our Founding Fathers expected Government to refrain from interfering with our personal liberties.
bib.jpg (2690 bytes)Almost every activity in life involves risk. And what a boring life it would be if we all walked around with helmets, safety shoes and a Michelin Man style outer wrapping. Forcing Adult Americans to wear a piece of so-called "safety" equipment against their will is anti-American and is certainly not the kind of role that our founding Fathers had in mind for Government when the United States was created.
Showing posts with label law for rider. Show all posts
Showing posts with label law for rider. Show all posts
Sunday, February 8, 2009
EXPERIENCED RIDERS ARE AGAINST THE LAW FOR SAFETY REASONS
The National Highway Transportation Safety Agency (NHTSA) claims that Motorcyclists are against mandatory helmet laws because helmets muss up our hair...or because Motorcyclists don't look "cool" with helmets on. What nonsense!
Does anyone really believe that people disrupt their lives, spending 20 or 30 years of their life and a lot of money fighting mandatory helmet laws for these kinds of reasons? Motorcycling can be dangerous. No rational person is going to do anything to increase their likelihood of injury while riding a motorcycle or while doing anything else, for that matter. Why then is there so much resistance to mandatory helmet laws by the people who are being commanded by Government to wear them?
A fact well known to anyone who rides a motorcycle is that helmets cause accidents and helmets kill Riders.
I have long since lost count of all of the near misses I have had when I couldn't see or hear the car that was about to violate my right of way. Anyone who tells you that motorcycle helmets don't adversely effect your ability to operate a motorcycle has never tried to ride a motorcycle while wearing one. Take this simple test: go to your local motorcycle shop and put on a full face helmet. Lower the facemask, as required by law, and walk around the showroom for 30 seconds and you'll start to see what we mean. Now imagine trying to operate a motorcycle in heavy traffic, in 90 degree heat or in the pouring rain and we think you'll start to get the picture.
Forget about statistics for a second. Common sense says that wearing a helmet makes it orders of magnitude more difficult to operate a motorcycle.
We'll tell you some horror stories about friends who have had their necks broken by the helmets that they were forced to wear another time. Suffice it to say that I am not looking forward to spending what's left of my life in a wheelchair as a result of some Bureaucrat's desire to "save my life".
Does anyone really believe that people disrupt their lives, spending 20 or 30 years of their life and a lot of money fighting mandatory helmet laws for these kinds of reasons? Motorcycling can be dangerous. No rational person is going to do anything to increase their likelihood of injury while riding a motorcycle or while doing anything else, for that matter. Why then is there so much resistance to mandatory helmet laws by the people who are being commanded by Government to wear them?
A fact well known to anyone who rides a motorcycle is that helmets cause accidents and helmets kill Riders.
I have long since lost count of all of the near misses I have had when I couldn't see or hear the car that was about to violate my right of way. Anyone who tells you that motorcycle helmets don't adversely effect your ability to operate a motorcycle has never tried to ride a motorcycle while wearing one. Take this simple test: go to your local motorcycle shop and put on a full face helmet. Lower the facemask, as required by law, and walk around the showroom for 30 seconds and you'll start to see what we mean. Now imagine trying to operate a motorcycle in heavy traffic, in 90 degree heat or in the pouring rain and we think you'll start to get the picture.
Forget about statistics for a second. Common sense says that wearing a helmet makes it orders of magnitude more difficult to operate a motorcycle.
We'll tell you some horror stories about friends who have had their necks broken by the helmets that they were forced to wear another time. Suffice it to say that I am not looking forward to spending what's left of my life in a wheelchair as a result of some Bureaucrat's desire to "save my life".
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