If you didn't have to wear a helmet, would you?

[Lawrence]

I was thinking about this on the way home after seeing a bloke in a turban riding an R1.  If you didn't have to wear one by law, would you?

[rustyrider]

I started riding bikes before helmets became compulsory but still wore one all the time.  Getting hit in the face by a bumble bee at about 20mph while riding across a field before I was old enough to ride on the road convinced me that riding without anything covering my face was a stupid thing to do.  As helmets had visors, wearing one seemed to be the intelligent thing to do.

[Exupnut]

Its a no brainer



Yuckie

[stevierst]

Getting hit in the face by a bumble bee at about 20mph

I did that whilst filtering on the m6 with my visor up, a great big moth or gnat tw@ed me right between the eyes. It hit so hard I saw stars for a second or two!

So no, I don't think I would ride without my lid. I'd get knocked out by insects!:

[mr self destruct]

I definitely would, but does this make me a hypocrite because I'd happily drive a car without a seat belt.
Up until recently I had a 1964 Vauxhall Victor with a bench seat and no belts which I'd drive all day.
Having said that, if a car had belts fitted I'd always wear them.

[Loz]

I also passed before you had to wear one but I rode horses too and would never have ridden that without anything on my head to I suppose that had a bearing on it, certainly wouldn't now, even now I can't understand how I managed with an open face helmet lol

[mtread]

It would be nice to do some low speed maneuvering without a helmet, which is technically illegal. Especially on hot days. No more than about 10/15 mph.

[Lazarus]

always!

when i had my "off", i still remember the tarmac sliding along just the other side of my visor. if I had no helmet, I would only have half a face left

[Lawrence]

always!

when i had my "off", i still remember the tarmac sliding along just the other side of my visor. if I had no helmet, I would only have half a face left

I don't remember most of my accident, presumably because my head bounced off the ground.  If I'd not had one on I'm sure the damage would've been much worse than a few seconds of memory missing.

[ghostbiker]

I would gladly ditch the lid on the odd ride out etc
Only used to use a lid on the trike if I was on a long trip or fast ride.

99% of the time I would still wear but the choice should be mine.

[Razgruff]

I've ridden lidless no end of times , on Fred Hill runs on way back from the pub (back in the day) and various other times.

If I have a crash, its my fault regardless of circumstances
I choose to ride a bike and not travel in a safety cage.

If I wanted to be safe I wouldn't get on a bike in the first place.
I mean who in their right mind would ????

[Grahamm]

It would be nice to do some low speed maneuvering without a helmet, which is technically illegal. Especially on hot days. No more than about 10/15 mph.

I've done that at Slow Riding training events (on a private car park), although it's interesting that, if you're used to a lid and earplugs, you over-estimate your speed because the engine sounds are louder.

At any other time I'd wear a helmet without question, however I think it should be a matter of personal choice since it's pretty much only your own life you're risking.

[Dave48]

As a youngster rode a few times without but the first time I got hit in the face by a bumblebee I started to wear one all the time. Have a friend who is stuck in a sixties time warp-doesn't acknowledge bikes were built after heyday of BSA empire-let alone riding gear-still wears his much dropped open-face helmet without visor, but I suppose it depends how much value you put on your "grey matter"? There is another point at issue here: The cost of treating brain injuries that might have been avoided by wearing proper head gear. Re seatbelts-I see people driving without but guess they lack imagination at best or are totally stupid!! Remember seeing most horrific car crashes where people had been thrown through windscreen or had their rib cages crushed by steering wheel-there was terrible carnage on the roads before seat belts were fitted & made compulsory. I owe my life to a belt -all I sustained was bruised ribs along the diagonal line of the belt & a stiff neck for a couple of days. The car was totalled but I walked away to tell the tale.

[DryRob]

I'd always wear one, I think it's a sensible precaution considering how little give concrete has.

[ponkster]

Im with Raz - given the choice I wouldn't wear a lid - but it should be up to me to choose

[bigbluebear]

My accident involved me going through the back windscreen of a Vauxhall Cavalier......don't think I'd be here without a helmet

[adeejaysdelight]

I have never known a bike world without lids, but I like to wear mine. I use an open face lid when going into town/work and a full face for ride outs. I find them comfy. I don't even like having no gloves or boots on, it makes me feel exposed. I think compusory helmets are a good thing. I am pro-choice for most things, but what is the benefit of not wearing a lid? Think of the poor paramedic, fire fighter or police officer that has to scoop your tiny wee brain off the road if you crash without one! An open face lid is a really good alternative to not wearing one at all, but still with some level of protection.

[solorider]

going back a few years I slid off on my RD250 and I slid under a marina van, I actually head butted the rear axle and my head did hit the tarmac a few times, my helmet was actually touching the floor when I made contact with the van, the RD missed me by an inch with the handlebars punching an hole into the fuel tank, I walked away with concussion and a seriously bruised leg which I think I was very lucky to escape with just that, I was at work the next day!!
so the moral of my incident was the helmet did save my life, but had the van been any lower by about 2mm the helmet would have killed me as I would have made contact with the angle iron tow bar fitted to the van.

[Hedgetrimmer]

Absolutely. And aside from crash protection, looking at my visor as I write this, if I hadn't worn one, all those bugs would be splatted on my face. No thanks!

[littlejohno]

I do and always would, re the personal choice thought if you die it effects more people than you in so many ways so I think its right to be law

[Oldgit]

eggheads--nuff said on that one.

[Bornagain again]

I started as helmets came in.  I was with the its my head brigade, but nowdays I wouldn't go out without one.
 
Power in even the mid range bikes is more than what was exotic machinery then and there 5 times as many cars on the road now.  The odds are stacked to high to go without.
 
Although the bollocks about expensive lids being safer than cheap ones makes me laugh.  Check out the Sharp testing shows how much rubbish there is in that theory.
 

[ponkster]

I do and always would, re the personal choice thought if you die it effects more people than you in so many ways so I think its right to be law

I do not directly endanger anyone else on the road if I do not wear a helmet - if indirectly affecting people was used as justification we wouldn't be allowed to drink , smoke , eat red meat , and do any dangerous pass times
And as for the firemen and paramedics - boo hoo - thats what they are paid for
 ! Lol

[Grahamm]

There is another point at issue here: The cost of treating brain injuries that might have been avoided by wearing proper head gear.

If you're going to go down that route, you should include the cost of treating every accidental injury that might have been mitigated had someone been wearing protective gear. Tripped over a kerb? Hurt your knee? Should have been wearing knee pads...

[Razgruff]

 
any accident involving a bike is is going to result in avoidable injuries even if the rider has leather helmet gloves turtle shell and all the other gear.

Lets be honest here people 
 How many people do
you know in cars that walk away from sliding on diesel, loose stuff, or hitting an animal on the road.
How many bikers do you know hospitalized from the same things happening to them.

conduct a risk full assessment  and you will never get on a bike again lol

forgot to put the link in lol

http://www.bikersrights.com/statistics/twisting.html