There are those who'll tell you that it's up to you to wear a motorcycle helmet, as it's your right to worry about your own safety. And there's a kernel of truth to that idea, as I'm not your mother or father. You're an adult, and you should take care of yourself.
But here's the real truth, humans are inherently stupid animals, and we do all manner of dumb things all the freakin' time. We can't leave our phones in a cupholder for a second while driving a potentially idiotic 10,000-pound electric Hummer, for Pete's sake. Why should we then be entrusted with our own safety?
And that's sorta where I'm at in terms of helmet laws, as I'm very much for them. Not because I like a nanny state or big government, I really don't. But because I'd rather not see my fellow motorcyclists die a horribly painful death because they were too freakin' stupid to just wear a full face helmet while out on the road. I mean, the data says it all, they increase your chances of survival in an accident.
So when I see states like Pennsylvania which, after amending its motorcycle helmet law so that they were only required for folks who were under 21, are now talking about reinstating everyone being made to wear a helmet, I'm all for it. And for those who don't, are you pro-death?
That said, I have a caveat, but I don't think you'll like it...
"Motorcycle crashes remain a significant source of preventable death and injury in the commonwealth," says State Rep. Manuel Guzman to the Times Observer, who's seeking a co-sponsorship memorandum for the legislation, adding, "Traumatic brain injuries, in particular, are among the leading causes of fatality and long-term disability among unhelmeted riders. While Pennsylvania law currently mandates helmet use for riders under 21 or those without at least two years of experience or a safety course, data continues to show that partial helmet laws do not provide sufficient protection to the riding public."
And he's right.
We talk a lot about helmet safety here on RideApart, usually in the context of a state repealing such laws and then, a year later, having the statistics to say that rider deaths, serious injury, and traumatic brain damage have all, weirdly, seen an uptick since the repeal. Who could've guessed it, he asks with all the sarcasm I can muster.
For those who don't know me, I'm a big stickler on helmet use, as without my Shoei helmet, I wouldn't be here. Years ago, I had a big ole wreck in the canyons above Los Angeles, as midway through a turn, I caught gravel, tried to save the bike, and high-sided into the cliff wall. I rag-dolled across its surface, resulting in a broken shoulder, bruised lung and spine, concussion, and I compressed my spine enough to shrink a bit. I also had three 1/4-inch gashes alongside my helmet that would've eaten into my skull had I not had it on.
So whenever this topic comes up, I can't help but think back to that moment and how I wouldn't be here without my helmet. And how me saying, "Well, it's your right to risk your life, so whatever," is such a piss-poor response to anyone's rebuttal on these proposed or enacted laws.
Guzman's proposal has an uphill battle, as more and more states have begun adopting less strict motorcycle safety guidelines and laws, including numerous helmet law repeals. But again, each and every time these states and their representatives do just that, you see an immediate increase in rider deaths and injuries, injuries that cause long-term issues for the riders, as well as the medical system that's already strained. But sure, it's your right to become a vegetable. It's your right to go fling yourself off your bike and into someone's windshield, your brain splattering across its glass.
You demand your freedom to die a horrible death, because that's what freedom is! So for those freedom-loving idiots, I offer you this compromise. I'm perfectly fine with you exercising your freedoms, and choosing how to live how you want to live. But if you're going to ride a motorcycle without a helmet, why don't you just sign a liability waiver that states you refuse any and all medical treatment for any sort of head, spine, or brain injury? State that you won't be a burden on an already taxed medical system, as you've already weighed the cost-benefit of your actions, and you chose the unsafe option.
So you refuse all medical care. You refuse a trip to the hospital if you go down. You refuse a doctor's help, their ability to put you back together, and the drain you'll become on the hospital's resources, as well as society's, when you inevitably lose what makes you you. And furthermore, when you decide to go out into the world without a helmet, you must sign up to become an organ donor. Might as well use the rest of you for good, since you ain't making it.
That sound fair? Sounds fair to me. Idiots.
