It's Your Head

[unwind2]

Hi Guys and Gals,
Just sharing - it's your head-your decision.

Yesterday here fellow who rides his Valk to work everyday on his way home after work. Truck pulled out in front of him, he swerved and just barley tipped the back of the truck but went down on the pavement. I am a nurse at the hospital and my hubbie is a fireman who worked the scene. Hit his head on the pavement, had on a novelty type beanie helmet. DOA. :'( The fire dept used a firetruck to wash the blood and brain parts off the road. Several fireman on the scene who ride all said the helmet was a piece of crap.

In the ER the waiting room was full of grieving family and friends. He was 49 years old and apparently well liked in the community. To look at him laying there on the stretcher just a few abrasions unless you look at the back of his head. :(

Just sharing - like I said it's your head.

[socwkbiker]

That's powerful Unwind2. I know sometimes I'm guilty of going lidless, but I've noticed those times are less and less. Now, even in this Texas heat, I've got my lid on.

[rflnomad]

Yeah, that is a tough thing to see and have in our memory. Our thoughts go out to the families.
Here in Fla, they repealed the helmet law. The fatality rate shot up. The anti-helmet group blame too many inexperienced riders and bad auto drivers. (I can agree somewhat ). The pro-helmet group blame ... inexperienced riders and bad car drivers!
We always wear our helmets and jeans, Long sleeve shirts and over the ankle shoes. It's just not worth risking it in our eyes.
I see riders on sportbikes AND cruisers riding way over their heads and conditions with a tee shirt, shorts and sneakers. It is scary.
And, as mentioned, some of the helmets out there are JUNK. My parents wore hard-hats as helmets for years. I just kept doing my thing keeping Bell Helmets in buisiness.
I do invest in safety apparel because it is for our safety! I know it is a choice, but it's my choice.

[trip]

Very sorry to hear that. Working in a hospital myself, I occasionally hear stories just like that from our ER.

Having that said, I have had riders come up to me and ask why I ride with a full faced helmet even in the summer heat. That's why.

It doesn't insure that I won't get hurt in the head, but it does give me a much better chance.

[flightdoc]

I feel bad every time I hear of a bike fatality, no matter what the circumstances. Back in May, right outside my office is a busy road. At lunch time a guy on a BMW with full gear hit a dump truck broadside. Killed instantly. Happens he came from my home town and is about the same age as myself. It had been broadcast on the radio and soon after my wife recieved a call from a family member asking if it was ME!!! Pretty upsetting. That night Denise and I sat in the living room talking about it and feeling so terrible for the riders wife having to get that call. How it must affect the family. This is leading to something.......
Two days later, after work, I was riding on the highway I always take home. There is a toll booth I have to go thru. I was changing lanes as I approached the toll and a truck cut me off. I swerved back into the lane I just moved from but the traffic had come to a dead stop. I did everything I could to stop but couldn't. I struck the car stopped in front of me. I think I was able slow to about 15 MPH before I hit. Not very fast. I don't remember anything after that. Witnesses said I went down and struck my head on the road. They said the bike slid 100 feet and I rolled about 50 feet like a rag doll. I was completely unconsious for 15 minutes and only rememeber bits and pieces the rest of the night. The ER doc said the CAT scan show a small amount of bleeding in my brain BUT didn't think they needed to do surgery!!!! Holy sh*t....surgery. I was stunned. I had been trying to convince them to let me go home then he said that! My wife and I suddenly realized, truly realized for the first time, how serious this was. The doc told my wife if I hadn't been wearing my helmet, she would have been planning my funeral. it made me think of what happened to that other not so lucky rider just two days before. I don't want my family going thru that. I was very lucky. We always wear our safety gear no matter how hot it is.
Sorry about going on with this story. I don't want to hear a sad story concerning any of you.

vin

[bluetongue]

I used to ride with no helmet and after I survived a head-on crash with a car the day before I was getting married I started wearing a bucket. I have some friends that ride lidless and we affectionately call the organ donors due to the likeliness of major head injury in a crash. Even with the extreme heat of Houston,TX I still wear a 3/4 bucket cause I have to much at stake (wife and child) to die from not wearing my helmet.

[flightdoc]

I agree. I don't really think of myself. It's my family that would have to live with my decision.

vin

ditto

[socwkbiker]

Same here.

[dharris]

I think everyone riding should wear a helmet.....but I think it should be their choice..not the Governments or do gooders...If you are not adult enought to make an informed decision about your personal safety you should not be riding a motorcycle....I always wear mine

[vulcanvixen]

That's quite a story FlightDoc. Glad to hear it turned out OK for you!!

[Todd]

I too am guilty of riding w/o a lid on occassion when I am in SC..especially Myrtle Beach area around rallies....Its dumb I know and the older I get the more I wear it. Maybe after reading these I will wear it more often...

NC has mandatory helmet laws

[unwind2]

Got another good one for y'all. This actually happened the same day as the fatality. Fellow was riding on back of buddies crotch rocket with nothing on except a pair of swimming trunks! Driver got up to approx 100 mph and decided to do wheelie. Of course he lost it. Fellow on back covered in road rash of course even his butt as swimming shorts next to nothing. Bottom of his feet raw. Went to surgery for debridements. Still in hospital on lots of pain meds. Driver bummed up a little but okay. Two lucky but very stupid dudes.

[flightdoc]

I feel the same as most concerning helmets. "Uncle" should not be telling folks what to wear. Like seatbelts, I feel they should be available but not mandatory. I remember years ago that's the way it was. I would not be without a lid but that's my choice.

vin

[unwind2]

I wear a lid but agree with the too much government control.