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AB,

Great ideas, but I don’t think the $200 permit would cover the “Insurance Risk” issue. My guess is something 5x to 10x that price to cover the fees related to brain injuries

Beyond that, you expose an issue to people to buy a $200 permit to avoid wearing there seat belt.

The mixture of freedom and public liability is a hard choice.

I am sorry, but I don’t agree with all of the above.

1) The ones that die cost virtually nothing.

Asuming the following: Instant death (Low possablity) the cost would include a police investigation to determine fault of a deadly acident, Coraner investigation, Related body trasportation.
If the person does not die on contact with the ground: The cost would include the police investigation, medical attention (probably a hellicopter ride as well), ER Services, ICU Services, End of Life Care, Corner Investgation, Body Transportation.
*** Basicly “Virtually Nothing” would be Quite SOMETHING.

2) The ones that require long-term care are few

- Truth is NHTSA says there is death rate of 47 per 1000 crashes. So I think “Few” would require long term care is not true.

3) Many, many, many other activities have high head injury rates (horseback riding, snow skiing, skateboarding, ice skating, hang gliding), yet there is no talk of mandatory helmet laws for these groups.

I particpate in Paragliding. To get off the ground you are REQUIRED to wear a helmet. High Gliding has this requirement as well. Horsebak riders are strongly encourage to wear helemts. Snow skiing lost a US Senitor/Ex-Rockstar due to a head injury. Skateboarding is a place where you see most kids wearing helmets. I see mandatory helmet laws for these groups to be easy to pass and will effect them little. But for some reason some motorcyclists can’t see past “Freedom” to put on a helmet.

5) For comparison, if this helmet law does prolong (not save) a life, what’s it cost to keep a 90 year old alive for 6 months on a respirator when they live the nice extended lifespan from over-protection in their younger years (don’t forget to add 50 years of inflation, since they’ll be living until 2050)?

End of life arguments basicly support that helmet laws would allow more people to live longer. If you feel that old people are to expensive, you should suggest a National Old persons HUNTING day. Would it not be lovely to see grandma strung up and gutted like a dear so we could “Thin Out” the herd of old people.

Rhino,

First off Rhino, I have made it up to Miller once and brought my own place to stay at the track. Tooele, UT has lovely places to stay if I need a place to stay. So “Offers” that were never extended in the first place can not be “Rescinded”

In Regards to “Old Person Hunting Day”, I am tried to make an absurd reply to a concept that was based on the cost to keep someone alive on a respirator

your comment:

What everyone is forgetting, when calculating the “cost” of helmetless riders is:
1) The ones that die cost virtually nothing.
2) The ones that require long-term care are few.

I think you were not correct. The cost to care for anyone who dies in a Car or Motorcycle Accident is about the same (But removing the body from the car may cost more).
We make people wear seat belts, cars have Airbags Now, all in an effort to reduce the number of fatalities per 1000 accidents. Has all this Automotive safety equipment been a waist? Should seatbelt use be Optional? I don’t think most people would agree that seatbelt use should be “Optional”

On the point you bring up about…..

every point I’ve made instead of considering the possibility

I considered them carefully I presented NHTSA data (How ever FLAWED government data can be) to reflect my opinion your statement was not correct. I presented the fact that I Paraglide, and that helmet use in dangerous sports are common and “Mandating” them would probably not receive much resistance. Don’t accuse me of not considering the possibility that you may be correct. I searched for data and argued against your points. If you don’t like my arguments, please provide me with data that proves me wrong. I am sure ABATE has lots of data that proves me wrong.

Best part of all of this is, when I go out to the track, I can’t go out without safety gear, my bike being Tech inspected, My gear being inspected, following corner workers and the like. Lately I feel I am 10x safer on the race track then I am on the street.

Rhino,

Forgive me for responding when you make a Quasi Personal attack at me. For the Record, you never offered me a place to stay in SLC and I never asked you for one. I took that last line as not a discussion point but a personal attack.

And to be honest, In extended thought I kinda am warming up to AB’s idea of a “Buy In” fund to ride without a helmet.

AB,

I will look up a Lo-Carb version

Lets eat apple pie.

And you’re right. I live in California, and what we like here as far as laws, taxes, regulations shouldn’t have to be followed by folks in Arizona - or the other way around.

I never speak or associate myself with anything French. Since I m holed up in Montreal, Quebec I find it appropriate to respond with:

Touché (note the authentic thingie above the letter e)

This is the stuff that makes America SUCK!!!!!! Who wants to live in a “free” country that outlaws everything. I think a revolution is in order. We needs to get back to the basics and remember “Freedom”. Freedom does not mean you should regulate everyone and force them to adhear to your twisted view of the world

its a conspiracy, it is cheaper just to die when not wearing a helmet and the healthcare industry knows that. i guarantee it is cheaper for a person to die in a accident than, if the person lived because of their little helmet. they will still need to have rehab for their broken legs, and follow up treatment for the rest of their lives for their ruptured discs.

the healthcare industry wants you to stay alive so you can just slowly die and pay more $$$$ in hospital bills, if everybody just instantly died, they would go bankrupt.