Wearing a Helmet in a Car

[Gatorboy]

Motorcycles, Bicycles, skateboards, etc. all are means of getting around without any other restraint. If you hit something you have no harness (seatbelt) or capsule to keep you confined.

 

[midlf]

Gatorboy - how far from your head is a vehicles inside upper door frame? Think you could hit your head on it in a collision? Would a helmet help prevent injury? If so why are car drivers not required to wear a helmet?

 

[Gatorboy]

... why are car drivers not required to wear a helmet?

Because it would be a ridiculous law.

What is the percentage of people in any fender-bender of being hurt badly by a head injury? It is low.

Almost EVERY accident with a car/motorcycle causes the motorcycle driver to be separated from the bike (by going airborne, as a missle, or just scraping along the ground). The odds of hitting your head in a motorcycle accident is substantially higher.

 

[phffft]

I feel safer if I don't wear pants when I drive. Maybe they should test that and make it a law.

Just kidding guys.

I really don't feel safer.

 

[turnkey4099]

The "if I, as a motorcycle rider am required to wear a helmet, why aren't car drivers" argument is an extremely stupid one. The car driver is protected by by the car body and safety belt. Any savings by wearing a helment in addition would be minor.

That 'helmet for car drivers' makes as much sense as "If I, as a car driver am required to wear a seat belt, why aren't motorcycle riders".

Harry K

 

[NewToy]

The "if I, as a motorcycle rider am required to wear a helmet, why aren't car drivers" argument is an extremely stupid one. The car driver is protected by by the car body and safety belt. Any savings by wearing a helment in addition would be minor.

That 'helmet for car drivers' makes as much sense as "If I, as a car driver am required to wear a seat belt, why aren't motorcycle riders".

Harry K
**********************************************************
Extremely Stupid? That may be a little strong, but everyone is entitled to an opinion. I think with the zealous seatbelt campaigns throughout the country it's "extremely stupid" to repeal helmet laws for motorcyclists. That sounds like a mixed message being sent by the state legislatures involved. No doubt a helmet in a car would save some lives. I know several people that have been killed or have had debilitating head injuries while driving a car. No doubt a helmet would have helped them. I agree it's not something that will be mandated by law but I believe you could wear one and not be in violation of any laws. I can't see some pretty gal dropping $100.00 at the hair salon and strapping on her helmet as she pulls out of the lot.

John

 

[turnkey4099]

I certainly agree on the stupidity of cancelling helmet laws. Motorcycle riders must have a very strong lobby. I rode one myself back in the 70s. Always with a helmet but then I started wearing seatbelts in 1969 (1969 Volvo, full 3-point).

Harry K

 

[MicroPilot]

...BUT I am also against helmet laws, seatbelt laws, and pretty much any other legislation with a goal of protection of user at expense of user's ability to make their own decisions. Living in general is quite dangerous and has a 100% certainty that it will end in death ! I really prefer to make my own, hopefully well informed, safety/lack of safety decisions and not have them mandated by the Local/State/Federal gov't.

Tim

I agree!! I hope no law makers read this thread and decide to make another law to save people from themselves.

 

[AMP762]

I installed seatbelts in my old cars and wore them before they were standard,I wear a helmet on my cycle. I don't think there should be a law to make me wear one. I f you want to wear a helment in your car I think that is your buisness.

 

[Chris_in_Oz]

Here's a new slant...

I saw a program while in England that proclaimed it would show the SAFEST car in the world...

They took 2 sedans, same make/model/colour/licence plates.

One of them had the seatbelts rendered inoperable (they wouldn't lock up in an accident), anti-lock brakes disabled, traction control turned off, auto stability control turned off, airbags disabled and all sorts of other stuff, but I think you get the picture. Finally, they mounted a sharp stainless steel spike in the middle of the steering wheel, pointing at the driver.

The other had all of the safety turned on, but had a paper spike (painted to look like the stainless one) mounted on the wheel.

They brought out the test driver and showed him the modified car. They pointed out all of the disabled features and then demonstrated pushing a water melon onto the spike. Slowly. VERY SLOWLY. They then took the car away "for cleaning" and swapped it for the other.

This guy drove SOOOOOO well, it was amazing. When they performed the same test on young/old, male/female, whatever/whomever, the results were the same. Better, more considered driving.

They concluded that, with each technological safety system that is added to cars, the average driver (by average, they meant average by accident statistics) gets more confident and speeds up a little, thereby negating some, if not all, of the benefit.

They weren't dumb enough to suggest ripping out all of this stuff in production cars, but hoped it would prompt a rethink.

While up on my soapbox, my personal dislike is the press and the authorities mixing up "speed" and "speeding". The biggest road safety research project ever was undertaken in Germany some years ago. The result was, put simply, that "excess speed kills". This was taken to mean, by European legleslative bodies, that "speeding is deadly", so they all bought more speed cameras.

What the research was trying to show is that there is an "appropriate" maximum speed which is determined by road conditions, weather conditions and a whole heap of other stuff, that makes it, in some instances, more dangerous to drive at 30mph in a 60mph limit than 60mph in a 30mph limit.

This is more subjective and harder to police, but far more accurate!!!?!

OK, that's enough - my fingers are getting sore from all this keyboard-bashing!!

See ya!

Chris