See if this makes sense....

[jayel]

A college student wrote an op ed piece (or something similar) for his local paper complaining about the seat belt law. Hated it, thought it unnecessary, restricted his freedom, yada yada yada. Karma struck less than a year later when he was killed in a car accident, while riding in the back seat of a vehicle without a seat belt. He should have received a Darwin award.

He did. It's in the edition I have.

[Jay 2K Winger]

I stand by bike helmet laws, having had my life saved by one when I was a kid.

<threadjack>
Story is as follows. I was living in Columbia, MD at the time, and the nearby Lake Elkhorn had a bike path around it where a lot of families would pass the time just walking around the lake. This particular day, my mom, sister, my friend Michael, my sister's friend, Michael's mother, and myself were there, the kids all riding bikes and everyone (except Michael) wearing a helmet. (This was before mandatory bike helmet laws were passed in that area.)

Over the course of the afternoon, my sister fell off a ramp head-first, but broke her fall with her arms, and escaped with some scrapes and bruises. Her friend went too slow up a hillside and toppled over backwards, again, nothing serious. Michael had no accidents whatsoever.

Then we started racing each other, Michael and I, and we go around this curve with a fishing bridge just after it. This bridge had no railings. I'm going too fast around the curve, go off the bridge and my bike snags in a tree. I go flying over the handlebars and head-first into a shallow creek, hitting my head on a rock.

When I stand up a moment later, I'm gasping for breath, because the strap on my helmet has tightened under my jaw, I'm soaked in dirty creek water, and I can't move my left arm. A whole bunch of bystanders helped me back onto the bridge, and got my bike out of the tree, and one of them pulled the helmet off. The helmet had a big dent where it had hit the rock.

My mom rushes me first home to wash off the dirty lake water, and put some clean clothes on me (minor cuts on my shoulder), and takes me to the hospital, where I get a tetanus shot and an X-ray. I'd taken a big bump, but no breaks or separations at all. Just a very sore shoulder which meant I had my arm in a sling for a week while it healed.

But you bet your ass I was wearing a helmet every time after that when I rode my bike.
</threadjack>

[wagegoth]

Way before bike helmets, my youngest sister was riding her bike in our driveway, which was just a long, scraped-off length of dirt with the embedded granite poking through (we were out in the country). Shortly thereafter, I hear my mother freaking out. The exterminator (who was leaving after having sprayed for some bugs) came running up carrying my sister in his arms. She had fallen off her bike, splitting open the skin on her forehead, blood everywhere and she was unconscious. We had no idea she was hurt. She could have bled for quite a while before my mother went to check on her. She still has the scar.

[HawaiianShirts]

Then he rants on to say since people die more from automobile accidents, its drivers that need to wear helmets.

(As far as I know, he's not a bike rider).

I mean . Then again, this is the same asswhip who cried loudly at how his business of X years went under, and he was forced to take a 18 dollar an hour job, when he feels he should make twice that. Minimal.

*HawaiianShirts raises his hand meekly.*
Uh, I'm not a biker either, but I will happily wear a helmet in my car if it means getting paid $18 an hour.

[Dilorenzo]

Reminds me of how Sam Kinison used to complain about drunk driving... and I think most of you know how he died.

Slightly different, but similar - Ohio has a "wear your helmet for a year" law for motorcycles... and most folks take theirs off after that. Just like the guy in the OP, they'd all bitch and moan if they were made to wear them all the time. Back home, I wore my helmet on my bike all the damn time, and not cause of the law - but because I really didn't want to leave a pink streak of brain behind me when - not if, it's not a case of if when you're on a bike - when I wiped out.

[CaroPhoenix]

Back in the early 80's (when I live in Nebraska, interestingly enough), there was a boy in my 5th grade class who was riding his bike and got hit by a car. He survived, but he was in a coma for a while, and when he came back, he was slow (both mentally and physically) and had to use a cane when he walked. He wasn't wearing a bike helmet as I don't think it was required at that time for anyone.

I was in a car accident in 1992. My left knee kissed the dashboard of the car I was a passenger in. The car was an older model Ford Escort with no air bags & had the automatic shoulder harness belt, but the "optional" lap belt. My dad used to have a similar Escort, and I always put the lap belt on. If I hadn't, even with the shoulder harness, I probably would have at least smacked my head on the windshield, but the officer I talked to said there was a good possibility that I could have gone through the windshield anyway. Seat belts are very important with me & family.

[Buglady]

I've become a fairly serious cyclist over the last year or so (it went from "ARGH stupid transit system, I'm buying a bike to get to work" to "owning five bikes and riding a hundred miles a week, sometimes two" surprisingly quickly... what can I say, sometimes hyperfocus can be a good thing).

Anyway, I won't ride without a helmet. Anywhere. Not even a block. Because I am enough of a klutz that I can - and have! - fall over at a dead stop and whack my head on the only piece of concrete in the entire front yard. And with upwards of $40K in student loans, the LAST thing I need is a brain injury that stops me actually using any of what I so expensively learned. I have enough brain function issues as it is!

Although, I am considering wearing the helmet indoors as well after last month's stair-use epic fail.

[Scamper]

what are the chances that you'll end up in a car accident when you go out?

About One in a Million, actually.

As for bicycle helmets, I've never worn them. I've had many bumps and bangs over the years, and only once would one have helped. Course, I don't wear seat belts either, if I die driving a car, at least I die having fun.
My biggest objection to such laws is the nanny-state aspect.

[Amethyst Hunter]

Then again, this is the same asswhip who cried loudly at how his business of X years went under, and he was forced to take a 18 dollar an hour job, when he feels he should make twice that. Minimal.

I'd kill for an 18-dollar-an-hour-job. Literally.

Dislike is not a strong enough word for what I feel for this assmaggot.

[Kirkygirl]

[threadjack]

Recently, on a slow news day, there was this story about this little girl in Prince Albert, SK. She was riding her bike around a parking lot, and got smacked by a car.
Now this is not a sad story because she was wearing her helmet, and the driver stopped to see what they had just plowed in to.
Just imagine what would have happened if she wasn't wearing a helmet OR the driver smacked into her at highway speeds.
In my own XP, I have also regretted not wearing a helmet at one time. I was riding my little razor scooter down a poorly graded road that is quite steep. I wiped out on the grassy shoulder and gave my head quite a whack. I still have the scar on my elbow from that little misadventure.
This is why, ladies and gentlemen, I wear a bike helmet. I do NOT want to wind up road pizza!
[/threadjack]

Here in BC, we have a mandatory helmet law for biking. It's saved a lot of back bacon for some suckers who would have been laid up in the hospital otherwise.

[smileyeagle1021]

oh yeah, let me chime in with the always wear a helmet or seat belt... though I will admit that for a while now I haven't worn a helmet while biking, but that's because my old one was worn out (the clips on it wouldn't stay clipped) and I don't have a standard size head so it's very hard to find a helmet that fits... you'll notice though that I've cut back my biking while I'm looking for a new one... oh and yes, my life has been saved by a seat belt once... hit the car in front of me at 50mph (long story) and walked away with minor bruising and a limp from a twisted ankle... officer who responded said that without the seat belt I'd have sailed right on out the windshield and if I was lucky into the car in front of me (lucky in that it would be in instant death) and if I was unlucky I'd have been thrown into traffic (I'd be alive for a few seconds before a car hit me and killed me... and likely I would be aware of the car coming).

So yeah, people who are stupid enough to complain about wearing life saving gear deserve whatever it is they get.

[wagegoth]

About One in a Million, actually.

As for bicycle helmets, I've never worn them. I've had many bumps and bangs over the years, and only once would one have helped. Course, I don't wear seat belts either, if I die driving a car, at least I die having fun.
My biggest objection to such laws is the nanny-state aspect.

Well, I've been in three car accidents: one from a blown tire on a country road, one that was partially my fault but involved some ass cutting across three lanes of freeway traffic to make an exit, latest rear-ended while I was rolling to a stop by someone doing 35 mph and NOT paying attention to traffic. The first accident left me with injuries that have gotten worse over time because I didn't wear a seat belt that day. The odds are you won't die; you'll be permanently disabled and someone else will be stuck caring for you. Also, with a seat belt on when you're driving, you'll stay in your seat and have a better chance at bringing the car under control again. There's a reason race car drivers wear five point restraints and helmets.

Re the nanny state: I agree with an earlier poster that if I and others have to pay for your failure to use safety equipment, then I get to have a say legally.