Fatalities in Texas increase, following helmet law repeal

[dipshit]

A I was going off the assumption that an accident that caused injuries and an accident that didn't cause injury would both be counted as non-fatal accidents

But a lot of single vehicle motorcycle accidents that don't result in any injury tend to not get reported.

Those ones stand a much higher chance of becoming an injury accident if the rider isn't wearing a helmet.

[steve_t]

But a lot of single vehicle motorcycle accidents that don't result in any injury tend to not get reported.

Those ones stand a much higher chance of becoming an injury accident if the rider isn't wearing a helmet.

Yup. Agree

[crazyhorse]

That some people are surprised by it.

rofl:

[Juzz976]

If your cruising around at 100k and something hits you in the face and causes you to crash then a helmet would not prevent this?

On a few occasions I've had things hit my visor and thought 'f#$% that would be nasty if I not had a visor or helmet'.

[centaurus]

Not wearing a helmet doesn't increase your chances of an accident, it increases your chances of injury if you have an accident.

Wouldn't it stand to reason that with all other factors accounted for, the number of non-fatal accidents should go down by a similar figure that the fatal ones increased? ie the number of total accidents per 100,000 registered bikes or per miles travelled shouldn't change with respect to whether a helmet was being worn or not so if one stat goes up, the other must come down. Sorry for being difficult

If you think of the helmets with eye protection, a helmet can also prevent accidents. Keeping your eyes protected from the wind and random debris or dust, it reduces the risk of you being temporarly blinded/visualy impaired or just with tired eyes (from the wind) in a critical moment when you really need your vision to see hazards and thus avoid them. And before you say: "yeah, but most people wear sunglasses anyway", sunglasses have only partial protection. They only protect you from relatively large debris and reduce (but sometime worsen) the wind. They don't stop dust or small debris from reaching your eyes.

[bogan]

and what about medical cost from not even having an accident, some bikes have well loud exhausts, mines pretty quiet by comparison but I still wouldn't ride without some sort of hearing protection

[yachtie10]

The number of deaths per 100,000 registered motorcycles increased from 89 in 1994 to 101 in 2004 - a 15% increase

increase is 15% not 30
surprises me its that low, but I dont think its really been about safety, but about freedom

what gets me is that they have 89+ deaths per 100,000 makes ours look pretty good by comparison

[peasea]

If your cruising around at 100k and something hits you in the face and causes you to crash then a helmet would not prevent this?

On a few occasions I've had things hit my visor and thought 'f#$% that would be nasty if I not had a visor or helmet'.

I thought that. I'm so old, when I first planted my arse on a bike helmets were not compulsory. A few rocks and bees later many discovered they weren't such a bad thing after all. I still think it should be down to the rider (and I ride without on occasion but I choose my moments/locations carefully) but common sense should prevail. While a helmet is now compulsory in NZ eye protection isn't. (Unless there's been a law introduced that I don't know about.) My helmet has a few grazes on it from rocks and what have you and I'm glad the marks are there and not on my head or in my eyes.

Any more knocks to the head and I'd be crazy..................

[golfmade]

Only good Texan is a dea... better not finish the sentence and get sent off to Gitmo....

[davereid]

I thought that. I'm so old, when I first planted my arse on a bike helmets were not compulsory. A few rocks and bees later many discovered they weren't such a bad thing after all. I still think it should be down to the rider (and I ride without on occasion but I choose my moments/locations carefully) but common sense should prevail

Same here, give that man a DB.

Hopping on my motorcycle makes me 15 to 30 times* more likely to die than driving my car.

This helmet study shows you can improve your odds by 1.15 (15%) by wearing a helmet.

I have no doubt that the people who made me 1.15 safer by making me wear a helmet didn't give up there, and are cheerfully looking for a way of making me 15-30 times safer.



*depending on whos study you want to believe.

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

Considering the Majestic 12 (or the people that actually run the governments of the world) want to redue the population to uder 1 billion on the planet I don't think they really care...
http://www.radioliberty.com/stones.htm