Freedom of Choice

[Lou Girardin]

I don't know what the climate's like in Benella, but you couldn't wear full protective gear in the warmer places, unless you can keep your speed up. I rented a bike in Samoa, and cooked even in t shirt and shorts.

[MSTRS:Me]

I don't know what the climate's like in Benella, but you couldn't wear full protective gear in the warmer places, unless you can keep your speed up. I rented a bike in Samoa, and cooked even in t shirt and shorts.

Whilst I agree with that, we don't wear the stuff for reasons of temperature, do we?

[Lou Girardin]

Whilst I agree with that, we don't wear the stuff for reasons of temperature, do we?

True, but heat stroke might cause you to bin. So, while you'll die, your corpse will be ungrazed.

[zadok]

[QUOTE]
IN REGARDS to Two Bob's Worth (SM, Feb '05), Morgan I believe you're completely wrong. As a motorcycle rider you shouldn't have to wear a helmet. I think the only requirement should be footwear and shorts.


What a drongo this guy is. I couldn't even imagine riding a bike without a helmet even if the law said you could. Minimum, a helmet and closed in shoes, I reckon.

[MSTRS:Me]

True, but heat stroke might cause you to bin. So, while you'll die, your corpse will be ungrazed.

Can't argue with that.....

[Motu]

Quote/ I wear shorts, t-shirt and helmet when travelling 60km/h or under and always wear full leathers when going above 60km/h ??????????????


Obviously a quick change artist. Love to see him do it on the motorway.

When I started riding the law was you had to wear a helmet when doing over 30 mph (50kph) So it was no helmet around town and put the helmet on for the open road - of course we never did because that would mean carrying a helmet when not in use.I never got a ticket for no helmet,and never heard of anyone else getting one either.

Funny...no helmet in the most dangerous period in my life and I'm still alive....

[Lou Girardin]

Funny...no helmet in the most dangerous period in my life and I'm still alive....

Ain't that a fact. My worst bin was without a helmet. Didn't get a scratch, damn sore nuts though. Bent double holding them in front of the chickies I was trying to impress was not a good look.

[chickenfunkstar]

IN REGARDS to Two Bob's Worth (SM, Feb '05), Morgan I believe you're completely wrong. As a motorcycle rider you shouldn't have to wear a helmet. I think the only requirement should be footwear and shorts.

I believe bikes are safer than cars in many ways and although I'm a car enthusiast, I don't feel as safe in one on the road as I do on a bike. It's a small group of Valentino Rossi wannabes who give motorcycle riders a bad name.

I wear shorts, t-shirt and helmet when travelling 60km/h or under and always wear full leathers when going above 60km/h but I believe it should be up to the individual to choose what to wear.

Damien Pearse, Benalla, Vic

I agree to his point of view to a certain extent.
Provided he and people like him don't expect other people (i.e. ACC) to pick up the tab for his medical bills etc, I don't have a problem.

I think that anyone who doesn't wear appropriate gear is an idiot.
Thats only my opinion though.
He'll only harm himself if he does come off.

[Motoracer]

I don't know what laws there are in Aussie but if there was a guy who had the same opinion here in NZ, I would have told him "UP YOURS!"! Fine, let him grate the skin off his body like soft cheese AT 60kmph. But who pays the hospital bills? ACC that's who. Who pays the ACC levies? WE DO! So in other words, moron like these who carry on in this manner are doing it in our expence!! So there should be no freedom of choice on wether you wear a helmet (AT LEAST) or not.

Anyway, ask Draco or Speedmedic or RiffRaff about the cases they see of people having to go to the A&E from "low speed" bins on scooters and motorbikes while wearing minimal protection. 60kmph might sound and seem like very slow but when you hit the deck at 60kmph with out the protective gear, it is pleanty fast enough to cause serious damage. Imagine a brick being chucked at your head at 60kmph, how big of a mess will that be? Now imagine you being chucked at a brick wall head on at 60kmph on a bike. Both are the same.

[MacD]

We pay a lot more for our ACC "premium" than a private insurance Co ,who is in a competitive environment would require.

In a private competitive environment, you would be required to pay significantly more for personal injury insurance as a motorcyclist. The risk of injury is significantly higher and the rate of claims is 10 times higher for motorcyclists than car drivers in NZ. ACC cross-subsidises the cost of motorcycle injury payments from other sources. Private insurance would not do this.

Look at how private health insurance works, as you get older your premiums increase with your risk. Private health insurance companies have steadily removed cross-subsidisation between age-groups over the past decade or so. The result is that the proportion of the population with private health insurance has been decreasing in NZ despite the apparent under-provision of state-funded health care as evidenced by waiting lists for surgery, chemotherapy etc.

Also while ACC is a "no fault" system, private injury insurance becomes a "somebody else's fault system" leading to the situation in the USA where if somebody slips over on the footpath outside your house you will be sued for negligence.

With regard to private injury insurance, be very careful of what you wish for! What do you think an insurance company would do if they found out that your injury accident occurred above the legal speed limit and on one wheel? Or maybe even "knee-down" on a public road?

ACC isn't perfect, but it is by no means the worst system in the world.

[Waylander]

In a private competitive environment, you would be required to pay significantly more for personal injury insurance as a motorcyclist. The risk of injury is significantly higher and the rate of claims is 10 times higher for motorcyclists than car drivers in NZ. ACC cross-subsidises the cost of motorcycle injury payments from other sources. Private insurance would not do this.

Look at how private health insurance works, as you get older your premiums increase with your risk. Private health insurance companies have steadily removed cross-subsidisation between age-groups over the past decade or so. The result is that the proportion of the population with private health insurance has been decreasing in NZ despite the apparent under-provision of state-funded health care as evidenced by waiting lists for surgery, chemotherapy etc.

Also while ACC is a "no fault" system, private injury insurance becomes a "somebody else's fault system" leading to the situation is the USA where if somebody slips over on the footpath outside your house you will be sued for negligence.

With regard to private injury insurance, be very careful of what you wish for! What do you think an insurance company would do if they found out that your injury accident occurred at above the legal speed limit and on one wheel? Or maybe even "knee-down" on a public road?

ACC isn't perfect, but it is by no means the worst system in the world.

That's why I mentiond there should be something in between. Unfortunatly with the system this country has in place the people have little to no power to change things.

[Lou Girardin]

That's why I mentiond there should be something in between. Unfortunatly with the system this country has in place the people have little to no power to change things.

Au contraire, you have a choice of several political parties who will all do the same thing. Only the rethoric differs.

[Waylander]

Au contraire, you have a choice of several political parties who will all do the same thing. Only the rethoric differs.

Pretty much the same in the states, difference is if you want a law changed you start up a pettition then form a commitee. Works most of the time when the people arn't to lazy to actually do something.

[Wolf]

Au contraire, you have a choice of several political parties who will all do the same thing. Only the rethoric differs.

We are a democracy - we are free to choose which of the identical policys we want.

[MSTRS:Me]

Pretty much the same in the states, difference is if you want a law changed you start up a pettition then form a commitee. Works most of the time when the people arn't to lazy to actually do something.

Someone's siggy covers that, something like "A committee is somewhere that good ideas are sent to be quietly strangled to death"