Clarksville, TN – The biker and his helmet. Yes or No?
Alright, I’ll go ahead and open this can of worms.
Since the first motorcycle rolled out of the shop, the mandate that the rider should wear a helmet has raged on and on. In the early days, they had crude examples of head protection and some bikers wore them while others didn’t. It was their choice.
I believe it should be my choice now.
I think that’s the biggest complaint about helmet laws and that it’s legislated. All states are different on their helmet laws. Some you do, some you don’t.
First the obvious. The helmet could save your life. The helmet could save you from permanent injury. The helmet is a standard part of any biker’s gear. We all know that. If you want to protect your brains, and all that they’re worth, you should ALWAYS wear a helmet.
But that’s MY choice not yours. And it’s not against the law to be stupid, or to be negligent for not wearing one. It’s just as much of a risk as actually riding a motorcycle. It’s a dangerous proposition. We all know we should wear a helmet, and most of the time, I wear a helmet.
No helmet brings us all back to an earlier time. We all know the excitement and the feeling of riding without a helmet. If you’ve ever ridden long stretches of back country roads, where you’re greeted by the sights and smells of the country, and the wind in your hair, then it’s a wonderful thing.
Then you have the debate on whether or not a helmet is D.O.T approved. There are a lot of helmets, half helmets, or “novelty” helmets that aren’t legal and can cause problems. They’re probably not as effective if needed, but at least they’re more tolerable than the alternative.So I believe the problem is, that in some states, bikers do NOT have the choice to wear or not wear a helmet, and I believe it should be my choice.
After all, it’s my life, my bike, my skills and if I feel I’m comfortable riding without a helmet, then I should be able to make that choice, not some stuffy politician who probably doesn’t know a Harley from a Honda.
For the record, I do wear a helmet most of the time, but where I have the option to NOT wear one, I do that too. I just love riding without a helmet. I know it’s not the smartest thing to do, but as a wise old biker once told me, “the only difference between wearing a helmet and not wearing one, is an open or closed casket.”
Bikers aren’t dumb and they know the consequences of not wearing a helmet, so if they choose not to, so be it.
Ride safe brothers!
