What? No attacks on me yet? Y'all are some good and decent folks indeed
Gibson, wearing during racing (autocross) doesn't count as wearing on the road
Glad you have a Snell rated lid; they're better but no design is always perfect. Thing is that if you whack something that hard where Snell vs DOT would matter you're going to have brain trauma anyway and that might be enough to kill you. People do look better in a coffin when their head is intact so go Snell
Dash, I had one of the earliest Snell-approved helmets ( can't remember the brand, I bought it used) and it did hamper my peripheral vision. Later helmets did too, and sometimes the face visor was the problem- I used my helmet once at night when mine misted up instantly hitting a dense fogbank. I hit the curb I couldn't see anymore, high-sided, then skidded on my head a few feet along the aidewalk. Had I been wearing my open-face helmet I could have nodded down and peered over my glasses, seen the curb, and missed it. Not going fast, maybe 15 MPH, but lacking vision caused the crash. That didn't put me off wearing helmets; I was glad it saved my scalp and the few hairs alive on it. And those folks I knew whose necks were broken had that happen while sliding- the back of their normal helmet snagged something and it was over instantly for them. Nothing you can do to prevent that- the back of a helmet must stop somewhere- and a 'novelty' helmet which sits higher is prone to release a snag earlier making it safer in situations like that. I could also hear better with my 'less-safe' open-face helmet. Bicycle helmets are nutso ideas- they protect for only one type of crash when there are many kinds of crashes; a strapped-on construction hard-hat is rated for more impact than those while providing protection from other angles too. And the cyclists are also against hearing and vision restrictive full helmets. They like their fancy-looking ones no matter how little they will do in anything but an over-the-handlebars crash.
If you take the time to read the stickers and tags on helmets you'll find they do not guarantee performance at speeds over 15-30MPH. I can understand this being for liability issues (and that they work at much higher speeds) but those kinds of statements can be used against an argument for helmets. It's the same as with the statistics I mentioned- when those promoting helmet use cannot prove their usefulness you'll get states like SC where your own words will be used to stop you cold. What is perceived is not always real and unless you look from every possible angle then you do not truly know for sure
And I expected a cry over the "public burden" of people disabled from head injuries in motorcycle crashes
Maybe my pointing out there are more car drivers like this was understood. At low speeds in a suburban subdivision a helmet isn't much use for a good rider who is always looking for the softest spot to crash in should things go wrong, but at highway speeds, in heavy traffic, or where soft spots are rare it's a darn good idea to wear a helmet IMHO and I advocate that.
When I began driving there were many cars with unpadded dashboards, no seat belts, keys and switches located to cleave knee-caps in a crash. pick-up trucks with the gas tank behind the seat, drum brakes that could get wet and not work, ad nauseum. People drove more slowly and more carefully knowing those dangers were very real. Now we have much safer cars and look how people drive knowing that they will likely survive a crash instead of the opposite. Like helmets it has caused a mindset where something unsafe is believed to be safe when it never can be totally safe. If we went back to cars with no safety features I think most people would drive a lot better. I know that when I rode without a helmet I was very aware that I must not crash or else! That is probably why the government and insurance numbers say what they do- unprotected riders tend to ride more safely.
My sole beef with this is freedom of choice and discrimination. If you're going to allow folks to climb a mountain or go cave diving where injury and death are not uncommon then you shouldn't be down on people who choose to ride motorcycles with or without a helmet. And if helmets are so effective let everyone use them when they want to or require that for all- not just some. The 'pro' and 'con' arguments have been around for years and if anybody could really prove their point(s) that impasse would end.
But the bottom line is that
in almost every crash, car or bike,, you are likely better off with a decent helmet on than without- however
the best of all is to not crash, which riding or driving safely goes so far towards doing as to render the helmet question moot if we could only get everyone to do that somehow. Drive and ride to avoid crashing- that's the real key to road safety for everyone.
Phil, ex-biker in a somewhat backwards but freedom-loving state