Don't wear one very often. Sometimes at night or when the weather is really bad. I think everyone will agree it 100 times safer with a helment but i still support freedom of choice. As i was once told, It's not ending up safely at the pearly gates with a well preserved body, but rather sliding in sideways with a weathered, worn out, tired old body shouting "WOW What a Ride."

we wear a DOT (1/2 skid lid) to protect the nogg'in, Although their is a good chance for facial damage if we go down but that just adds more character to the face right! but if the knights of old wear a helmet for protection, my wearing a helmet on my trusty Iron Steed would improve my chance in less damage to the head area. I wear the leathers for the protection of skin to bone loss. I wear a skull cap to protect my clean shaven bald head and I am cool!

Blacksnake wrote:
we wear a DOT (1/2 skid lid) to protect the nogg'in, Although their is a good chance for facial damage if we go down but that just adds more character to the face right! but if the knights of old wear a helmet for protection, my wearing a helmet on my trusty Iron Steed would improve my chance in less damage to the head area. I wear the leathers for the protection of skin to bone loss. I wear a skull cap to protect my clean shaven bald head and I am cool!

Yeah this guy sure got some "character" added to his face. Hey but at least his noggin was ok, right?


:-DD.

I live in Rhode Island about 3 miles from the border with the Peoples Republic of Massachusetts. (When you live in Rhode Island you are always 3 miles from the border of the PRM, the State of Connecticut or the Atlantic Ocean). We do not have a helmet law here except for the passenger. I hate wearing a helmet but it is required in the PRM and on the Newport Navy Base so I wear a helmet alot of the time (3/4 DOT). I ride my Road* to work alot and don't wear a helmet going back and forth (10 miles each way, no highways). I think wearing a helmet should be up to the individual. I do think the insurance argument holds some weight...if you go down without a helmet, smash "The Great Pumpkin" and end up a vegetable for the rest of your life, everyone pays for that I suppose. I just put a windshield on my bike and I enjoy riding it without a helmet. Again, I think it should be up to the individual, not legislated by pant-loads in the General Assembly.

I have a DOT modular I really like (no face shield on it right now, though...hinges broke and I haven't replaced them yet--I kind of like it with sunglasses & no shield--no fogging! ) Also have a DOT 1/2 I wear sometimes. I have lived in states where it's required (like now here in WA) and others where it's not, but I always wear one or the other by my choice. I just have to think of a block of cheese on a cheese grater, and that image makes wearing a helmet & leather jacket seem like not too much of a burden.

BUT...I don't think there should be laws requiring me to. I don't want the Gubmint to tell me what to wear, where to smoke, how much salt I can eat, where I can buy a drink, what I "should" say or how to raise my kid. Just fix the damn interstates and protect the borders & leave me the Hell alone.


RK

Mr. Breeze wrote:
The FMVSS 218 regulatory scheme is aimed at the manufacturer, and in that scheme, the MANUFACTURER self-certifies that the helmet will pass the testing that is FMVSS. That would be fine if there was some sort of control in place.

Why do you suppose that lawmakers are so adamant that we wear a piece of equipment that fails testing about 45% of the time?

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/testing/comply/fmvss218/

The DOT/NHTSA or any other government agency WILL NOT and CANNOT APPROVE of any item manufactured ANYWHERE. They government is not empowered to APPROVE ANY consumer product, and never will be.

What about SNELL? SNELL far exceeds testing from FMVSS. See here http://www.smf.org/standards/m/2010/m2010_final.htm
And will not certify a helmet, full or open that doesn't pass. Msnufactures self submit their helmets for testing and either it passes or not.

BTW: I always ride with a helmet, not only because it's the law, but I like my head the way it is...I have one DOT half helmet and one 3/4 SNELL.

I wear a DOT half helmet all the time and a full face in the winter. Started to ride when I was 58 so I want to see my grandchrildren grow up. Wife wears a 3/4 helmet.I live in Ca. so it's mandatory.I do think you should have the option. Ken

I always wear a full-faced DOT/Snell helmet and would do so even if it wasn't the law. As far as "freedom of choice" is concerned, I would agree that we have lost a lot of our freedoms. However, society has also decided it is appropriate to care for everyone regardless of the risks they chose to take. Don't wear a helmet and suffer severe head injuries, society will take care of you even if you do not have the financial resources to take care of yourself. Is that right? Who knows and in some respects it doesn't matter since it will happen whether we like it or not. While there is no guarantee a helmet will prevent a serious head injury, I suspect the statistics will indicate they do. Making that assumption, I'm okay with mandatory helmet laws if it reduces the taxpayer burden when an accident does occur. I also understand and respect that not everyone agrees with that opinion. That is what makes America great! Cheers.....

Mandatory in Missouri.. bounce between non-DOT skid lid and DOT Half Helmet.. Passenger is always required to wear full face DOT approved.

I live in sunny Seattle,WA. So I HAVE to wear one. I hate it. I used to live in Iowa, no helmet law and I loved it. Ain't nothing like the feeling like walkin' out the door jumpin' on the bike and ridin' and not having to worry about putting a bunch of gear on. Used to be jeans and a t shirt now its the whole closet and a HELMET WTF!