Kansans seemingly don’t want to force motorcyclists to wear helmets, which is why the state has no helmet law. Somewhere between a legislative mandate and “Easy Rider,” though, is common sense. Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger acquired some last week in a helmetless accident, after which he declared, “If I ever ride again, it certainly will be with a helmet.” He also got a concussion and a broken jaw and nose. And Monday he got word that he’ll be cited for failure to wear a helmet and not having a motorcycle license.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Registered?
Commenting on WE Blog now requires you to be a Kansas.com member. Use the links above to register, if you haven't already, or to log in.Contact us
Follow us
Daily Archives
-
Recent Comments
- ProudMan on Too many exemptions
- SolDevVB on Open thread 11/23
- okobserver on Open thread 11/23
- littlejohn on Open thread 11/23
- littlejohn on Open thread 11/23
- littlejohn on Open thread 11/23
- SolDevVB on Open thread 11/23
- okobserver on Open thread 11/23
- okobserver on Open thread 11/23
- ANTI on Open thread 11/23
17 Comments
Will someone please explain to me how his wearing a helmet would have prevented that woman from running into him? The fault of the accident was the car driver, and yet the media harps on a helmet. Why is that?
Second, a maxilofacial surgeon has gone on record demonstrating that a helmet would NOT have prevented his facial injuries, and had he been wearing a full face helmet, it is likely his neck would have been broken.
Anyone supporting helmets for motorcyclists needs to also support helmets for pedestrians. After all, more pedestrians are killed in this country every year than motorcyclists are. Where is the concern for pedestrians?
Anyone who claims they support helmet laws for motorcyclists because of the ’safety’ benefit and does not also endorse helmets for pedestrians is a hypocrite.
I have to disagree with raptor.
Although I could care less if motorcycle riders wear helmets or not, I have to question your statitics on pedistrians and what you are comparing that too. Speed, motorization, required drivers licence, liability insured, driver safety class, and etc. When is the last time a pedistrian had to do all that somebody driving a motorcycle.
What I find hypocritical is that we have laws that force people to wear seatbelts in cars and small children to be strapped in baby seats or booster seats.
Yet it is fine for somebody to ride a motorcycle without a helmet with a passenger without a helmet and go 100mpg and crash and kill both of them?
Why are motorcycles exempt and automobiles are not.
If you want to stop being a hypocrite, how about if he have no helmet laws, lets get rid of seat belt laws also. Fair?
Sorry about the typos. But you get what I mean.
Joe,I agree that we shouldn’t have helmet or seatbelt laws. These are laws against nature and the elimination of the stupid!
I ride a motorcycle, and managed to lay it down one morning while getting on 135. It was real exciting sliding on the on ramp, particularly hard on my leather jacket and my jeans. I do , however , enjoy looking at the gashes in my helmet rather that seeing them in my mirror!If you don’t want to wear a helmet- fine- your call. I can’t help but think that by choosing this course, you are telling the world what value you put on your head and its contents.
Nope, Joe,…it is not ‘fine’ for someone to go 100 mph with a passenger and kill both. Nor is it fine for the same idiot to do so while drunk, riding a borrowed motorcycle and not having a license. In that recent case here in Wichita, no helmet in the world could have helped him.
Back to the quarterback…any clue why the media harps on the lack of helmet and ignores the right of way violation? That is like saying it is ok to shoot someone if they are not wearing a Kevlar vest. Does anyone really think that had the quarterback been wearing a helmet the 62 year old woman would have driven any better?
If you’re not wearing a helmet, you’re simply not a knowledgeable motorcyclist.
Todd–Knowledgeable about what? The FMSS 218 standard that requires a helmet to withstand an impact of 13.4318 miles per hour?
Knowledgeable of the 3.71 deaths per 100 accidents in California prior to their helmet law and the 3.86 deaths per 100 accidents after their helmet law?
Knowledgeable of how Duane Helmick, Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol said that difference was not statistically significant? And if not statistically significant, then how can anyone claim that helmets have any benefit at all?
Knowledgeable of the lack of American helmet manufacturers because they could never withstand the liability lawsuits when someone is killed wearing a state mandated helmet?
Knowledgeable of the DOT standards that do not determine an “approved” helmet because DOT does not approve helmets, but sets standards by which manufacturers self-certify?
Knowledgeable of the increase in accidents caused by innattentive drivers, regardless of helmet use?
Knowledgeable of the hundreds of motorcyclists killed while wearing helmets that did them no good at all?
Of what should we be knowledgeable? Of deaths that are caused by things other than head injuries?
Knowledgeable of what, Todd? Of your belief that a piece of plastic is going to protect a life when a 3,000 pound SUV runs a red light and runs down a motorcyclist?
I am curious..of what knowledge should we have?
I just don’t ride motorcycles. Solves the problem of ruining my hairdo. ;)
My daughter worked with the girl and killed in the 100 mph crash. I doubt it would have mattered much if they had been in a car, even wearing seatbelts.
raptor – Looks like the typical stats parroted by the “freedom to be an organ donor” crowd. I have plenty of stats that support my position, but what’s the point? I’m not going to change your mind and you certainly aren’t going to change mine.
I repeat my question. Why is the media ignoring the fact that the 62 year old woman violated the football player’s right of way? Why is the media ignoring the fact that the football player had no license and shouldn’t have been on a motorcycle anyway?
Why is it that all we hear is helmet, helmet, helmet? Slanted and biased reporting, that is why.
And, Todd, use the NHTSA website to check out pedestrian deaths, which exceed motorcyclist deaths. If you truly want to ’save lives’ you will argue for helmets for pedestrians. After all, isn’t this all about ’saving lives’?
I strongly oppose the mandatory helmet law.
Anyone stupid enough to ride without a helmet doesn’t need to worry about brain damage, since they’re not using their brain anyway.
Thank heavens their valuable organs can be harvested for people who aren’t risk-taking idiots.
Pass out the Darwin awards.
I agree with nightrider; if stupid people want to remove themselves from the genepool, let ‘em do it.
Viva La Raza Blanco!!!
Some of the arguments for helmets are beyond stupid. The letter to the editor today asks about why do motorcycle racers wear helmets.
Uh…so do Nascar drivers. Is anyone supporting helmets for people in cars?
Do you think Nascar drivers wear a helmet every time they drive an automobile?
I can tell you that you won’t find many, if any, Moto GP riders who would get on a bike without one.
Todd..
My point is directed toward the ridiculous comment supporting helmets…comparing them to professional racers. Using that “logic” then all car drivers should also wear helmets since NASCAR racers do.
Typical ridiculous statements. That letter writer also suggested that I fall over backwards in my driveway to prove how good a helmet is.
The problem is, that is exactly the speed a helmet is designed for.. a drop from 72 inches and reaches a terminal velocity of 13.4318 mph (check the facts, DOT FMSS 218).
Typical idiotic arguments for helmets..hearsay, imagination and ridiculous comparisons. Like a piece of plastic is going to protect against stupidity.
I did see that the bike rider said he would wear a helmet, if he ever rode again. I don’t know if that was driven by his football contract stipulations , or the flying lession he just had.