[STEBS]

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder repealed the helmet law yesterday effective immediately. Michigan is now the 31st state to do so. I bet 99% will still wear their helmets, I will be a part of that but it's nice to know you have a choice now. Time to go for a ride to the Harley shop and see how many are driving in with no helmets.

 

[dthogey]

I've been wondering about this. Thanks for the update!!

 

[Patric]

Ya, My wife I went for a walk today, & the guy down the road pulled out on his Goldwing...with out a helmet. I thought the law must have changed when we were in Florida for the winter:wave . They it was on the news tonight that the law was changed yesterday.

...Side note...There was a guy that fell off the back a golf cart a few year ago, hit his head & died. It doesn't take a big hit to the head to kill you

 

[SilverBuffalo]

Yup, life is all about choices!

 

[Munmi]

Hans, I love it...the analogy I mean. I wish I still had the helmet that I was wearing when I crashed back in the summer of 1976. I was 16 at the time and crashed a Yamaha DT100. I am convinced to this day that I would not have survived had I not been wearing a helmet. The outer shell was worn all the way to the foam liner at a point on the back just behind my left ear. I don't think the cranium would have held up that well. Only had a small abrasion on my lower back the size of an apple. I threw the helmet in a trash bin. My parents would have killed me if they knew what I had done. As for the bike....broke off a mirror.

 

[Knife]

I wish everyone would wear a helmet every time they rode. But I don't like the idea of having laws making it mandatory. At most, governments should offer educational/informative information via TV spots and other media. Being free has a cost. I prefer living with those costs rather than losing any of my individual freedoms and free choice. We need to get back to a mentality of personal accountability, rather than expecting others to pay for the dumb choices certain people make. Like it says in many individually owned stores, "you break it, you pay for it."

 

[billsmith]

What are we discussing MI helmet law????
Free choices or wearing a helmet. I for one wear a helmet because I want to. The law is just a side issue. I wear gloves, boots leather and now riding pants and jacket so if a law is passed saying that I needed those it will not phase me. There are so many rationals as to why do this and that but only one head (brain). Sporting activities like (baseball, football, and hockey) use helmets and when we go to war we wear helmets so trying to keep that block on my shoulders to hang my ears and a helmet to attach my headset is priceless. :histerica :histerica
ride safe :bmw:

 

[pedavids]

Just wondering how long it will take for my insurance rates to be hiked up because of those who elected not to wear a helmet.

 

[saddleman]

Those that chose not wear a helmet should pay more for insurance than those that chose to wear them. JMTCW

 

[Matt]

Those that chose not wear a helmet should pay more for insurance than those that chose to wear them. JMTCW

They do. Or they are supposed to. $20,000.00 of Medical Insurance is a requirement of the new law. Also, be at least 21 yrs old and have passed a motorcycle safety course or have had their endorsement for at least 2 years.
Enforcement? yeah right.

Oh, and BTW, MCCA just increased the annual insurance rape to $175.00/vehicle. This is such a great program, only Michigan has it. Go figure.

 

[SilverBuffalo]

The insurance companies did the same thing here in Florida a few years ago,
Florida did not have "mandatory" insurance laws for motorcycles,
now they have mandatory insurance laws for those who wish to ride without a helmet,
a step in the direction the insurance industry wanted to go,
eventually the helmet law will be "re-instated" but the insurance requirement will never go away, that's how 'politics" work.

I have insurance and I always wear a helmet and I don't like being "told" to wear one,
but unfortunately a lot of riders are more concerned with looking cool and being "accepted" than they are with their personal safety,
even worse they are also usually the novice and inexperienced riders.

I don't bother with telling anybody that I think they should wear a helmet anymore,
they don't listen anyway,
I believe just showing them my scarred helmet has a much better effect.

 

[OU812]

Hans, I love it...the analogy I mean. I wish I still had the helmet that I was wearing when I crashed back in the summer of 1976. I was 16 at the time and crashed a Yamaha DT100. I am convinced to this day that I would not have survived had I not been wearing a helmet. The outer shell was worn all the way to the foam liner at a point on the back just behind my left ear. I don't think the cranium would have held up that well. Only had a small abrasion on my lower back the size of an apple. I threw the helmet in a trash bin. My parents would have killed me if they knew what I had done. As for the bike....broke off a mirror.

We have a lot in common. Same bike and year that I started riding the road.

 

[WildBil]

I live in IL, which has never, as far as I know, had a helmet law. I always wear one and have nicked more than one, luckily with rocks, and collected any number of large bug hits, in split of the LT's excellent windshield.

And we have lots adverstisements for helmet wearing on the news every summer as the accidents pile up. Yes, it is an infringement on freedom, but so is having to pay for care for the injured who have no long term coverage.

Sad, but there is no free lunch out there.

bill

 

[OU812]

I can't imagine not riding W/O a helmet.
I raced many a different machine in my day and have seen what happens when one has one.
W/O can only lead down the trail of misery.

 

[Ron_Kendall]

I read it on the Internet, so I know it must be true.... The insurance companies did a study to find out which motorcyclist had the lowest medical bills, ones that wore a helmet or those that didn't wear one. The conclusion was that those without had lower medical bills cause they were dead...That being the case, why would helmet-less riders be required to have more insurance?:think:

 

[Ron_Kendall]

I live in IL, which has never, as far as I know, had a helmet law.

bill

Illinois had a helmet law in 1967-68.