NTSB and motorcycle safety

Did you hear about the new proposals from NTSB and what they recommend about helment laws

AMA on NTSB Helmet Recommendations - MotorcycleUSA.com

Unbelievable.

I found out something very interesting today. I had contacted a couple of people in Colorado about teaching the MSF basic rider course here. I did it in New Hampshire. The guy I spoke with today is from ABATE of Colorado. They have an MSF school with several locations. In NH, a lot of the instructors are fanatically pro-helmet law. While I am starting to lean towards wearing a helmet all the time, I will always prefer that I have a choice. Same way with guns, seat belts, whatever. The ABATE school feels the same way. Encourage helmet use, but don't force it. I much prefer that stance and hope I get a chance to work with them.

"While we encourage all riders to voluntarily wear a DOT-certified helmet as a part of a comprehensive approach to motorcycle safety," noted Ed Moreland, AMA Vice President for Government Relations, "we're disappointed that the NTSB missed this opportunity to focus on meaningful issues related to the reduction of motorcycle crashes, rather than just reducing injuries once a crash occurs."

It appears that the AMA has the problem correct. Which came first, the chicken or the egg. Perhaps the solution is to treat both problems (the accident and the injury) together as most accident reconstructionists do. Determine and reduce the causeation of the accidents (human error), find methods of reducing the crash rate (enviormental issues and sight line issues) and at the same time methods of reducing the number of injuries sustained (be it helmet usage or other safety features). It also must be realized that this is not just a motorcycle issue. It involves all vehicles on the roadway interacting together. So for the mean time while this issue is being worked out.....BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!

The biker community used to be a really tight group, pretty much had to be to survive. Now days I doubt if we could muster the numbers to pull off a protest like we had the last time they tried for a Federal helmet law. I would like to see Texas go the way Az and Il did and make mandatory helmet laws unconstitutional. I know TMRA is working on it. Al

Every new law and every raising of taxes is a reduction of liberty. :witsend: This country needs to stop being so frickin' afraid of life (none of us is gonna live forever anyway, nor should want to) and get back to making our own way through our own decisions. If not, we'll all be living in cages and feeding from troughs.

I wear a helment. But I just do not like the fact that somebody has to mama me and tell me I have to wear a helment. Why can't I make my own decesions. I started riding before there was a friggin helment law in 64. Its all about Money, and how yer brother can pull me over to have another reason to git more money from me. Sorry but I git tired of more and more laws with my ranting.
Its like yer buddy Al and the Global Warming. Its all about money. Tell the folks in the Ohio Valley were having a Global warming problem right now or their cold is directly related to it and the Polar cap is melting.
The only way to control Global warming is to control the population in the
world.

P.S. if you wanted to stage a rally in Texas on the Helment law I would come. Are we gonna party afterwards.

Not only is it about money, it is also about control. As the liberal socialists get more and more control watch your liberty disappear. Al

I have one of those all chrome novelty helmets, but it was never comfortable so I went back to my DOT approved half helmet only becouse it is comfortable. It's ugly, but I don't care anymore. The way I see it it may save me when I screw up lane splitting in rush hour traffic and I'm bouncing off cars like a pinball.

When I am out of Cali it's back to the do rag.

It might save you if it don't break your neck. Al

Our state gov't in Kentucky is thinking about repealing our no helmet law.The law as it is now says all riders under 21 and all riders with less than 1 year experience must wear a lid. That seems fair enough to me. Why can't they leave well enough alone. I guess it's time to join ABATE.