At 03:20 PM 1/27/98 -0800, dy wrote:
[...]
>It certainly does cause some "soul-searching", if they (helmets) are so
>great and indispensible for motorcycle riders, and reduce deaths from
>massive head injuries, why should they be singled out from auto drivers,
>forced to wear helmets, and "allow" auto drivers to die in greater numbers
>from massive head injuries, especially when deaths from massive head
>injuries are the same for both groups. (!?!?!?!?)
>
>So why don't we have a helmet law for auto drivers instead of airbags? It's
>purely political, and what can and cannot be gotten away with, and which
>way the propaganda blows, and which group is smaller and less able to
>resist, and which group is making the laws and producing the "news".
>
In my state (NY), it is illegal to wear a helmet in a car. I have
always assumed that it is because helmets would be either too distracting
for the average person, or that they would make it harder to see and
harder to hear, in the confined space of an automobile. Race drivers don't
seem to be too bothered by them, but they also have less stuff to keep
tabs on. Regardless of the weather, I never* rode my bike without my
full face helmet, leathers, boots, and gloves. I'm not sure that I
would wear a helmet in the Dak though, even if allowed to. If safety
was the issue, I think that a good 5 point harness might be even better
than a helmet in an automobile. (Especially if you factor in the additional
weight and momentum of the helmet in causing neck injuries.)
* - well, I did ride without my helmet once, but that was because I locked
it in a building one night at work, and didn't have keys to get back inside.
Riding without the helmet was actually pretty incredible - what a sense of
freedom! Definitely not worth the risk though.
>Now before anyone flames me, I'm not endorsing MC riders not wearing
>helmets, or laws to make auto drivers start wearing them, etc, or trying
>to start a helmet debate. It's just funny how laws can be accepted in
>spite of facts.
Yep, its amazing how many stupid laws there are which do not reflect
reality. Probably because most politicians do not live in reality. :-(
Here's an interesting little detail: I don't know of any race/competition
vehicles that use airbags. (Nascar, F1, Indy, etc...) I could be wrong;
maybe some do, but I've never seen them. What they do have is protective
clothing, helmets, and a good restraint system. (As well as a vehicle
designed with safety in mind.) We've all seen the absolutely spectacular
crashes that these things get into where the driver just walks away. Seems
to me that street cars should be taking their lead from that proven track
record rather than inventing questionable devices like airbags... I don't
particularly feel like cutting up my Dakota to put in a 5-point harness, but
if they were offered as an option, I would have ordered them.
Hmmm lets see... I guess I need some Dakota content here... Ummm...
The local drag strip requires you to wear a helmet if you run faster
than 14, I think. Looking forward to that day! :-)
-Jon-
.--- stei0302@cs.fredonia.edu -- http://www.cs.fredonia.edu/~stei0302/ ---.
| DoD# 1038, EAA# 518210, NMA# 117376, USUA# A46209, KotWitDoDFAQ, RP-SEL |
| '96 Dodge Dakota v8 SLT Club Cab, '96 Kolb FireFly 447 (#FF019) |
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I do not speak for the SUNY College at Fredonia; any opinions are my own.
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