Just to put your opinion into perspective, you are against motorcycle helmet law?
Is it Legal for a baby to ride pillion on a Motorcycle?
- Thread starter Orionaut
- Start date
Just to put your opinion into perspective, you are against motorcycle helmet law?
motorcycles travel at a far greater speed and may travel on roads deemed unsafe for cycles such as motorways.
also people on bicycles tend to avoid the busier roads they are allowed to ride on.
I personally ride my bicycle for fitness, IF I were a commuter then I would more than likely re-evaluate my decision not to wear a helmet as I would potentially be in harms way for the majority of my journey surrounded by people also rushing to get to work and often taking risks they likely would not at other times of the day.
only a small section of my usual route is actually on a road because I follow part of a NCN (national cycle network) that is mainly on shared footpaths and trails leading along the river where cars obviously are not allowed
Here is the busiest road I have to travel ALONGSIDE
oh looks a marvellous cycling infrastructure roughly 4 minutes from my house
I can follow that route for at least 20 miles without even riding on a road apart from when I cross over at the traffic lights (one of the lights cyclists are allowed to ride across without dismounting)
As long as my bike is properly maintained do I really need a helmet for such journeys ? the odds of my having an accident is stupidly low.
I would likely have a far greater chance of slipping on my stairs and bashing my head in at the bottom.
Last edited:
Why does the same not apply to everyone in every circumstance then?
Not having a go, just curious. I appreciate that in your very specific scenario you chose what risk you want to take but you must also recognise that other's IE Motorcyclists on the road can also? And as such, should be able to chose not to wear a helmet?
For reference, I absolutely support the law regarding motorcycle helmet wear, protects those who refuse to/too silly to/ignorant to protecting themselves.
They choose the risk when they step on a rocket with wheels , they are clearly not sane people to begin with so should have some common sense safety forced on them 
What are the road laws for motorbikes regarding the kevlar style body armour a lot of them where? I'd say that's more in line with a bicycle helmet
Are they forced to wear those protective pieces of clothing or is it a choice?
What are the road laws for motorbikes regarding the kevlar style body armour a lot of them where? I'd say that's more in line with a bicycle helmet
Are they forced to wear those protective pieces of clothing or is it a choice?
Last edited:
The only protective equipment leagally require to ride a motorcycle on the UK roads is a helmet.
Saying that, most people on motorcycles, myself included, wear protective gear all the time when on the bike. There's an acronym, ATGATT. All The Gear All The Time.
Saying that, most people on motorcycles, myself included, wear protective gear all the time when on the bike. There's an acronym, ATGATT. All The Gear All The Time.
They choose the risk when they step on a rocket with wheels , they are clearly not sane people to begin with so should have some common sense safety forced on them
What are the road laws for motorbikes regarding the kevlar style body armour a lot of them where? I'd say that's more in line with a bicycle helmet
Are they forced to wear those protective pieces of clothing or is it a choice?
Poor comparison and a cop out answer.
/leaves thread
poor comparison is trying to compare the safety needed on a form of transport most people would struggle to go 20mph on to a form of transport that can go at least twice that.
most joggers I see are doing 8 mph , my average speed on my journeys is 12mph , should they wear a helmet in case they trip over?, what about runners going around 16mph? should they wear a helmet too?
If your driving to the local shop 2 roads away on 20mph roads is a seatbelt going to make a difference?
Waits for some crazy scenario.
You are forced to wear one for such a journey but do you really need one?
Last edited:
The problem with the seatbelt analogy is that by not wearing a seatbelt, you put other people at risk of injury. This is not true of a cycle helmet / motorbike helmet.
I fully support laws which forces safety kit on people where not using/wearing it puts others at risk. I'm less convinced about laws that are purely to save people from themselves.
Motorbike helmets is an odd one, because it's completely inconsistent. Either the government wants to save people from themselves, in which case we should have a law mandating gloves, boots, proper jacket/trousers etc. Or they don't, in which case we shouldn't have a law at all. A mandatory helmet only law makes no sense.
Yes. When:
Another car plows into you at 20
When another car plows into you at >20
When you hit a wall at 20, or 15, or 10
When the back seat passenger who weighs 60Kg behind you, not wearing his/her seatbelt, suddenly weighs a whole lot more in a 20MPH impact and is heading towards you.
None of the above are crazy scenarios. Your above post indicates to me that you are the exact type of person who is protected by law, because you are too ignorant to protect yourself.
Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Oct 2004
- Posts
- 9,086
- Location
- Berkland
Currently the law says its your choice, and so be it.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Over 1000 miles since buying my bike.
Not killed my self yet
runners going at the same speed as a bike should wear a helmet then yes or no? why is it any different for runners ? they run in the same place as I ride , travel at the same speed but have even more chance of a tumble because of uneven surfaces that could cause them to trip over where as for my bike it's just slightly bumpy for a split second.
Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Oct 2004
- Posts
- 9,086
- Location
- Berkland
Bwahahahahahahahaha!
Crazy scenario.... how about a golf cart study...
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/esv/esv19/05-0431-W.pdf
Seriously though, I wouldn't want my face smacking in to a windscreen or my mate head butting the back of my head because he/I wasn't wearing a seatbelt.
Runners do not run at the same speed as cyclists.
Runners do not run on roads with anywhere near the same frequency as cyclists.
Runners are just as vulnerable as any other pedestrian in a road sense but see point above.
You continue with your ignorant view, you may luck out, you may not. other more sensible people will avert risk, you can never remove all risk but you can mitigate it. Which is why every sane person would strap up on a '2 block 20mph trip' to the shops, unfortunately you cannot see why and think they do so only as a result of law. Shame.
Runners do not run on roads with anywhere near the same frequency as cyclists.
Runners are just as vulnerable as any other pedestrian in a road sense but see point above.
You continue with your ignorant view, you may luck out, you may not. other more sensible people will avert risk, you can never remove all risk but you can mitigate it. Which is why every sane person would strap up on a '2 block 20mph trip' to the shops, unfortunately you cannot see why and think they do so only as a result of law. Shame.
I thought we were talking about my individual circumstances and decision not to wear a helmet?
I already explained the average speed of my journey is around 12mph I know this for a fact as I have a garmin edge 800.
They run on them with the same frequency as me and for the most part are travelling within 1-4mph of the speed I am doing.
see above.
There are different types of helmets with varying levels of protection, who is referring to what?
There's the standard polystyrene type and the more reinforced ones that are like horse riding helmets which have shown to greatly reduce the risk of serious head injury when flying off a horse at 30+ mph...
There's the standard polystyrene type and the more reinforced ones that are like horse riding helmets which have shown to greatly reduce the risk of serious head injury when flying off a horse at 30+ mph...
And this thread has demonstrated, once again, that ridiculous red herrings like compulsory helmet laws userp any discussion of the actual issue, which is that the lack of decent cycling infrastructure in London needlessly puts cyclists at risk.
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 17 Nov 2003
- Posts
- 36,749
- Location
- Southampton, UK
Source please.
There's nothing stopping me doing so. I can stop any vehicle to check documents without any other reason. Not that I generally do.
Again, if we're referencing studies, lets have some sources.
They choose the risk when they step on a rocket with wheels , they are clearly not sane people to begin with so should have some common sense safety forced on them
What are the road laws for motorbikes regarding the kevlar style body armour a lot of them where? I'd say that's more in line with a bicycle helmet
Are they forced to wear those protective pieces of clothing or is it a choice?
helmet mandatory everything else optional, I've had a few low speed crash (easily in cycle speeds) an without the full face helmet my face would be a ****ing horrible state now given the damage to the front/the visor.
would not feel happy o na push bike with a push bike helmet let alone none at all lol.