What would you do?

[Desert viper_imp]

I always wear a helmet no matter what state I'm riding in....

[Rolls_imp]

Helmet laws hold no sway with me. As a personal choice, and with a basic appreciation of probability and statistics, I always wear a full face Snell approved motorcycling hat. Besides, they make 'em just for us!

On a more somber note, an experienced EMT recently told me that as a practical matter, keeping your pie hole intact is key to allowing you to breathe or get mouth to mouth until help arrives.

[4 Paws_imp]

When I was 16 yrs old and received permission to buy my first motorcycle I promised my mother I'd always wear a helmet, preferably full coverage"

Never break a promise, especially to your mother.

[Cormanus]

For almost as long as I can remember it has been mandatory to wear a helmet in Australia. I say almost because a very dear friend of my parents, who always wore a helmet, even before they were mandatory, once swapped bikes with a mate and insisted his mate wear his helmet. He came off his mate's bike without a helmet and was killed. I remember that.

We've all just read CB4ME's account of his accident and how his helmet has saved him from head injury.

To compound matters, the son of a friend of mine came off his bike over the weekend and has spinal damage, the severity of which is not yet apparent. His helmet is trashed, but he has no head injury. He was wearing a Cordura jacket, gloves, boots and kevlar jeans and lost no skin.

I've always worn a helmet and will continue to do so. It will likely always be a full-face variant.

[davidsargee_imp]

Helmets are not required in Texas, I always wear my helmet, period. I was going to go from one side of a parking lot to the other a couple of days ago, I was going to lunch at a place that was a little further than I wanted to walk, and I forgot my helmet inside, I briefly considered not wearing my helmet. I went back inside and retrieved my helmet, rather than crossing the parking lot without it. It just did not feel right.

I will skip the gloves and jacket during the dog days of summer, simply because I rationalize that a heat stroke on the bike would be fatal regardless of gear. But I do not take chances with the hat.

[Elipten_imp]

When I graduated high school in 1973 I worked 3 jobs that summer. One was at a nursing home on the night shift. There was a young man very physically limited and greatly reduced mental functions that they said had a terrible motorcycle accident from a chain snapping. Early super bike?

Seeing him and caring for him has never been a forgotten memory.

I always wear a full face helmet but now with glasses like the flip up type.




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[kmoney_imp]

I'd wear the helmet. When I was young I rode without a helmet around SE Asia on scooters and 250cc dirt bikes, and it is incredibly liberating and I see why people love it.

That said I just wouldn't run the risk, as the odds of dying or ending up seriously injured are just so much greater. I've seen lots of accidents where guys wreck and get up and walk away, where without a helmet it would probably be a fatality.

About 3 months ago my friend highsided his FZ09 and basically ended up sliding under a guardrail. His helmet had a giant notch taken out of the forehead section, but he was otherwise fine except for a broken wrist. I doubt he'd be here if he wasn't wearing a lid.

[cooldrum_imp]

I recently returned from Albuquerque, New Mexico where my wife and I visited family and attended the International Balloon Fiesta. What an amazing experience that was! While there I noticed a number of riders without helmets. I tried to make a mental note of roughly how many wore helmets vs. how many didn't and my impression was that a little more than half of the riders I saw had helmets on.

I wondered what I would do if California didn't require a helmet. I didn't wonder long, however, and quickly knew that I'd more than likely always choose to wear one. I thought why not ask all of you for your thoughts. Are you in a state where helmets are optional and, if so, what do you do? If you're in a state where helmets are mandatory, do you resent it or embrace it? If given the choice, what would you do?

Oregon has a helmet law. Even if they didn't, I would always wear one and my protective gear. I've seen so many distracted drivers whether talking, texting, watching gps, music or reading a book etc. I would always wear a helmet. Combine that with impaired drivers and you see where I'm going. My brother in law just had a low-speed spill (25mph) cracked ribs, bruises, scrapes and he had a shoulder separation that required surgery. Road conditions dry and a car just stopped suddenly in front of him. All it took was a few seconds. Yes, he was wearing a helmet and it could have been worse. He'll be off work until January 2017. Just a reminder to be safe out there. Russ

[metallyguitarded_imp]

It's great reading all these responses. I have and continue to amass a nice little collection of helmets. For my wife, it's shoes. For me, helmets. All of them are full face helmets with the exception of my Biltwell Bonanza; a three-quarter helmet that is very comfortable. I don't wear it too often, usually opting for one of the other helmets. Lately, the Biltwell Gringo is what I reach for. The thought of protecting my brain enough to allow me to regret the loss of my face is usually enough to make me choose a full face helmet.

I did go for a ride during a recent heat wave without a jacket - something that initially felt incredibly odd. I got over that odd feeling real quick. Man, did that feel good. Still, riding without a jacket, preferably leather, will remain the exception. I am guilty of riding in plain Levis most of the time and fully realize I might as well be in silk pajamas. I need to pony up for a decent pair of Kevlar jeans and have read with great interest the current thread on protection down below.

As far as helmets go, the soon to be released Bell Moto 3 is already on my wishlist. It may just be a birthday present to myself in a few months.

[Rocky_imp]

We have a helmet law here, but even it we didn't I would always wear a helmet.