Virginia May Drop Motorcycle Helmet Law

WXII ^ | 8:49 am EST February 6, 2006

[martin_fierro]

Virginia May Drop Motorcycle Helmet Law

POSTED: 8:35 am EST February 6, 2006 UPDATED: 8:49 am EST February 6, 2006

RICHMOND, Va. -- A House of Delegates committee has endorsed a measure that would lift Virginia's motorcycle helmet law for operators and passengers age 21 years and older.

The bill -- now bound for the full House -- is sponsored by William Janis of Henrico.

He said helmet wearing should be optional for motorcycle enthusiasts.

[spunkets]

"I can actually see better because I am not squinting while zipping along at 90+ "

No tears at 130.

[blackie]

You are perfect Martin F. ~ don't change a thing. :):)

[SFC Chromey]

LOL, yea I had a good pair of shades in the past, but turned to see what was behind, and they went flying down the road. Not good. I wear my dark Oakleys with a dark tint shield, and even riding into the sun I can see great!

RIDE FAST AND SWERVE!

[gigo]

Donorcycles

You sir are a comic genius! You've grafted the word donor as in "organ donor" to the second half of motorcyle creating a New Word which cleverly links motorcyles to organ donors in only 4 syllables. Never having heard that hilarious combination, I am overcome with mirth. Hats off to you!

[Dubya-M-Dees]

Hmmm.. I'd have to think long and hard before taking my helmet off. I wear a beanie (DOT approved) which is about as close as you can get to a compromise of safety and the freedom of no helmet at all. I do understand the attraction of no helmet though.

[supercat]

In principle I agree with you, but the problem is is that the gov't will pick up costs for the uninsured via Medicaid.

Just a WAG, but I would think that the average injury cost for someone wearing a helmet would be higher than for someone not wearing a helmet. Which costs more, after all--treating someone who wears a helmet and breaks his spine, or treating someone who doesn't wear his helmet and gets killed outright?

[BraveMan]

For once in my life, I'm going to keep my mouth shut and post motorcycle porn instead . . .

[martin_fierro]

Hey, I saw that same bike at Hollister a year or two back!

Lemmee root around for the photo.

[JoeSixPack1]

2004 FLORIDA TRAFFIC CRASH STATISTICS

Traffic crashes 252,902
Drivers involved 376,111
Average crashes per day 691
Mileage Death Rate (per 100 million VM) 1.66

Fatalities 3,257
Fatal crashes 2,936

Injuries 227,192
Injury crashes 142,388

Property damage only crashes 107,578

Alcohol-related fatalities 1,093
Alcohol-related injuries 17,580
Alcohol-related crashes 23,013
Alcohol-related fatal crashes 998
Alcohol-related injury crashes 11,002

Pedestrians killed 504
Pedestrians injured 7,551
Pedestrian crashes 8,084

Bicyclists killed 119
Bicyclists injured 4,820
Bicycle crashes 5,203

Motorcyclists killed 388
Motorcyclists injured 6,558
Motorcycle crashes 7,367

http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/reports/crash_facts.html


It looks like pedestrians need helmets more than bikers!!!!!

[MortMan]

I live in Kansas, currently. Here, it is legal to ride sans helmet. I have to admit I cringe whenever I see someone cruising down the highway at or above 70mph without a helmet.

I understand the safety versus legality issue. Personally, I have decided it's much better for me to wear the helmet - My first accident showed me the value (and I landed on hardpack sandy soil on the side of the road, not on the asphalt).

Just my humble opinion - binding only on myself. ;-P

[postaldave]

that is the problem,"likely has no health insurance." implies that health insurance is an american right. can can't have true freedom without allowing certain bad things to happen to people who choose to have bad things happen to them.

[blackie]

Roger that, Joe!
It also looks like alcohol consumption plays a big roll in traffic accidents.
Gee ~ I wonder why. ;);)

[martin_fierro]

Well, I dug around for the photo but couldn't find it.

But I KNOW I've seen that bike elsewhere, and that I snapped a picture of it. This is gonna drive me nuts until I find it.

[vharlow]

Strange they want to let people ride motorcycles without helmets but ban smoking. I don't get it. Where are their brains? Isn't this a complete contradiction?

I agree about helmets, and insurance company policies should be all the incentive one needs to wear a helmet. I've seen a few accidents. But then, what sense does it make to ban smoking????? I haven't smoked in 30 years, but this just drives me nuts.

[oxforduniversity]

Helmets Law are unconstitutional period, since California passed it law back in 1992, it made loads of published cases used throughout the States and those challanges were used in different States that even had a unconstitutional ruling based from it or modified a helmet law because of the mass interests of what came from California. If California never passed the helmet law, it would of had less impact on several areas through Congress and the courts, something the California legislature didn't realize when they passed the helmet law it would benefit in repealing helmet laws in other states but always other countries due to the massive data collected and written or sparked interests (protests).

Now we have a helmet law that has been declared unconstitutional, not once but a dozen times in California as the court will turn it over because the CHP violated it and continued to violate the law when there would civil ruling placed.

There is nothing dumb with riding without a helmet as there are many other dumb things you can compared what you could do as well so don't judge a lidless rider compared to something similar that is also dumb you do.

The California helmet law has reduced DMV registrations by more the 68%, it has impacted State taxes and so forth due to the protest of disliked law that forced people to stopped riding. It screwed up the spot completely as this law is now taking off the books. There was nothing saved in hospital costs from headless injuries, there is no data only data exist is less registrations, it killed the motorcycle population is what it did because of the hate of helmets.

Thank you Richard Quigley for fighting the CA helmet law for 14 years, now we have our freedoms back. God bless you

Scott Marcott
San Luis Obispo, California