I appreciate the personal freedom argument against helmet laws and it is probably correct.
That said, there are some things that should require no laws. Anyone stupid enough to ride a motorcycle without a helmet deserves whatever consequences he suffers. I would also add that not one dime of taxpayer or charity money should go to assist such irresponsible fools.
I like Jerry Seinfeld’s take on helmet laws. “...the idea behind the helmet law being to preserve a brain whose judgment is so poor, it does not even try to avoid the cracking of the head it is in.”
If you want to protest helmet laws, I say get a sticker saying “I don’t need Big Government to tell me to wear this!” and put it on your helmet.
I think the best argument in favor of helmet laws might be that in the nanny state enviroment that is becoming more pervasive, many people assume anything legal is safe, and therefore laws are needed to to educate people.
I wonder if a “helmet law” with absolutely no penalties for disobeying it might make sense. It would put people on notice, without really compelling them to wear helmets, and also might help others escape liability for injuries suffered by helmetless fools.
Here, in FL, we have a choice.
No Helmet: MUST HAVE INSURANCE.
Helmet: NO INSURANCE REQUIRED.
Weird.............
If you look at motorcycle fatality statistics, there are only two states that account for over half of all motorcycle fatalities in the US. And the two states are: (drumroll please......)
California and Florida. Maybe we should make those residents wear helmets and leave the rest of the 48 states alone. Don’t forget... If you want to wear a helmet you are always entitled to do so... nobody is preventing you from wearing a helmet.