Poll: Should there be a mandatory motorcycle helmet law in Wisconsin?

WQOW18 ^ | 7/29/2003 | self

[quietolong]

Should there be a mandatory motorcycle helmet law in Wisconsin?

Link to Poll

Left side of screen.

[quietolong]

NO!

Just got rid of one.

Rat takes over Gov. of CA they get a helmet law
WI gets a Rat and now there pushing to get the Illegal law back.

More Nanny Government. Let those who ride decide!

I will take care of my own Safety

[StACase]

So far, 62% say yes. It's amazing the number of people in the world who want to tell others what to do, when it isn't any of their business. Freedom it seems, doesn't mean anything

[Joe Boucher]

cab't find it anywhere in the constitution where it says it is the job of the govt. to get involved in these kind of issues.
Something about provide for the common defense, but nowhere anything about regulate the headware of motorcycles.

[petuniasevan]

Here you go, FRiend.

[upier]

All laws protecting people from themselves should be eliminated. If someone doesn't want to wear a seat belt or a helmet it is their choice. The Government needs to get out of our lives.

Stupidity is self correcting. The gene pool could use a little clorine.

Note: I am not saying that people who don't wear helments are stupid. Just that their are a lot of laws that protect stupid people form themselves. Why bother.

[joesnuffy]

Helmets cause accidents
Reduction in peripheral vision and hearing
Been able to escape more accidents than have them without a helmet

One accident that I got hurt in was when a cop car bumped a stop sign as I was coming through a wet intersection..laid the bike down and pushed off...I bounced off the rear wheel of the squad.

I would have had the helmet tied on my butt to have been protected

Helmets are great for racing or riding in the woods...where there are no crazy automobiles to avoid

[spunkets]

They want to be your mommy and the sad part is that some of the mommies love it.

[spunkets]

"Helmets are great for racing or riding in the woods."

Hey, they work in the rain too, and when frost would otherwise form on your head.

[Snowy]

I don't like telling people what to do, but what about the following...?

Motorcycles are harder to see which makes them more likely to get into an accident. So, a driver of a car hits a motorcycle. The rider gets thrown from the bike and he dies after his head hits a tree (no helmet). What if he would have lived if he were wearing a helmet? What about the driver of the car? Would the charges, if any, be more severe if the rider dies? BTW, I had a relative who died when a car turned in front of him (they didn't see his motorcycle).

[brewcrew]

Sorry, Snowy, but it's none of the gubmint's damned business.

What if this? What if that? What if the gubmint just fixed the roads, sent the police, and guarded the borders? Let the riders and the insurance companies worry about who wears a helmet.

[Snowy]

Sorry, Snowy, but it's none of the gubmint's damned business.

I agree. I don't even think we should have to register our cars. However, if someone decides to ride their bicycle in the middle of an 8 lane highway at rush hour and they get squished, should the squishee's family be able to sue the squisher? [/devil's advocate]

[ozaukeemom]

I was just saying this yesterday! If I want to use a helmet or seat belt, that is my decision!Argh!!!

[stevio]

Whether you want to wear a helmet or not is your choice.
Here in Pennsylvania they are about to repeal the current helmet law, but added a law, that if you're not wearing a seatbelt, they can pull you over and ticket you. How messed up is that?

[spunkets]

" How messed up is that?"

Look up in the clouds for Rod Sterling.

[CholeraJoe]

Should there be a mandatory motorcycle helmet law in Wisconsin?

Absolutely not. Donor organs are in short supply, as it is.

[WestPacSailor]

No adult should be required to wear a helmet, seat belt, or any other safety device. However, the taxpayers should not have to pay for the medical and long term care of a vegetable who dumped his bike and was not wearing a helmet. There should be a release for attached to the drivers license application that says I cannot hold anyone else responsible for my lack of safety gear.

Someone earlier said "stupidity is self correcting. the gene pool could use some chlorine." Amen!

[Revelation 911]

Stupidity is self correcting.

having ridden 25+ yrs - my thoughts.

I dont think it should be regulated, nor should seat belts. However - I, as a participant in an HMO should not subsidize your health care costs when your coconut get scrambled just because you decide to ride without a helmet because its perceived to be cool. You can ride without one - but be darn well sure your insurance rates will be much higher - same goes for those bullet fast ninja racers

[-YYZ-]

Yeah, and I suppose that's why unhelmeted riders are over-represented in accident and fatality statistics. (yes, I can find the studies that demonstrate this if you really want). Oh, I still support your right to ride unhelmeted if you want to, but the argument in favor of it is one of personal freedom, not safety. As to your little example, how did not having a helmet on help you not get hurt worse than you did?

[-YYZ-]

Of course, following that reasoning to its logical conclusion, I guess employers and health insurers are perfectly right to discriminate against all motorcycle riders, as it is a much riskier form of transport than anything on four wheels. Why should all those normal people who drive cars have to subsidize your health care costs for the kinds of injuries you're much more susceptible to riding a bike? And then there's all those other risky activities that some people partake in: "Extreme" sports, many team sports (hockey springs to mind), promiscuous sexual activity, excessive alcohol consumption.

My point is only this: Do you really want to start down that road? Because you could soon find medical coverage denied for injuries sustained while riding your motorcycle in a reasonable manner while wearing full protective gear. Or swimming, or canoeing, or sky diving, or eating too many burgers or whatever.

[brewcrew]

if someone decides to ride their bicycle in the middle of an 8 lane highway at rush hour and they get squished, should the squishee's family be able to sue the squisher? [/devil's advocate]

First off, thanks for clarifying that you are playing devil's advocate. I don't mind arguing for the sake of arguement.

My answer to your question would be, it depends on who was determined to be at fault. You can squish somebody with your car and be completely and utterly not at fault.

A guy on a bike once T-boned the side of my car while I was going 25 mph, and he got knocked off his bike and scraped his leg. My car needed a new wheel opening moulding ($14.00). He was drunk and was cited for it. After the inconvenience of having to wait for the police and file a report, I drove away with no citation, an hour and a half late for my appointment.