Man dies after motorcycle crashes during helmet protest ride

9wsyr.com ^ | July 2, 2011 | WSYR-TV

[Berlin_Freeper]

LAFAYETTE, NY (WSYR-TV) – New York State Troopers say one man is dead after a motorcycle crash near McClary Road and Route 11 in LaFayette on Saturday.

New York State Police say 55-year-old Philip Contos of Parish was part of a protest against motorcycle helmets.

Police say several motorists from the group ABATE (American Bikers Aimed for Education) of Onondaga County had come together to make a point that they didn't need their helmets.

The group was driving south on Route 11 in Lafayette around 1:30 p.m., headed toward Lake Como, just south of the Finger Lakes.

Police say Contos suddenly hit the brakes and lost control of the motorcycle.

According to troopers, Contos was thrown over his handlebars and hit the pavement as his 1993 Harley Davidson motorcycle skidded toward the guardrail.

Contos was still alive when crews arrived at the scene and was transported to Upstate University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

According to police, Contos was not wearing his helmet, as required by law. Witnesses say this decision was part of the protest.

Police say that based on evidence at the scene and from doctors, Contos would have survived if he had been wearing a DOT-Approved helmet.

[faucetman]

“One thing I have observed about helmetless riders is that few of them have grey or thinning hair.”

How much hair do the helmeted riders have? Just wondering.

[wardaddy]

lay a bide down?

hit rear brake hard and will often cause a slide

shift weight for direction you want and push off

away from bike and whatever else is in way is a good idea

watch racers when they lose it in a turn how they do it in GP

not saying it’s easy....do it wrong and you’re Aunt Peg....I have pushed off twice after dropping bike...still hurts...sliding is better than tumbling too as a rule though abrasion rules...still beats slamming dead on into fixed object...that is what kills most riders

do not hit front brake like that..think medieval catapult

you own a bike...you will wreck

[He Rides A White Horse]

It should be my decision, not the states decision.

I said nothing of the sort. What I said is what I would do.

[RFEngineer]

agreed on all points. But the laws aren’t really about motorcycle safety in my opinion.

It has been the purpose of government to recast free exercise of liberty as an infringement upon society that needs strict regulation. That is an affront to all who wish for liberty.

It is why our founding fathers envisioned limited government.

[servantboy777]

>>It has been the purpose of government to recast free exercise of liberty as an infringement upon society that needs strict regulation. That is an affront to all who wish for liberty.<<

BRAVO!! I could not have expressed it better.

[He Rides A White Horse]

shift weight for direction you want and push off

away from bike and whatever else is in way is a good idea

I'll have to ask him again. I must have misinterpreted what he told me. It seems that way.

[servantboy777]

I misquoted.

My apologies.

[Mad Dawgg]

"I think the biggest problem most motorcyclists have is they don’t drive defensively enough."

I used to be and avid cyclist Back when I was a young man. My junior and Senior year I rode My Suzuki 250 Enduro

Not my actual Bike but it looked just like that one! ( I still get a warm feeling of freedom and adventure when looking at such)

I rode it everywhere and I could fill the roughly two gallon gas tank for under two bucks.

I was a Rambling Vagabond who hit th road as often as I could.

Then in my 22nd year of life I was coming down a hill in a residential section of my home town. I was moving at about 35 MPH. Suddenly a pickup truck pulled out in front of me out of a blind alley. (he was moving far over the speed limit so there is no way he had stopped to see if anything was coming.) Without thinking I stood up on my pegs jinked the bike to try and go behind him as he crossed my path and hit both brakes. being young I had fast reflexes and almost made it. Only problem was he had an extra long reese style trailer hitch head that stuck out from his rear bumper about 18 inches.

My front tire hit it hard enough to bend the rim. The bike catapulted me over the handlebars and I flew about 12 feet into a ditch barely missing a metal "no parking" sign. I damaged my knee (again) broke two bones in my hand almost cut the index finger off of my other hand due to it hitting the no parking sign and got a mild concussion.

The Policeman who showed up to the accident (he beat the EMS there) told me I must have missed the sign with my head and shoulder by mere inches because he figured I instinctively had my hands outstretched in front of me in a defensive move when my one hand contacted the sign.

As he held a bandage to my finger and hand trying to staunch the bleeding he told me in jolly tone if I had hit the sign with my neck or shoulder area he would probably be contacting the coroner about now.

The bike had a few scratches where it skidded on the pavement, a bent rim and the forks were bent broke one of the mirrors and turnsignals and skinned up one of the hand grips. Insurance paid to fix it all. When it was fixed and painted and looking like new I sold it and have never ridden another.

It happened way to fast And I was obeying all traffic laws and constantly on the lookout for cars and trucks. I had many a close call before that including being thrown from a Honda Goldwing into a cornfield when riding double with a good friend. He hit something small on the road which blew his front tire I hit the same knee then as I damaged later as described above. I hit it on the ferring as I was launched over the handlebars. We were only goin about 40 MPH then and luckily the Cornfield was wet so both hit and slid for many many yards.

But the Suzuki Wreck was the last straw for me. Both me and the Goldwing Owner were good bike riders. We competed in Hare Scrambles, Enduros and Moto-x races never having a major mishap in any of those competitions and winning or placing in more than our share locally.

I would still consider riding bikes on trails and such (No competition for me now though way to old and slow for such.) But I will never again ride a motorcycle on any byway that includes automobiles and trucks. Way too dangerous and the odds are always stacked against the bike rider. Newton proved such many years ago!

[He Rides A White Horse]

No problem.

[ruesrose]

Oh! I thought it was American Bikers Aimed for Total Eradication. Thanks for straightening me out.

[SoftwareEngineer]

Joe,

Good Morning. Here are two such links. I am sure I can find more. Will try to look for them in the evening. The first link talks briefly about the US laws that had emerged in the 19th century (but were a natural continuation of 18th century colonial laws)

The second link is British but mentions US laws here are there. Long reading :) Sorry!

The third link talks about a New Hampshire law from 1792 that was challenged in court and was upheld. The New Hampshire traffic law stated, “no person shall ride through any street or lane, in the compact part of any town, on a gallop or at a swifter pace than at the rate of five miles an hour.”. Such laws were NOT uncommon in Colonial New England. Further perusal of Colonial Laws will find many such instances

The fourth and fifth links are Wikipedia articles on actual British laws on which US modeled its own laws in the 19th century.

http://www.ait.org.tw/infousa/zhtw/DOCS/Demopaper/dmpaper5.html

http://www.driveandstayalive.com/info%20section/history/history.htm

http://volokh.com/posts/1248902305.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locomotive_Acts

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_Act_1835

[muawiyah]

The topic of the discussion is the use and operation of PUBLIC ROADS. If you don't want US looking in on your use of OUR ROADS go build your own someplace.

A private road will solve your problems.

[He Rides A White Horse]

If I am on the road, and see a motorcycle, I’ll actually at times get behind it and maintain a safe distance. I have seen too many people tailgating riders...I’m thinking that the driver of the car is really ignorant.

[muawiyah]

I agree ~ sitting on your bike in your own driveway you shouldn't be required to have a helmet on.

Sound OK?

[Salamander]

It used to be A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments.

Privately, we said it was A Bunch Of A22holes Terrorizing Everybody.

Helmet laws suck.

[kickonly88]

Seems like FR has its share of nanny staters lately. Ride like you’re invisible and EVERYONE is out to KILL you.

[Salamander]

Moped riders in MD are not required to wear helmets below a certain cc *or* be trained/tested/licensed to ride them.

I’ve passed Mopeds doing 50 mph.

Hypocrisy.

[Salamander]

Most fatal car injuries involve head trauma.

Car drivers should be required to wear helmets.

Race car drivers have the sense to wear them.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I don’t think the lesson was the one they wanted...

A properly fitting helmet will mitigate or prevent head and facial injury in a lot of motorcycle mishaps, even simple fall-downs. On bicycles, helmets may be overkill (or undersave) but when you have dozens of horses propelling you and the beast you’re on, that’s quite a different story.

[Salamander]

Get out of my head...:)