What are everyone's thoughts on this?
What are everyone's thoughts on this?
Dumbest move ever.
I don't much give a care, but anyone who rides a motorcycle without a helmet doesn't have much in the way of brains to protect anyway.
With all the problems in our state why was this a priority?
I care because this will mean increases in insurance costs. This governor is speaking out of both sides of his mouth. Civil servants were forced to take a big hit January 1 in order to decrease the cost of medical insurance, now this will increase it. Expect it to get even more harder and more expensive to get car insurance.
This will increase vehicle insurance for all, and increase medical costs for all. Will lead to more injuries and deaths.
Idiotic law, and I voted for Snyder.
Does anyone believe that if motorcycles were invented today, with all the laws governing automobiles, they would have any chance of being legalized? Yet, the gov't says it's okay to fly off these things head first into the pavement without protection. Very bizarre.
I guess if you're over 18 pass the required tests and have an additional $20,000 in medical insurance [[important requirement) and you want to take the risk when studies have shown that helmets give you a better chance of survival in an accident then have at it.
Unsafe at any speed.
Live to ride, ride to die.
I'll keep my 4000 pound safety cage.
When does it go into effect?
I wish everyone could ride a motorcycle at some point in their life to understand what drivers of automobiles take for granted everyday. Riding a motorcycle makes you realize how unsafe we all are on the road [[and it's not the motorcycle, scooter [[including disability scooters), bicycle, or the pedestrian endangering our lives). It is more dangerous than ever with the amount of drivers texting and web surfing at drivers fingertips while operating 4000 pounds of lethal inertia.
He is a nerd and an idiot. I am a Republican and I supported him. In the past now
Pandering. On facebook, some idiot community-college-dropout blowhard I went to elementary school with is all gung-ho over his right to increase our insurance costs. To give you a more detailed profile of the a target audience, he doesn't have any favorite books and is a fan of Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh. To me it seems this is a political move to gain favor of the completely-fucking-stupid.
I'm still a Snyder supporter, but this law is a waste of time. Plus, the insurance costs are going to affect us. Helmets saved the lives of people I love multiple times that are stupid enough to ride motorcycles. Now, if they outlawed motorcycles altogether, I'd say that Snyder is infringing on people's personal rights, but helmets should be a requirement. I will personally hand out Darwin awards to people who ride without helmets.
Well on the flip side... this should provide a surge in organ donations...
Like one comedian is known for saying.... "it's time to cull the herd".... :p
I used to ride, and there seems to be a fair amount of animosity against motorcycle riders out there -- I was run off the road twice, and the manner in which it happened signified intent. On the other hand, there are a fair amount of knuckleheads [[not the old Harley engines) on bikes and a-h's running open headers. If I were an insurance company, I would charge a hefty premium on a helmetless rider.
I still don't understand why making riders where helmets is considered an infringement of their liberties, but making drivers and passengers wear seat belts is not. [[For the record, I think both should be mandatory).
Jaw-dropping foolishness. Other than idiots, who is the constituency for this? Why would we want go backwards on a matter of public safety that provably saves lives?
I would think the right to go helmet-less should have been tied to signing up as an organ donor.
I've always said, if I see one of these crotch rocket a-holes who blew past me at over 100mph in a crash a few miles ahead I would not stop to help. Even less likely too if they don't have a helmet on.
Finally something Snyder does right.
It's kind of sad there are actually people here who feel the government should be able to force people to wear helmets. Nanny-state anyone?
what about minors? hopefully minors will still be forced to have headwear [[and hopefully a jacket of some kind)..
Driving is a privilege is the first thing you learned in drivers Ed. It is not a right. My biggest concern is having all these new wards of the state especially if the unlimited medical coverage is reduced like some bills in the legislature are trying to do.
We might as well just have the goverment make it a law requiring people to wear knee pads and safety harnesses all day every day. It wouldn't surprise me if some people supported that. Can't anyone come up with something better than this being about "insurance reasons" while we are at it?
i cant believe there are any motorcycles the way people run red lights and swerve around here. i think we need a mandatory helmet law inside the car too!
did anyone bring up the mandatory seatbelt law? why not just get rid of that too? and airbag requirements? who needs em? crumple zones? bah! bah i say!
Stupid idea. My wife walks with a small limp, but I'm grateful she waks at all. We were moving along at bicycle speed when a large dog came out of a driveway and blindsided her motorcycle. If she didn't have a helmet on [[a Snell Foundation approved one BTW, not some cheap little thing) I'd be a widower.
A week in the hospital was the outcome. Trust me. $20,000 of insurance would come no where close to covering the cost.
That may work in whatever fantasy world you live in.
Where I live, in reality, it doesn't.
I WISH I can tell my health care provider BCBS "You better not make me pay for that idiot's medical expenses through higher premiums because he chose not to have health insurance or else I'm switching over to HAP!!!" They would laugh in your face, because they're well aware every health care provider does this.
If that truly worked in reality, there wouldn't be any need for health care reform.
I'm tired of seeing us wasting time on all these victimless crimes. Helmet laws. Seatbelt laws [[for adults). Prostitution laws [[between consenting adults). Marijuana laws [[for adults).
Let people be free.
Not at all. That's your opinion and it most certainly has merit.
I don't ride a motorcycle, I never have and never will. I think anyone that does so without a helmet is an idiot and hopefully an organ donor in good health.
However, if they want to be stupid, ride a motorcycle without a helmet on their way to bang a hooker with plans to go home and waste their time and money smoking a doobie, they should be allowed to do so.
Fair enough. You and several others in this thread are also entitled to your opinions, which also have merit.
However, the fact of the matter is we're not all islands unto ourselves. The stupid decisions of one person will, more or less, affect other innocent people who had no part in the stupid decision. Why should they be punished because that person is an idiot? If that's how some define freedom, then I'd rather be enslaved.
That said, I do agree with you with regards to MArijuana laws. The War on Drugs is a waste of money and that money can be spent on much better things. However, the freedom to smoke Marijuana should only apply to the weed smoker's private space. It's when others are impacted by their weed smoking that I have a problem with.
[[BTW, I am not a weed smoker. In fact, I LOATHE weed and people when they're high, but they have a right to smoke it and there's nothing I can do about that, and I can't imagine spending billions upon billions to arrest them and lining the pockets of prison contractors when my city is headed into bankruptcy).
"Yeah! Down with the nanny-state! Except of course when it involves the intensely private issues of marriage, contraception, and abortion. Then let's get the government in other peoples' bedrooms!
You guys are a fucking riot"
Let's not forget the attempt to require insurance companies to cover care for Autistic children.
While I agree with the legislation, I disagree with the fact that the Republicans in charge pick and choose what they want "small government" to do.
Government for their causes = good.
Government for everyone else = go fuck yourself.
This law is a bad deal for the people. Mich provides unlimited medical coverage for crash victims requiring lifetime benefits for all reasonable and necessary care this from the Mich Catastrophic Claims Assoc. Motorcyclist account for 5% of the claims [[mostly likely more now) but are only 2% of the assessment.
Also motorcyclist get special treatment under the no fault law. If an motorcycle and auto get in an accident, the auto drivers insurance pays benefits to the motorcyclist no matter who is at fault.
From the Free Press editorial page
I'm in favor of personal rights but what about the adverse affects on the general public just so you can have the right to put yourself at risk by not wearing a helmet.
Also the $20,000 additional insurance isn't enough I've seen studies that the ER cost for a injuried motorcycle driver is slightly more than double that amount
I wonder if the folks who ride motorcycles who are happy about this, will be as gleeful once they get their new insurance premiums....
http://news.consumerreports.org/cars...lmet-laws.html
Part of the issue was tourism. Michigan is surrounded by states with either no helmet law or limited requirement such as riders under 17. With Michigan being "out of the way" a rider can bypass this state completely.
It's going to be a hard sell to get someone for example riding from Pennsylvania to Sturgis to travel through Michigan as they will have to buy a helmet that they may never use again.
I ride [[obviously) but will continue to wear a helmet. As a plus, it keeps me from getting sunburned on my bald spot.........
I'm not sure Occurrence understands how insurance functions.
Smoking is raising all of our health insurance premiums. Should we make it illegal to smoke, even if it's in the privacy of your own home where it effects no one other than you?
Making smoking illegal would lower health insurance premiums.
Fast food contributes to heart disease, which also raises premiums. Let's ban that too.
4 states have do not require helmets at all, 18 states only require helmets for under age 18, and another 7 require helmets for only under 21.
Well it's not hurting it either.
Why are people allowed to slop down unhealthy fast food without question?
If someone is going to complain about helmet-less crash victims raising their insurance rates, why aren't they complaining about people living unhealthy lifestyles doing the same? Stay consistant.
What about this ! Individual doesn't like the healthcare insurance mandate because it infringes on his individual rights, I'll wait till I get sick, individual says, before I get insurance. Said individual doesn't like helmets because it infringes on his right to ride around with his hair blowing in the wind.
Said individual cracks up in his cycle, goes to ER probably looking in excess of $50,000 for treatment,[[if he is lucky he's not killed) but everything is OK because the ER is mandated to fix him up regardless of the money involved.
At what point does ones individual rights infringe upon societies collective rights ?
We would all be really safe if we wore helmets in cars like NASCAR:)
So can anyone tell me what happens when a rider without a helmet gets in an accident without the extra 20 grand insurance? Does that void all his medical coverage? How does no fault handle that? I see big law suits coming.
As far as consequences go, this is yet another bullshit, unenforceable law... No "proof" required and the cops can't check for violation! 90% will be riding with no additional insurance.
Here's a quote from the news article -
"In a memo sent to all posts, Michigan State Police Director Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue clarified for officers how the law will be enforced.
-- The law does not require a motorcycle operator to carry or present proof he or she has a motorcycle endorsement for at least two years or has successfully passed the motorcycle safety course.
-- The law does not require a motorcycle operator or passenger to carry proof of the $20,000 security required to operate or ride a motorcycle without a helmet.
-- Officers may not stop a motorcyclist for not wearing a helmet based on the possibility the operator or passenger may be in violation of the helmet law.
Shocking! The legislature deliberately wrote a law that can't be enforced. It's all smoke screen and window dressing. As far as helmet and seatbelt laws, driving on the roads is a privilege, not a right. So all this BS about rights being infringed on or equating this to people eating fast food, etc. has no bearing on the discussion. You want to use the public roads? You have to accept the rules that are passed to make them safe for everyone.
They lifted the helmet law down in Flordia a while back. Now you hardly ever see anyone riding with one on down there.
Good point. And what about the crotch rocket [[speed bike) operators and riders...? I find them to be far more dangerous and risk taking than the traditional leather and loud-pipes motorcyclists. I've been driving the freeways sometimes have had them come up in twos, threes, and more BETWEEN the lanes doing over 90 mph! Weaving in and out of lanes!
It's pretty scary and I was told by an high powered bike owner that if you see those bikes come up fast between the lanes or cutting lanes "DON'T change lanes, just let them thru" as they usually come in a group! Already sometimes they're not properly dressed for protection in an accident: women in shorts, tank tops riding these things... now no helmet?
That's a vision - LOL! The advantage of four-wheel driving is that you're at least strapped-in [[if you wear a seat belt) and less likely to become a 'projectile' and sustain head and other injuries. When you're on a motor bike you are almost always a projectile or a skidding fresbie effect when those things come from up under you. And sometimes they do with no other vehicle envolved! I sustained a bad elbow burn biking once when cintrifical force 'ceased' on a stretch of road and I suddently had to lay the bike down fast. Not a good time...
Succinct point! Were I a rider or operator I'd be the 'odd ball' wearing a helmet what ever the law said or did'nt. A friend of mine laid down his Kawa in the 90's one a patch of damp leaves, spun out and got a severe concussion 'wearing' a helmet. He was in the hospital for a long time and still has some problems.
Saw at least a dozen helmet-less riders cruising Woodward this weekend...
My insurance was a lot less expensive when I lived in states without helmet laws. I moved back to Michigan and was shocked at my insurance premiums.
I've ridden motorcycles since I was 4 years old and I'm now in my 30s. I am a racer and with racing comes crashing. I will never ride without a helmet. With that, I would prefer it if the government did not force people to wear helmets or seatbelts.
Michiganders are forever reinventing the wheel. Other states have been through this - what happened? Wisconsin would be a similar rust belt state to look at, and they dropped helmets in the 70s. Pennsylvania went lid-free in the last few years.
When I rode, what worried me was being skinned in a lowsider. Or being crushed by a car. Or impaled on a fire hydrant. Again, maybe not statistically the real threats, but motorcycling is so inherently dangerous [[unlikley to be legal today if just invented, as others have said) that it really should be left to the organ donor, or banned outright.
Nightmare waiting to happen ! there is a reason we had a helmet law in the first place . I have a friend that is a Doctor and he says when summer increases the motorcycle injuries are horrific with helmets, Just think about without helmets?
Nothing good can come of this , we shouldn't be forced to pay for the Life long health care that WILL come with this new law.
These are the same a holes that want to stop a woman's right to choose, but they want the right to ride a motorcycle without a helmet?
What's the first thing that's going to happen when you fall off a motorcycle without a helmet? you head hits the ground!
This is a NO BRAINER [[pun intended)
Not true. The most likely scenario is that the rider will put his or her arms/hands out to break the fall and will incur a lot of road rash on those arms and hands unless he/she is wearing a protective jacket and gloves.
A common misconception is that the rider always leads with his or her head when being thrown off the bike in a crash. In reality, arms, hands, and legs are usually the first body parts to make road contact.
Helmets are not all that they're cracked up [[excuse the pun) to be. They are heavy [[they have been known to cause riders' necks to twist and snap in crashes), and they limit riders' awareness of dangers around them [[curtailed peripheral vision, muffled hearing due to ear coverings).
Moreover, methods of testing helmets' effectiveness on impact have been dubious for decades. Helmets touted as very safe have been shown to have failed. The merit of helmets has always been a bit exaggerated [[not that they haven't saved many lives... no arguing that... however, better IMO to be dead with a squished head than to be kept alive on life support due to being "saved" by a helmet). All that said, I will probably continue to wear one much of the time.
I've always believed that wearing protective gear [[long-sleeved jacket, jeans, boots, and gloves) is much more of a must while riding. [[What's with the crotch-rocket jockeys and their girlfriends in tank tops, shorts, and sandals? !!!!)
Experience [[started riding 30 years ago) helps too, because over time you learn defensive riding techniques. Motorcycle safety courses are highly recommended for new riders [[I've had three of them and may go back again).
Keeping headlights and running lights on in daylight for visibility does wonders for helping the oblivious, careless auto drivers see you. It goes almost without saying that not riding like an idiot [[see previous references to crotch-rocket maniacs) is also a plus.
The conscientious, careful cyclist is more aware and often ends up becoming a better car driver too.
I've had two concussions [[explains a lot!) while wearing a helmet. I'd be lucky to be alive had I not been wearing the helmet. Most of the misinformation comes from the "experienced" riders themselves, as far as I can tell.
Though I'm a charter life member, I wish the AMA would take up a real issue instead of a non-issue like the "freedom" to look like an idiot.
OK - for starters, I've been riding a motorcycle since I was 18 and am now almost 68. I also spent over 40 years in the insurance business. I still ride 5 - 10,000 miles a year all around the country. 1 crash in 1966 when a driver ran a red light and broadsided me. I left a lot of skin on 8 Mile Rd.
I, along with a substantial percentage of motorcyclists, am a firm believer in ATTGATT [[All The Gear All The Time). That means full face helmet, abrasion-resistant jacket and pants [[ not jeans), gloves and boots.
Is riding a bike dangerous? Sure it is! Then why the hell do I do it? Because I love it. Non- riders will never understand that. [[Dogs who ride in cars with their heads out the window do, though.)
All that said, I could support this law if unhelmeted riders were required to carry $1,000,000 in medical coverage and have no recourse to the Catastrophic Claims Fund. Your rights end when they infringe on the rights of others.
I don't believe that this will raise car insurance at all, since they are two different insurances, and if someone wants to ride without one, they are idiots, but it's their right. You are all mad about this because Snyder is a Republican :) Motorcyclists have been calling for this for years.
Riding without a helmet is stupid, but if you want to kill yourself you should be able to do so. Also, I doubt this will increase insurance rates too much, if at all. I live in Toledo, and pay $90/year for motorcycle insurance, and less that $800/year to insure two cars. This would be much lower if I didn't live in the city, redlining exists south of the state line as well.
Good job.
It might not have killed him.
Sure as shit didn't save him either.
I doubt the doctors are going to say a helmet would have saved his life even if they thought it would have. That's probably the last thing the family needed to hear at that time.
Four teenagers now have to deal with losing a parent. Even if the helmet wouldn't have saved him it doesn't make him any less of an idiot for that decision.
Is this the first death since the law changed?
From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...#ixzz1yuZMbesTQuote:
The driver, who wasn't wearing a helmet, struck his forehead against the pavement and slid about 45 feet, state police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
His passenger, a woman from Georgia, was wearing a helmet, which prevented head injuries, state police said. She was taken to Beaumont Hospital with bruises and abrasions.
Just a couple days ago, their was a couple enjoying their motorbike riding on westbound I-696 where the came up the exit ramp to Southfield Rd. in Lathrup Village where they crashed their motorcycle. The Male driver who didn't wear a helmet died from a blood force brain trauma. The female passenger who wore her helmet survived with injuries. This helmet option law is STUPID! Now more people will be killed from motor bike accidents and Insurance companies will have to pay the price. Thanks a lot Gov. Snyder, the Nerd. You have just made a deal with death!
There is one up side to this issue....More organ donors. :)
Good people we all knew this was going to happen. Trust me its going to keep happening To ride something as powerful as a motorcycle without the proper protection is like playing russian roulette with your life. Eventually the chamber you click will be the one with the bullet in it.
As well as everyone's rates skyrocketing. Michigan already has one of the highest car insurance rates in the country. I'm praying Snyder is a one term governor. First he taxes senior citizens pensions and now this. He's trying to run Michigan like Gateway Computers and how did that work out?
Brother, can you spare a tax break?
WXYZ) - Michigan is seeing an increase in the number of bikers dying in motorcycle accidents.
Michigan State Police released statistics showing an 18% increase in motorcycle fatalities from 2011 to 2012. In 2011 there were 109 deaths investigated, and in 2012 there were 129.
The increase comes after a change in law. In April 2012, Michigan got rid of its mandatory helmet law for bikers.
Supporters of the law change said that preventing accidents is key to saving lives, not wearing helmets.
It is not clear yet whether the increase in deaths is due to the change in law. Information on the injuries that caused these deaths and helmet use has not yet been released.
Michigan State Police however have said that if you don’t wear a helmet you are about 40% more likely to die from a head injury in an accident.
What a stupid law.