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In the past years, 27 bones (at
least) have broken in my frail body, and motorcycle racing has a lot to
do with that. My head has worn out
many helmets, I am glad to be
alive..... Please feel free to write and argue
my points.
I am going to list some of
the
arguments that have been presented in the past, to save the time of
having to repeat them again. A knee jerk response may be included in
some. Please don't be
offended.
(1) A helmet
limits my
peripheral vision.
You
turn
your head when you ride a motorcycle. You must to survive. If
you
are not turning your head to look around and instead rely on your
mirrors, and never turn your head because your sunglasses might fly
off, you are high
risk.
Answer: You don't use
your
peripheral vision if scanning properly by turning your head.
(2) I
can't hear, it cuts my hearing off.
When
riding
above 15-20 mph, the sound of wind in your ears is very
significant. The roaring effect produced overpowers the sounds of
vehicles around you, as if someone were shouting in your ears. Wearing
a properly fitted helmet diverts the wind around your ears, allowing
you to hear much better at these
higher speeds. At walking speed, in a calm wind, the helmet does
reduce
your hearing slightly. If most of your riding is done under these
conditions,
you still need to consider that a sound that is significant (a siren,
for
example) that is louder that the other sounds, will still be heard over
the
other sounds heard, and all will be at a slightly muted
volume.
If most of your riding is over 20 mph, you will hear much better with a
helmet
that covers your ears and fits correctly, than with no helmet or a
cap.
Answer: What? I can't hear
you, there is a 55 mph wind
blowing
in my ears......
(3)
A helmet ruins my hair.
Answer: Your hair flying
around loose behind you ruins it. the road ruins it.
Peroxide ruins it. What's your point? Time
to
choose---
Vanity
or Concussion
(4)
I look like a geek with a helmet on.
Answer:
I think I look better with one on. Full coverage, Tinted
lense.
(5)
The extra weight breaks your neck when you crash
Answer:
Hmmm.... I have crashed hundreds of times, (no
exaggeration) and my neck ain't broke yet. I
have
had concussions and broken noses and black eyes
and
bad headaches, though. One time I was lying down on my side after
not clearing the triple jump AGAIN watching
blood
squirt into my goggles from between my eyes, hit the middle of the
lense
and run down. to the side, filling up the goggles. I am SO glad I
had that full coverage helmet
on.
(6)
A
bee might fly in.
Answer: This is possible. In
fact, I have had this happen, as have some of my
friends. Kind of a rare thing, and I have not heard of anyone stung
yet. I was
stung on the lip by a hornet when I was 14 or so on a honda 65 flying
through
the field with no helmet on. I believe if I had worn a helmet
that
day, with a visor, I would not have seen the expression on my mother's
face
when she spied that hornets ass hanging down on my lip...
Besides,
the feeling of an insect ANY size hitting my face and hair at speed is
unpleasant.......
(7)
Helmets are no good. My friend crashed with one on, and the helmet
broke. There was
a huge crack in it.
Answer: That is
what helmets do. They break so your head does not. A helmet only works
like
new one time, however. Break a helmet or my
skull?... A helmet is 40$, I wonder how
much this old skull was?
(8)
A helmet is hot.
Answer: So what will you do,
put on a cap to keep the sun
off? Flip up the visor.
(9)
I am not going very fast.
Answer: The median crash
speed for fatalities is 28
mph.........
(10) None
of my friends wear them.
Answer: That is because the
role model they look up to is
not wearing
one!
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