Helmets are not optional

[grooveboy]

Sage advice, fellow GSers: Always wear your helmet, because the car will win.

Yesterday morning at about 8:30 I was starting out my casual morning ride to school. As I was making a left turn on yellow though an intersection, following other traffic, a black escort came burning through the intersection. I had no choice but to lock up the brakes on my beloved gs700es and drop it....

Next thing I know, I come to surrounded by people asking me if I'm ok. I tried to sit up and was pushed back down and told to remain still. I notice that my left leg is hurting really bad, and look down to see my pants torn and covered in blood...

To make a long story short, after some probing and prodding (and a CAT scan), I'm pretty ok, considering. I've got some stitches in my left leg and am a little concussed and banged up pretty good, but nothing major. I'm walking and alive, and that's about the best I can ask for. My GS is a twisted mass of metal bleeding oil from everywhere, though. She has a hole in her bumper and a cracked window from the airbag. That's it.

Now, as for the helmet. I know most of the guys here are pretty good about wearing them, but to add an exclamation point to the end of this, my helmet has a 4 inch circular section of deep gouges from where I apparently slammed into/skidded down the road. I'd probably be dead or a vegetable had I not been wearing it. You dont know when it's going to happen, and statistics say that it probably will, so please be safe out there. It's a calculated risk that comes with this lifestyle/hobby that brings us so much joy. When all this court/insurance crap is done, I can guarantee I'll be back out riding again, probably on another GS, and I'll be wearing a helmet.

Take care and be safe.

[8trackmind]

ATGATT.........

[marvinsc]

Preaching to the Choir Man, Preaching to the Choir. I bite My tongue at work from time to time when a Kid comes out, turns His baseball cap around Backwards and off He Goes on His Intruder.

[tkent02]

Good to hear you will be OK soon.

[Regis]

Glad you were wearing a helmet too. Did the guy in the Escort stick around afterwards? Here in SoCal, many of the drivers are illegals and will often flee the scene, it's a nearly daily occurance, even with car vs. pedestrian accidents.

[Steve]

I went back and re-read the original post. Apparently the "guy" in the Escort is female.

She has a hole in her bumper and a cracked window from the airbag. That's it.

Unless it's a brand new Escort (do they even make them any more?),
because the airbag deployed, the car will probably be considered a "total".


.

[yasser]

Glad you can share the story - thanks.

[spyug]

Very glad to hear you are ok but sorry to hear your ride is toast.

The helmet is realy important and I'm glad you had it on .but so too is the rest of the gear. With boots, leather pants and jacket you might not have had any cuts or abrasions.

It was still warm around here today and I was coming out of the bank as this Ninja driving kid was walking in wearing sneakers, shorts hanging off his skinny butt, a wife beater and carrying his fancy Icon helmet. I know better but can't help myself and ask him why he's not wearing gear. He looks at me like I'm from Mars, shoots me a mind your own business sneer and bangs through the door. I was tempted to kick his bike over but resisted the urge.

I was thinking later that I might print out some pics of guys that have been flayed while asphalt surfing and hand them out to these twits. Course if I do that I'll just be adding to the litter on the streets as it'll get pitched in the gutter with his coffe cup, cig butt and everything else he pitches there.

As we say All the Gear all the Time.

Let us know when you get a new ride sorted and you're back in the saddle.

Cheers,
Spyug.

[N56629]

A lot of lives could be saved if everyone that drives a car would wear a helmet, nomex suit, four point harness and have a roll cage installed. Bottom line, it's a matter of choice.

[TheCafeKid]

Spoken like a true squid..It is a matter of choice. But it shouldnt be. Almost all (if not all) states in the Union require use of seat belts. Helmets should be required too. They may save your life, and they may not. But given the odds, why would you not wear one?? To look cool?? I dont think it looks cool NOT wearing one, as a matter of fact I laugh at people for being stupid enough to not wear one. Hell you dont even have to wreck or get hit by a car to get killed, a unfortuately placed rock thrown up by a tyre, or falling from a gravel truck is enough to put you out of your misery. ATGATT, or dont bitch when you do get hurt, and the odds are if you ride enough you will at some point.

[Kudagra]

I will always wear one. But I dont think you should be forced to. I DO think you should have to show proof of health insurance to get an endorsement on your license plate to not wear one also.

I personally think you are stupid not to wear one...but thats your choice.

I also think you should be able to smoke if you are too stupid to know how deadly and disgusting it is..

Freedom. As long as it doesnt infring on my freedom to NOT pay your medical bills.

[grooveboy]

Thanks for the well-wishes and the comments everyone.

I'm not going to get into the freedom vs. mandatory helmet law debate. I live in Ohio, where helmets are optional after your first year of legal riding. It's a choice, but my take on this, and the reason for posting this, is that although I believe that you should do what you want, there's a good bunch of guys and gals here who have taught me a lot about GSes and riding in general and I'd like to keep seeing posts from them. Riding a motorcycle is already a calculated risk, and keeping yourself alive to ride again sure beats the alternative IMHO.

I wasn't wearing full gear, and my left tibia was exposed to the atmosphere because of it (that's twice, the last time was sugery after a skateboarding injury. I honestly wonder if the titanium kept me from breaking it). Does this mean that I'll wear full leathers in the future? Probably not, but that was my choice and I don't blame anyone but myself (and the driver of the car, but I could have just as easily made a rider error and caused a similar injury). In all honesty, the bruising from hitting the ground with a 500 pound piece of machinery between my calves hurts a lot more than that cut, but that's neither here nor there.

Anyway, I guess my point in this is to consider the options. I was a half mile from my house when this happened, not on some long aggressive ride, and although I have been known to take short jaunts down to the corner store without a helmet, that won't be happening in the future. Being alive trumps the feeling of the wind rushing past my face any day, at least in my opinion.

Take care everyone. I'll keep ya'll posted on the aftermath.

[Smokinapankake]

Grooveboy,

How refreshing it is to hear a self aware, unrepentant adult taking responsibility for his or her own actions. I too don't like to get into the mandatory helmet law debate. It's your life, it's your choice. Thank you for being man enough to admit that you decided to wear (or not wear) ATGATT, and refusing to blindly blame fate or the other person for your accident.
Glad to hear you came through in a reasonably good fashion. Motorcycles can be very dangerous indeed, and it's refreshing to hear someone take some of the responsibilty for their own personal safety.

[tkent02]

I hate to see even more laws, but hate to see bare headed riders too. In Colorado I have noticed a very small percentage wear helmets, less that California or Arizona to my unofficial count. Maybe %5 and maybe %1 with full gear, or at least a good jacket and gloves. I have also noticed a lot of men my age paddling around town in wheelchairs. Coincidence? I think not.
I'm surprised the insurance companies don't try to control it, like deny all claims where there was no helmet worn. Seems like they would get out of a lot of medical payments that way, isn't that what insurance companies are all about?

[spyug]

It's interesting that you mention the accident happened close to home as this is what the Hurt report suggests for the majority of misshaps. It is also something they stress in the MSF classes and in most of the popular motorcycle riding manuals.

It is human nature to get complacent in familiar surroundings and experiences and it is hard to overcome. We doubt that anything can happen in a 2 minute ride to the corner store and we are often not focused on these short trips. I often find it takes me a good 15 or 20 minutes before I get in the groove with all senses fully functioning. I am always quite nervous in the first few minutes as I know this is the real danger zone.

Thanks for the information it has served to tune me up once again.

Cheers,
spyug.