Does anybody still not wear a helmet???

[Cannonball]

You don't wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle and then get into an accident with my car? I don't care if I'm at fault, if the helmet could have saved you serious head injuries and you decided not to wear it then I should not be liable for your medical bills.

Could actually be a lot more serious than that. Let's say you get into an accident with a motorcylist who isn't wearing a helmet and he dies. Now you are looking at vehicular homicide, or manslaughter, or something a lot more serious than just covering his medical bills. Even if a helmet would have saved his life.

 

[hammer]

Could actually be a lot more serious than that. Let's say you get into an accident with a motorcylist who isn't wearing a helmet and he dies. Now you are looking at vehicular homicide, or manslaughter, or something a lot more serious than just covering his medical bills. Even if a helmet would have saved his life.

Yup, tough call on that one...ties into how badly one was "at fault" in the accident.

 

[mattchuck2]

Maybe you should watch out for motorcycles and give them a little extra room? You have the bigger vehicle, it's common sense. If you're charged with vehicular homicide it's because you were reckless or negligent and maybe you deserve what you get.

 

[Riverskier]

Disagree on helmets for motorcycles not being a requirement by law. Sorry but even though an individual is riding you are part of a group pool regarding vehicle and health insurance rates. If a rider's risky behavior of not wearing a helmet raises the rates of all, then I think its more than fair that a law mandates the use of a helmet. UNLESS the rider is willing to forfeit their personal coverage of vehicle and health insurance should they choose to not wear a helmet.

Don't you smoke? What about obese people? There are plenty of personal choices that affect insurance rates for all. I understand where you are coming from, but I think it is a slippery slope....

 

[hammer]

Maybe you should watch out for motorcycles and give them a little extra room? You have the bigger vehicle, it's common sense. If you're charged with vehicular homicide it's because you were reckless or negligent and maybe you deserve what you get.

Agree but what if a simple mistake (not being overly reckless or negligent) results in major injury for a rider, and that injury could have been lessened by the rider wearing a helmet? Are you saying that the rider doesn't share at least some responsibility because they couldn't be bothered to get and use safety gear?

 

[mattchuck2]

I'm saying you could make the same argument about a spine protector. Should we require motorcyclists to wear those?

 

[deadheadskier]

Don't you smoke? What about obese people? There are plenty of personal choices that affect insurance rates for all. I understand where you are coming from, but I think it is a slippery slope....

We've got seat belt laws don't we? And regarding smoking; most smokers pay higher insurance rates than nonsmokers, so the point is somewhat moot.

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[mattchuck2]

I'm slightly sympathetic to the argument that if you're not wearing a seatbelt, you could become a flying projectile in a collision and therefore affect more people as a result of your stupid decision.

Otherwise, I'd say that we don't really need seatbelt laws, either.

 

[Riverskier]

We've got seat belt laws don't we? And regarding smoking; most smokers pay higher insurance rates than nonsmokers, so the point is somewhat moot.

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That is true for individual policies, but not most group health plans. But what about obese people, alcoholics, people who participate in unnecessary dangerous activities like base jumping, etc.? Surely legislating these other harmful lifestyle choices would have tremendous benefits for the health insurance pool, no? My point is that there are a limitless number of personal choices that have negative impacts on group insurance rates, society, and our tax base as a whole. Seatbelt and helmet laws may be easy to palate, as it would just seem like common sense to most people, but I still think it is a slippery slope...

 

[Puck it]

That is true for individual policies, but not most group health plans. But what about obese people, alcoholics, people who participate in unnecessary dangerous activities like base jumping, etc.? Surely legislating these other harmful lifestyle choices would have tremendous benefits for the health insurance pool, no? My point is that there are a limitless number of personal choices that have negative impacts on group insurance rates, society, and our tax base as a whole. Seatbelt and helmet laws may be easy to palate, as it would just seem like common sense to most people, but I still think it is a slippery slope...

What about pre-exisitng conditions, no max limit, contraception pills. Oh, wait! We have that all ready!!!!

 

[mattchuck2]

In the future we'll all be charged an insurance surcharge for every dangerous activity we undertake. Some actuary will figure out how many people partake in whatever risky activity, and figure out a dollar value for each thing. Smoking: $40 a month. Skiing: $5 a month. Mountain biking: $5 a month. Being fat: $15 a month. We'll just lie to insurance companies and tell them we don't do those things, but then they'll use the surveillance state to spy on our habits and charge us with insurance fraud.

Can't wait!

 

[Nick]

I don't usually wear a helmet. I think they look douchey and I love skiing warm spring bumps with just sunglasses or goggles on my head. If I found a helmet that looked okay and didn't make me look like every smarmy gaper on the hill I'd wear one, but that helmet hasn't been made yet.

I also don't wear a helmet when I ride my bike on bike paths. I do when I'm mountain biking or road biking.

Cue a bunch of people saying that I look like the stupid one for not wearing a helmet.

I don't have a problem with you not wearing one but I do think it's interesting you think others look douchey wearing them

Unless you are saying they just look douchey on you :lol:

 

[Nick]

I'm slightly sympathetic to the argument that if you're not wearing a seatbelt, you could become a flying projectile in a collision and therefore affect more people as a result of your stupid decision.

Otherwise, I'd say that we don't really need seatbelt laws, either.

I agree also. Everyone should feel free to be as dumb as they want to be as long as it doesn't affect others.

Technically insurance would be more fair if the people that engaged in riskier behavior paid for that added risk though. But there really isn't any way to fully quantify someones behavior in an algorithm so you need to generalize and in some ways subsidize the bad behavior with the good.

Even if you "mountain bike", how do you know a) how often you mountain bike b) how aggressively / recklessly you mountain bike / etc. etc.

 

[mattchuck2]

I don't have a problem with you not wearing one but I do think it's interesting you think others look douchey wearing them

Unless you are saying they just look douchey on you :lol:

Yes, I'm saying they look douchey on me. And a lot of other people. But others look good in them.

 

[hammer]

Insuring one's own activity and risk levels is one thing, going after me and my insurance liability coverage because one takes unnecessary risks on the road is another...

Regarding how helmets look, one advantage of being a certain age is that you shop caring about that as much.

 

[Puck it]

Yes, I'm saying they look douchey on me. And a lot of other people. But others look good in them.

Your old school bus, right.

 

[gmcunni]

couldn't link just the video so . . .
http://unofficialnetworks.com/helmet-saves-boys-life-alyeska-snowboard-crash-129682/

 

[jaysunn]

Maybe you should watch out for motorcycles and give them a little extra room? You have the bigger vehicle, it's common sense. If you're charged with vehicular homicide it's because you were reckless or negligent and maybe you deserve what you get.


Quote above.

Most of the time it's the motorcyclist who's negligent. A couple beers on Sunday. Lets ride.


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