Helmet Law?

[oldhippie]

Helmet Safety

>>> I may now after a NASTY fall at Stowe on the 13th. I had it on then. I still got a concussion, but how much worse would it have been for me if I did not have it on? <<<

It may have saved you from a much more serious injury.

When I went down on my motorcycle.. my head hit the pavement, like a basketball going from 30mph to zero. WHAP and then a bounce and WHAP again. I got up and walked away. One broken rib. I was very lucky. Helmets save lives. It's the LAW part that I don't like, but I can understand the "irresponsible parents" arguement. I don't like it, but I understand it.

 

[tree_skier]

First I am against any mandates as less goverment is better.

Second my children will wear thier helmuts untill I no longer have any say (no longer paying). As an example for them I started wearing on three years ago and always wear it. It is not so much about me hitting something but someone hitting me.

 

[noreaster]

Some days it is just to hot to wear any kind of helmet when you exercise that hard downhill skiing and riding. What about X-Country skiing?

Kids start overheating so they take lots of cloths off. When they are under dressed due to wearing a helmet they can suffer hypothermia when they take that helmet off. This is not like wearing a helmet sitting on a motorcycle where you are not exercising.

It will be a big inconvenience for smaller teenagers who are 14 but look like there 10. Talk about age discrimination.

Who is going to police this. Kids will get on the lift with a helmet, take it off, and put it in a back pack. Now they fall backwards on their back resulting spinal injuries.

Ski patrol has enough to do they can’t be running around the mountain checking the age of children. If a 10 year old does get hurt while not wearing a helmet then who is responsible then? Is it the politician that passed the bills responsibility to check the age of kids that are not wearing a helmet? Is it the ski areas job? Is it the ski patrols job? Is it the lift attendant job to check age and helmet while working for minimum wage who is going to loose everything he owns because he let a 10 year old kid get on the lift without a helmet?

Laws like this have not been thought though, cause more problems. and make it easier for lawyers to find someone else responsible other than the parents and their children. I don’t want kids thinking hey I am 13 now so I don’t have to wear a helmet.

BTW I wear a helmet most of the time. I just purchased a 2nd helmet with lots of vents for hot days. Yes I have older kids that ski and snowboard. The more agressive boarder wears a helmet and the other two recreational skier and rider do not.

 

[noreaster]

One more thing. You have a 100 times higher probability of getting hurt driving to the mountain then you do skiing or riding. 40 or 50 thousand people die each year in the United States alone in an automobile.

 

[Greg]

I don’t want kids thinking hey I am 13 now so I don’t have to wear a helmet.

You make a lot of good points, but this is probably your best.

 

[jlangdale]

I don’t want kids thinking hey I am 13 now so I don’t have to wear a helmet.

You make a lot of good points, but this is probably your best.

I'd have to agree. If you don't want kids wearing helmets, sure fire way is to make a law that says they have to so they can break it or get past the age that they don't have to.

 

[oldhippie]

Stupid Law

I agree, it is a stupid law that is not thought out. Society needs to emphasize personal responsibility and this just takes the responsibility away.

Here's a set of parents saying, "Oh, gee, it's not our fault.. there should have been a law."

I agree with all of Northeast's points.

Helmet Laws *uck!

 

[jimme]

Great idea Old Hippie! Since I don't ride a bike I don't have a motor cycle helmet for a Helmet Laws S*(K sticker, but one will fit on my ski helmet. Now, where can I get one?

Somebody needs to do a real scientific study on the effectivness of ski helmets. Really. I wear one, but on one fall the helmet hit my arm, and I ended up with a bruise. Of the three bones I've broken while skiing, the helmet did not help one bit.

When I was a kid, only racers wore helmets. You would have been considered a freak if you wore one and did not race. I'm thinking the helmet might help if you collide with another skier. This seems to be on the rise.

Much as I find it old and tired, but people have skied for years without helmets and have done fine. George Carlin has a great routine about children. . .and he's right.

On cold windy days, a helmet is fantastic for keeping out the weather. On those sunny days though, you end up sweating so I will wear a hat. My choice and the way it should remain. . .a choice.

Jimme

 

[oldhippie]

Helmet Law Stickers

You can buy the helmet laws *uck stickers at all the small motorcycle specialty shops.. or..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=35557&item=2450387207

where you can find anything you ever imagined.

You can also get sew on patches, belt buckles, street signs etc etc..

 

[threecy]

I don't think I would ski quite as much if I had to wear a helmet. I ski as fast as I feel I can in control, so if someone takes me out, I guess it was my time!