I don't think the issue most people have with someone NOT wearing protective gear is taking away your choice or freedom to choose as much as the burden it puts on society in the event of an accident. And yes, I read your statement about not going here, but my point isn't that you should have that choice taken away (same with the seat belt law)...I think that you should have the freedom to make that decision, but the insurance companies should have the right to not cover you if you are not wearing approved gear, or in the case of a car not wearing a seat belt. I'm talking health care provider here, not vehicle coverage. Of course up here in Canada that can't happen with our style of health care, hence the protection laws...you can't fix stupid but they are trying hard to protect us from it (ourselves)...vito wrote:Some folks don't seem to understand what freedom means. It means being free to do what you want unless it keeps others from exercising their freedom, and only in the most extreme cases should freedom be limited by the "common good". And let's not start with the "a helmetless rider could cause my taxes to increase to pay his health care costs" business, since that justification could be used to force people to not do, or do, almost anything imaginable. The self-righteous rider who pats himself on the back for his ATGATT attitude seems to forget that non-riders might feel very comfortable saying there is no such thing as a safe motorcycle, and want them all banned. Maybe Canadians are happy with living in a nanny state, but I value the freedoms that I still possess here in the USA. Most of the time I wear a helmet, but I resent anyone, including our "wise" public officials, telling me that I have to do it. We are already forced to wear auto seatbelts for our own good, I guess, and in so many other areas we are moving further from being citizens to being subjects. At least we still have the 2nd Amendment, at least for how.
I agree with Islesfan91
I've said it a few times on other forums...they should make it harder to get a license through tougher testing and higher cost, so that people are forced to actually become a good driver before being cut loose on the roads. The system we have now is pretty much a joke...how many people got their license by just taking the test over and over and over until they got through...that's wrong and it should be manditory driver's training and graduated licensing...and my god, crack down on the distracted drivers...I find it easier to count drivers that aren't texting or on their phone...I've even seen guys using their laptop while driving, and not in a traffic jam...driving down the hiway...I also wasn't impressed that they continue to draft new regulations for motorcyclists while failing to enforce the ones they already have for cars. How about a month long crackdown on people who change lanes without signalling? What about the people driving to work while reading the paper, putting on makeup, or eating breakfast? All of these things are doubly dangerous to the riders on the road who aren't sitting inside a giant SUV for protection?
Later.
. So, IMO at least, the place to start is with putting more bikes on the road! Encourage your friends to learn to ride, steep your children in the motorcycle culture, and do what you can in your day-to-day riding to improve the public image of motorcyles and bikers. Someday we'll have a loud enough voice on there on the streets to swing the focus away from us, and onto those idiots watching TV on their sun visors.