Having a grown daughter under the age of thirty who has just purchased her second motorcycle has caused me to reflect on my own experiences growing up around motorcycles and the culture surrounding them, particularly that of helmets. There's always that hardcore biker sect who says, you have to feel the wind in your hair, or only wimps wear helmets. I've heard a lot of that in my lifetime. And to that, I call Bullshit! If you want the wind in your hair, drive a convertible.
I was raised from about the age of thirteen riding on the back of my stepfather's Harley Davidson and it was a requirement in our household long before it was a law that if you rode the bike, you wore a helmet, no ifs, and, or buts. We received a lot of backlash and harassment from those in the motorcycle community in regard, to our family's decision to wear a helmet, being called wannabes and sissies; which at the time really bothered me. However, now I couldn't be more thankful to my stepfather for incorporating that sense of responsibility and safety into our family about riding.
It helped reinforce the helmet rules with my daughter when she became an EMT at age 18. (Yes. My daughter is a badass.) It provided her the opportunity both in her training and her experiences to see why her grandfather was so strict about helmets. Although it terrified me, to have my daughter on the front lines during emergency situations, it made me proud to see how much it means to her to help others, and how she learned the importance of safety guidelines. This can be seen throughout her life with her activity and career choices, having been a lifeguard, and swim instructor in addition to being an EMT. But, I digress from my topic.
Back to my point, Helmets save lives no matter how fast you are going or how safely you drive. My stepfather was nearly killed in a slow-speed motorcycle accident when I was eighteen by an old woman who ran a red light as he was pulling out of the parking lot at work. Had he not been wearing his helmet he would have been killed. As it is, he spent two weeks in the hospital in traction.
Beyond accidents, helmets provide a barrier between the rider and any flying road debris that is around them. Think about how many times a rock or some other road hazard has been kicked up by a vehicle's tires and has hit your windshield simply while driving down the highway. Now picture that same situation happening while riding a motorcycle without a helmet. That's a death sentence right there, and not just to the rider of the motorcycle, but to any vehicle that happens to be close enough to have to swerve, or slam on their breaks to keep from hitting them when they crash causing others to crash. My point here is, that helmets are not only a safety precaution for those riding on a motorcycle. They protect those around them as well. You can drive as safely as humanly possible, however, you can't control the weather, the road conditions, or those around you.
That's why I say to all the hardcore badass bikers out there, give the peer pressure crap a rest. Wearing a helmet doesn't make you a so-called, "pussy", wimp, or phony. It doesn't mean you are a product of "the man" because you are following a helmet law. For some individuals, wearing a helmet is simply a choice. It's a choice to be responsible, and safe; not just for their own protection, but for those around them as well. You can still be a badass and wear a helmet! My daughter is living proof of that.
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