More Irony...
07-05-2011 | 08:01 AM
#1
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Joined: May 2001
Posts: 23,223
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From: Upstate NY
Vehicle: 2010 Genesis 2.0T
More Irony...
Big news story here over the weekend....
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/07/04/new...html?hpt=hp_c2
I'm not trying to make a joke over this guy dying, but here's the thing....I'm a rider and even if NY state didnt have helmet laws, I would still wear one. You're playing with your life if you ride without, even though I know alot people ride that way in other areas of the country. There has been a huge increase in people dying also in bike accidents over the last couple of years, and that alone right there would never make me want to ride without a helmet.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/07/04/new...html?hpt=hp_c2
Bareheaded motorcyclist dies in helmet protest
A bareheaded motorcyclist participating in a ride to protest mandatory helmet laws was killed when he was thrown over the handlebars in Onondaga, New York.
Philip A. Contos, 55, of Parish, New York, was on a ride organized by the Onondaga chapter of American Bikers Aimed Towards Education (ABATE), state police said Sunday.
Contos hit his brakes, began fishtailing and lost control of his 1983 Harley Davidson. He shot over the handlebars, hit his head on the pavement and was taken to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, New York, where he was pronounced dead.
State police say evidence at the scene plus information from the attending medical expert indicated Contos would have survived had he been wearing a helmet as required by state law.
Asked about the apparent irony of Contos' death, the statewide president of ABATE, Thomas Alton, said, "We are riding at an increased risk and accept that. ... This individual was a seasoned rider, not a newbie. He made an adult decision. A full decision to ride in the manner he rode in."
Another New Yorker who has been a motorcyclist for over 50 years, Joseph Costantini, said, "I would never ride without a helmet -- even in a state that says you don't have to. I understand where the protesters are coming from because ultimately it's a matter of choice. For me, I would wear a helmet no matter what. ... Must feel great to ride without a helmet because sometimes it's uncomfortable. ... I'm sure his family isn't going to be happy."
Motorcycle helmet use dropped from 67% in 2009 to 54% in 2010, according to a press release issued by the Governors Highway Safety Association.
"This is another sad and tragic example where we have lost someone due to the lack of wearing a helmet," said Jonathan Adkins, communications director for the association.
According to Alton, a large percentage of motorcycle fatalities are due to inexperience and drivers not seeing motorcyclists when switching lanes or making turns.
ABATE of NY Inc. is organizing a memorial "to honor an individual who rode for freedom and risked his all for freedom," he said. A formal date is still to be determined.
Annual motorcycle deaths have more than doubled since the late 1990s with 5,290 in 2008, based on a report issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
A bareheaded motorcyclist participating in a ride to protest mandatory helmet laws was killed when he was thrown over the handlebars in Onondaga, New York.
Philip A. Contos, 55, of Parish, New York, was on a ride organized by the Onondaga chapter of American Bikers Aimed Towards Education (ABATE), state police said Sunday.
Contos hit his brakes, began fishtailing and lost control of his 1983 Harley Davidson. He shot over the handlebars, hit his head on the pavement and was taken to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, New York, where he was pronounced dead.
State police say evidence at the scene plus information from the attending medical expert indicated Contos would have survived had he been wearing a helmet as required by state law.
Asked about the apparent irony of Contos' death, the statewide president of ABATE, Thomas Alton, said, "We are riding at an increased risk and accept that. ... This individual was a seasoned rider, not a newbie. He made an adult decision. A full decision to ride in the manner he rode in."
Another New Yorker who has been a motorcyclist for over 50 years, Joseph Costantini, said, "I would never ride without a helmet -- even in a state that says you don't have to. I understand where the protesters are coming from because ultimately it's a matter of choice. For me, I would wear a helmet no matter what. ... Must feel great to ride without a helmet because sometimes it's uncomfortable. ... I'm sure his family isn't going to be happy."
Motorcycle helmet use dropped from 67% in 2009 to 54% in 2010, according to a press release issued by the Governors Highway Safety Association.
"This is another sad and tragic example where we have lost someone due to the lack of wearing a helmet," said Jonathan Adkins, communications director for the association.
According to Alton, a large percentage of motorcycle fatalities are due to inexperience and drivers not seeing motorcyclists when switching lanes or making turns.
ABATE of NY Inc. is organizing a memorial "to honor an individual who rode for freedom and risked his all for freedom," he said. A formal date is still to be determined.
Annual motorcycle deaths have more than doubled since the late 1990s with 5,290 in 2008, based on a report issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
I'm not trying to make a joke over this guy dying, but here's the thing....I'm a rider and even if NY state didnt have helmet laws, I would still wear one. You're playing with your life if you ride without, even though I know alot people ride that way in other areas of the country. There has been a huge increase in people dying also in bike accidents over the last couple of years, and that alone right there would never make me want to ride without a helmet.
07-05-2011 | 02:48 PM
#5
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Joined: Jun 2009
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Vehicle: 2000 hyundai tiburon
in the state of fl it is illegal for any persons under the age of 16 to ride a bicycle w/o wearing a helmet-... yet we do not have a helmet law for motorcyclists.
i personally feel that due to the size of a motorcycle that you're more at risk as it is-... i'm meticulous about how my side view mirrors are adjusted (when i can no longer see the rear of a car in my mirror-.. i can see the hood in my window) but being that a motorcycle is 1/2 the length of a car it takes a bit of extra care to know if they are there or not.
i know of a few people down here that died on motorcyles-... one of which actually raced bikes on a closed circuit in europe.
i don't understand why it's illegal to not where a seatbelt or to tamper w/ any safety devices on a car but down here you don't have to wear a helmet? not that i condone any of the above behaviors.
i do know that it sucks to have to sit in traffic while a helicopter has to land to pick up someone or when i have to wait for the fire truck to come to wash what's left of some irresponsible fool off the roadway.
just a rant!
i personally feel that due to the size of a motorcycle that you're more at risk as it is-... i'm meticulous about how my side view mirrors are adjusted (when i can no longer see the rear of a car in my mirror-.. i can see the hood in my window) but being that a motorcycle is 1/2 the length of a car it takes a bit of extra care to know if they are there or not.
i know of a few people down here that died on motorcyles-... one of which actually raced bikes on a closed circuit in europe.
i don't understand why it's illegal to not where a seatbelt or to tamper w/ any safety devices on a car but down here you don't have to wear a helmet? not that i condone any of the above behaviors.
i do know that it sucks to have to sit in traffic while a helicopter has to land to pick up someone or when i have to wait for the fire truck to come to wash what's left of some irresponsible fool off the roadway.
just a rant!
07-07-2011 | 12:04 AM
#6
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 178
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From: Cora
Vehicle: 2002 Hyundai Elantra GLS
Jackasses like this give real bikers like me a bad name. I'm always rockin' a Squid Lid, even if I'm just pushing my Chinese Z50 in my yard... And, most of the time, it's a race-spec lid! I'll admit, I'm sometimes guilty of rocking an open face, but just when I'm dicking off on a minibike!