HeavyDuty Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 Whatever happened to freedom of choice? http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/News/13-11-08/Federal_task_force_preparing_recommendation_for_mandatory_motorcycle_helmet_laws.aspx Federal task force preparing recommendation for mandatory motorcycle helmet laws November 08, 2013 PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- A federal task force is poised to recommend that all states have mandatory helmet laws for all motorcyclists, which the task force says would reduce injuries and deaths as well as result in economic benefits, the American Motorcyclist Association reports. The AMA has repeatedly expressed its belief that motorcyclists would be best served if regulators and legislators focus on programs to prevent motorcycle crashes from occurring in the first place. The AMA also said that any economic benefits would be insignificant since health care costs related to motorcycle crashes are miniscule in the context of total health care costs nationwide. "The AMA continues to strongly encourage the use of personal protective equipment, including gloves, sturdy footwear and a properly fitted motorcycle helmet certified by its manufacturer to meet federal safety standards," said Wayne Allard, AMA vice president for government relations, on Nov. 7. "But we also believe that adults should have the right to voluntarily choose to wear a helmet." The Community Preventive Services Task Force, whose 15 members are appointed by the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, makes recommendations to the CDC and reports to the U.S. Congress about community preventive services, programs and policies to improve health. The task force is preparing to recommend that all states have universal helmet laws, which means that all riders, regardless of age, would be required to wear helmets. The task force is ready to make the recommendation based on its belief that a universal helmet mandate would reduce motorcyclist deaths and injuries, and that mandating riders to wear helmets would result in economic benefits. The task force believes health care costs for injured helmeted riders wouldn't be as high as those of injured unhelmeted riders, and also that universal helmet laws would result in fewer missed days of work for injured riders. The CDC, which oversees the task force, is a federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services and is headquartered in Atlanta. Its official mission is to protect America from health, safety and security threats, both foreign and in the United States. "Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are chronic or acute, curable or preventable, human error or deliberate attack, CDC fights disease and supports communities and citizens to do the same," the agency says on its website. Explaining the AMA's opposition to the proposed recommendation, Allard cited the official AMA position on voluntary helmet use. "The AMA strongly advocates helmet use, but helmet use alone is insufficient to ensure a motorcyclist's safety," said Allard. "There is a broad range of measures that can be implemented to improve the skill of motorcycle operators, as well as reduce the frequency of situations where other vehicle operators are the cause of crashes that involve motorcycles." In its position on voluntary helmet use, the AMA noted that mandatory helmet laws do nothing to prevent crashes. "The AMA supports actions that help riders avoid a crash from occurring, including voluntary rider education, improved licensing and testing, and expanded motorist awareness programs," said Allard. "This strategy is widely recognized and pursued in the motorcycling community." Concerning the task force claim of economic benefits, the AMA noted that injured motorcyclists are less likely than the general population to use public funds to pay for injuries sustained in crashes, and are just as likely to be insured as other vehicle operators. In addition, the AMA said the costs associated with the treatment of motorcyclist injuries account for a tiny fraction of total U.S. health care costs. An even smaller portion of these costs is attributable to unhelmeted motorcyclists, the majority of which are paid by privately purchased insurance. In 2000, for example, approximately 1.55 percent of total U.S. health care costs were attributable to all motor vehicle crashes. Motorcyclists involved in crashes represented a miniscule percentage of this figure. To read the AMA position on voluntary helmet use, go to www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Rights/PositionStatements/VoluntaryHelmetUse.aspx. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vf1000ride Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 Whatever happened to freedom of choice? Your freedom to make choices about your health and well being was relinquished when Obama was voted into office. It is time to admit that the sheeple have spoken and now we all must reap the benefits of this. Enjoy your self made nanny state with forced healthcare and the government telling you how to run your life. Thank you. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anden Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 Bothers me none I roll with a helmet on anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2talltim Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 I hate not having freedom of choice but it would end the arguments I have with some friends that don't wear them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnor Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 Should have happened years ago IMO............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fox_racing_guy Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 I bet the insurance companies would fight against this as well. Much cheaper to pay for a funeral V weeks/months of hospital bills.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wht_scorpion Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 Dam their gos my sporting the wife beater flip flops and no helmet whats this world coming to Next Ohio trying to pass all motorcycles riders to wear those ugly green vests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Connie14 Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.... Unless Uncle Sam decides otherwise. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magley64 Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 If ever there were a non story... This is just a recommendation from the cdc, not even a bill in Ohio's governing bodies, or the federal governing bodies... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary#17 Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 The same arguments and rationale lived when seat belt usage became mandatory. I'm completely shocked that wearing a helmet isn't a federal law already. I've always worn a helmet so this is fine with me. Mary 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magley64 Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 I think seatbelt laws for adults are stupid, too.. The government can stop trying to protect me from myself already... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbot Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 well, it doesn't affect me if all gross colored people get tossed into a massive bedazzler-ed wood chipper, so i'm cool with that too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magley64 Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 well, it doesn't affect me if all gross colored people get tossed into a massive bedazzler-ed wood chipper, so i'm cool with that too. what color is "gross colored"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpoppa Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 I don't agree with helmet or seat belt laws. I always wear a helmet. I rarely wear a seatbelt. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad324 Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 ugggghhhh...THANKS OBAMA VOTERS 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magley64 Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 I wear a seatbelt every time I'm driving a car, and any time I ride in the front seat...I wear my helmet 99% of the time if I'l be travelling at sustained speeds faster than I can pedal a bicycle, and 70% of the time if I'm not... I'm overwhelmingly for helmet and seat belt use, and overwhelmingly against laws requiring them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpoppa Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 I think seatbelt laws for adults are stupid, too.. The government can stop trying to protect me from myself already... But it's OK if they decide to force you to purchase Health Insurance, or penalize you financially? Is Magely really an online app, based on several personalities that disagree with each other? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magley64 Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 (edited) But it's OK if they decide to force you to purchase Health Insurance, or penalize you financially? Is Magely really an online app, based on several personalities that disagree with each other? I've been against the individual mandate since day one... I understand why it's there, as a give back to an insurance industry that still needs to turn a profit... This is one of the first posts i made on the subject (so far as I can find) I DON'T like subtitle F part 1 QuoteSubtitle F - Shared Responsibility for Health Care Part I - Individual Responsibility (Sec. 1501, as modified by section 10106) Requires individuals to maintain minimal essential health care coverage beginning in 2014. Imposes a penalty for failure to maintain such coverage beginning in 2014, except for certain low-income individuals who cannot afford coverage, members of Indian tribes, and individuals who suffer hardship. Exempts from the coverage requirement individuals who object to health care coverage on religious grounds, individuals not lawfully present in the United States, and individuals who are incarcerated. Especially since someone can claim "religious objection" to health coverage... wait a sec ...looks like I found my loophole. Ðuaneism is now my official religion and opposes health coverage unless provided by an employer.Other than this, I think the bill is pretty good. Edited November 14, 2013 by magley64 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casper Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 I think seatbelt laws for adults are stupid, too.. The government can stop trying to protect me from myself already... But it's OK if they decide to force you to purchase Health Insurance, or penalize you financially? Is Magely really an online app, based on several personalities that disagree with each other? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScubaCinci Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 I always have an always will wear a helmet but I'm a against legislation mandating it just like I'm against seatbelt laws for adults. Let Darwinism take its course. More laws = less freedom. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turnone Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 Love helmets. Hate helmet laws. Love seat belts, mixed feelings on the law. I always wear seat belt. Usually wear helmet unless on the scooter. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkow97 Posted November 14, 2013 Report Share Posted November 14, 2013 I don't think we're anywhere near a federal helmet law. Even a pretty liberal Supreme Court would hold that to be unconstitutional. What's much more plausible is that the federal government will make state-wide helmet laws a condition to receiving federal DOT money. That's how the Fed rolls - they blackmail the states into compliance. Thus why the less-populous states are generally more "free." They don't need the Fed's money, and have a more legitimate choice of whether or not to comply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeavyDuty Posted November 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2013 Every time you sit back and let someone’s freedom of choice get taken away because it doesn’t effect you America get a little weaker at some point in time something you will want will get taken away because a bunch of other people that it does not affect will not care and along the way we will end up with no freedom at all. All of you need to wake up and fight against anything that removes anyone’s freedom or we all lose in the end. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helmutt Posted November 15, 2013 Report Share Posted November 15, 2013 When I ride or drive, I choose to wear a helmet or seatbelt. Self preservation plays a bigger part in my life the older I get, but I respect other's choices to do as they wish whether I agree or not. If it becomes law, so be it. If the law enforcement agencies uphold a helmet law with the same vigor as the seatbelt law, I'm confident that the herds will continue to thin themselves 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkow97 Posted November 15, 2013 Report Share Posted November 15, 2013 Every time you sit back and let someone’s freedom of choice get taken away because it doesn’t effect you America get a little weaker at some point in time something you will want will get taken away because a bunch of other people that it does not affect will not care and along the way we will end up with no freedom at all. All of you need to wake up and fight against anything that removes anyone’s freedom or we all lose in the end. This is why I voted against "smoke free Ohio." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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