Rollback of NC Motorcycle Helmet Law
Rollback of NC Motorcycle Helmet Law
The Issue
Thirty-one states in the U.S. do not require all riders to wear helmets. Laws in those thirty-one states that do require riders to wear a helmet vary by age but the majority leave the restriction to those under the age of 18. Legislators in these states understand something that North Carolina legislators do not; laws are meant to protect the people's freedoms rather than protect the interests of insurance companies and/or healthcare providers. It can be dangerous walking out your front door in the morning, let alone hopping on a motorcycle. Fun fact: You're two and half times more likely to suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) by falling down than you are to suffer a TBI from a motor vehicle crash. Another (not so fun) fact: Intentional self-harm was the first leading cause of TBI-related deaths (33%) in 2014. Motorcyclists don't ride because it's safe. Motorcyclists ride because it is an act that embodies the freedoms this country was built on. Motorcyclists ride to let go of the stress, and deadlines (and regulations) the world imposes. All you need is horsepower, a tank of gas, nothing more than what your saddle bags will hold, and endless miles of open road. There is nothing more exhilarating and beautiful than the sun shining on your face, wind blowing in your hair, and the smells of the earth filling your sinuses while you barrel down the road at 50 mph. How often do you smell fresh cut grass in your car, or a BBQ, or a bonfire, or a farm, or a bread factory? On a bike, you don't miss a beat. You can smell the rain before it falls, and the blooming of Magnolias and Dogwood. You can feel the chill in the air every time you drop in elevation near even the smallest body of water. You can feel the rhythm of the cylinders in your legs. When you're riding a motorcycle you aren't fussing with the kids, or a Big Mac, or the air conditioner. It's you, and the road in front of you. You have a heightened sense of awareness when you're on a bike because you can feel EVERYTHING. It can be argued that strapping your head in (particularly in the case of full-face helmets) creates a false sense of security. It has even been proven that both three-quarter and full-face helmets limit peripheral vision. All of this is beside the point. Adults are capable of, and should be able to make their own decisions in regard to their own health and safety. The decision to not wear a helmet doesn't impact the rights, or health and safety of others. Where do we find a legal requirement to wear a helmet when rock climbing? A clearly dangerous activity, with a high probability of fatality if a head injury were to occur. Legislating such a thing sounds ridiculous given the nature of the activity. The same can be argued for motorcycles. Every individual who rides a motorcycle in NC should possess a Class 'C' license with a motorcycle endorsement. During the state approved Motorcycle Safety Course required for a motorcycle endorsement, every rider should be briefed on the health and safety risk associated with riding a motorcycle along with risks that pertain to not wearing a helmet. After being informed, and with the aforementioned point of the impact (or lack thereof) that not wearing a helmet has on others; it should undoubtedly be the rider's choice to wear a helmet or not. If something is to be legislated, it should be an alcohol awareness course that is required to be completed to maintain (or receive) a motorcycle endorsement. Of the 2,030 motorcycle traffic deaths in 2012 involving a single vehicle, 43% had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or higher. That is a staggering number. Almost half of motorcycle deaths in 2012 that resulted in the death of a rider involved a BAC over the legal limit. That's a variable that can (and does) impact the health and safety of others. Let's not be one of the states that over-legislates. Riders should have the choice to wear a helmet in downtown Raleigh, and the choice to not wear one while they're enjoying the Blue Ridge Parkway. We won't get into the benefits of out-of-state traffic (although this should be a consideration for the highway-rich, tourist-hungry state of NC). Get rid of the helmet law and it's ridiculous penalties and restore freedom to NC riders and visitors. If you need a reason, it's simple; the unnecessary bill to require the use of helmets should have never been passed to begin with.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/get_the_facts.html
401
The Issue
Thirty-one states in the U.S. do not require all riders to wear helmets. Laws in those thirty-one states that do require riders to wear a helmet vary by age but the majority leave the restriction to those under the age of 18. Legislators in these states understand something that North Carolina legislators do not; laws are meant to protect the people's freedoms rather than protect the interests of insurance companies and/or healthcare providers. It can be dangerous walking out your front door in the morning, let alone hopping on a motorcycle. Fun fact: You're two and half times more likely to suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) by falling down than you are to suffer a TBI from a motor vehicle crash. Another (not so fun) fact: Intentional self-harm was the first leading cause of TBI-related deaths (33%) in 2014. Motorcyclists don't ride because it's safe. Motorcyclists ride because it is an act that embodies the freedoms this country was built on. Motorcyclists ride to let go of the stress, and deadlines (and regulations) the world imposes. All you need is horsepower, a tank of gas, nothing more than what your saddle bags will hold, and endless miles of open road. There is nothing more exhilarating and beautiful than the sun shining on your face, wind blowing in your hair, and the smells of the earth filling your sinuses while you barrel down the road at 50 mph. How often do you smell fresh cut grass in your car, or a BBQ, or a bonfire, or a farm, or a bread factory? On a bike, you don't miss a beat. You can smell the rain before it falls, and the blooming of Magnolias and Dogwood. You can feel the chill in the air every time you drop in elevation near even the smallest body of water. You can feel the rhythm of the cylinders in your legs. When you're riding a motorcycle you aren't fussing with the kids, or a Big Mac, or the air conditioner. It's you, and the road in front of you. You have a heightened sense of awareness when you're on a bike because you can feel EVERYTHING. It can be argued that strapping your head in (particularly in the case of full-face helmets) creates a false sense of security. It has even been proven that both three-quarter and full-face helmets limit peripheral vision. All of this is beside the point. Adults are capable of, and should be able to make their own decisions in regard to their own health and safety. The decision to not wear a helmet doesn't impact the rights, or health and safety of others. Where do we find a legal requirement to wear a helmet when rock climbing? A clearly dangerous activity, with a high probability of fatality if a head injury were to occur. Legislating such a thing sounds ridiculous given the nature of the activity. The same can be argued for motorcycles. Every individual who rides a motorcycle in NC should possess a Class 'C' license with a motorcycle endorsement. During the state approved Motorcycle Safety Course required for a motorcycle endorsement, every rider should be briefed on the health and safety risk associated with riding a motorcycle along with risks that pertain to not wearing a helmet. After being informed, and with the aforementioned point of the impact (or lack thereof) that not wearing a helmet has on others; it should undoubtedly be the rider's choice to wear a helmet or not. If something is to be legislated, it should be an alcohol awareness course that is required to be completed to maintain (or receive) a motorcycle endorsement. Of the 2,030 motorcycle traffic deaths in 2012 involving a single vehicle, 43% had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or higher. That is a staggering number. Almost half of motorcycle deaths in 2012 that resulted in the death of a rider involved a BAC over the legal limit. That's a variable that can (and does) impact the health and safety of others. Let's not be one of the states that over-legislates. Riders should have the choice to wear a helmet in downtown Raleigh, and the choice to not wear one while they're enjoying the Blue Ridge Parkway. We won't get into the benefits of out-of-state traffic (although this should be a consideration for the highway-rich, tourist-hungry state of NC). Get rid of the helmet law and it's ridiculous penalties and restore freedom to NC riders and visitors. If you need a reason, it's simple; the unnecessary bill to require the use of helmets should have never been passed to begin with.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/get_the_facts.html
401
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on April 15, 2019