helmet laws in USA

[oneup]

from what i can see there are very few places/ states where an adult has to wear a helmet.
is there any difference in these laws as they apply to 2 or 3 wheelers.
also
in Australia where helmets are compulsory. and they must display a Australian standards approval sticker...
in the USA will i need a helmet anywhere on a trike. and if so must it have a USA compliance sticker????

[MangoMike]

Maybe this will help:

State-by-state guide to motorcycle helmet laws

[ben721364]

from what i can see there are very few places/ states where an adult has to wear a helmet.

is there any difference in these laws as they apply to 2 or 3 wheelers.

also

in Australia where helmets are compulsory. and they must display a Australian standards approval sticker...

in the USA will i need a helmet anywhere on a trike. and if so must it have a USA compliance sticker????

In response to your second question, in most (perhaps all) states requiring helmets, helmets must meet FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard) 218. Helmets certified by manufacturers/importers to meet the standard bear the DOT label.

Some of the bugs here are so big and so hard that a helmet makes good sense even if for no other reason, ...except of course for those with iron heads. <grin>[

[oneup]

LOL thats an interesting answer, especially if you didnt know i actually do have an ironhead...... a 1970 ironhead sportster

[meredog]

Maybe this will help:

State-by-state guide to motorcycle helmet laws

not current---michigan voted out helmet law couple years ago

[Doorman]

Michigan did do away with helmet law but you have to have 20k medical coverage to be legal. They won't pull you over to check but in case of accident you need it. If you have accident with another vehicle your major med will kick in, but if you run off road or have accident without another vehicle your medical is only coverage.

[meredog]

Michigan did do away with helmet law but you have to have 20k medical coverage to be legal. They won't pull you over to check but in case of accident you need it. If you have accident with another vehicle your major med will kick in, but if you run off road or have accident without another vehicle your medical is only coverage.

i was just made aware of this "loop=hole" a week ago----added 50,000 for about 20.00----lot of folks not aware

[tomg]

From one who has been T-Boned on a trike---If not for my wearing of the DOT helmet in a not-required state, I would not be relaying this message !! They may not look pretty or be the most comfortable, but they DO work as the bumps and scrapes on my helmet displayed. Better to be safe and have a story to tell rather than a Headstone to remember !!

Tomg

[easymoney]

some may think it is being macho to ride without a helmet. i would wear one even if it was not required by law. the same for a seat belt in my car.i believe seat belts and helmets save lives.

[meredog]

some may think it is being macho to ride without a helmet. i would wear one even if it was not required by law. the same for a seat belt in my car.i believe seat belts and helmets save lives.

I do not consider it Macho that i choose not to wear a helmet any more than i consider you a sissy because you do.

[Gold Rush]

In 1978 I had an accident. My helmet split like an egg but my head stayed in tact. Haven't ridden without a helmet since. To me it just makes good sense... My family is way more important then any enjoyment I might get from the wind blowing on my now bald head.

[slick rick]

I do not consider it Macho that i choose not to wear a helmet any more than i consider you a sissy because you do.

I think we all agree that it's safer with a helmet , but the mere fact that we ride bikes at all tells me it's the experience not safety . I live in a state with a helmet law but when I go to where I can remove it ( IT'S OFF ) it's a different EXPERIENCE ,,so I'm not telling anyone to not wear one at all but when I get a chance I love the feeling ........SO TO EACH HIS OWN...

[Doug D.]

I think we all agree that it's safer with a helmet , but the mere fact that we ride bikes at all tells me it's the experience not safety . I live in a state with a helmet law but when I go to where I can remove it ( IT'S OFF ) it's a different EXPERIENCE ,,so I'm not telling anyone to not wear one at all but when I get a chance I love the feeling ........SO TO EACH HIS OWN...

Well put, Slick! Couldn't have said it any better.

As Slick says, we all agree that the use of a helmet is without a doubt safer. It's common sense. But, you can't deny the added comfort of going without, especially on longer rides. I've ridden both ways, where allowed, and I enjoy riding without a helmet. Again, I agree with Slick, it adds something to the experience, and while I may not ride without a helmet at every opportunity, I will certainly do so again at some point.

Now, here's where it gets interesting... (someone was gonna throw this in the mix eventually, so I figured WTH)

Do we really need the government telling us to wear a helmet? Same argument for seat belts in "other" motor vehicles.

While it is common sense to proceed safely, it shouldn't have to be a matter of law. Most of us here are responsible adults (or so I'd like to believe ), and we can discern for ourselves when conditions dictate the use of a helmet, or any safety equipment for that matter.

For instance, unless it's just too damned hot, I wear chaps most of the time. They provide added protection from the weather and crap flying up off the roadway. Same goes for a vest, or jacket, or gloves, etc. I don't wear this stuff because it looks cool (but chaps are kinda sexy, ain't they ), I wear it because it adds a margin of safety and comfort. But, we don't have laws dictating the use of this equipment, do we... It's a choice. And so it should be where a helmet is concerned.

'Nuff said.

Ride on, my friends!

[AzDaven]

Arizona is not a helmet required state. I asked a friend of mine who is the chief of detectives for traffic division of one of the police departments why. He responded simply "it's a right to die state". Many of the bikers use the code open casket or closed casket To describe if somebody is wearing a helmet or not. A friend of mine was not wearing a helmet many years ago and he was a very good rider (this was his explanation for it.) He was following a cement truck and a piece of cement block Out of the back of the truck to the top of his head. (Basically scalped him including his skull). He is no longer riding because of a tramatic brain injury. I won't even back back mine out of the driveway without putting a helmet on. As told to me by my friend who investigates all fatal traffic accidents " the helmet does just enough good to warrant wearing it." And trust me in the 115° heat of the summer, many times I wish I could just wear a dam p doo-rag There's just too much unknown we encounter on the roads.

[meredog]

I think we all agree that it's safer with a helmet , but the mere fact that we ride bikes at all tells me it's the experience not safety . I live in a state with a helmet law but when I go to where I can remove it ( IT'S OFF ) it's a different EXPERIENCE ,,so I'm not telling anyone to not wear one at all but when I get a chance I love the feeling ........SO TO EACH HIS OWN...

I never criticize any one for there choice's----that said, i have a good friend who is a retired police officer---he says the the majority of folks who are killed in motorcycle accidents die from a broken neck that is sustained from hitting the back of the head with a helmet on. ?

He also rides Motorcycle , and wears a helmet so ??????????????

[hdruss]

i was just made aware of this "loop=hole" a week ago----added 50,000 for about 20.00----lot of folks not aware

meredog - I've tried unsuccessfully to find someone to sell me additional insurance coverage to meet Michigan's requirements!! What company did you purchase from? - Russ

[Tinbasher]

In the UK helmets are mandatory on two wheelers but optional on trikes. I generally wear a helmet for comfort and safety.

[slick rick]

In the UK helmets are mandatory on two wheelers but optional on trikes. I generally wear a helmet for comfort and safety.

...Now this is the way I think it should be in the states concerning trikes ... I M O........

[rotcart]

I checked with my insurance in Ontario Canada they informed me if you go to a state that will allow you ride without a helmet and you ride without it getting into an accident, the insurance company will not entertain the claim. They stated that you must where your helmet as it is a condition of the motorcycle policy.

[americanbadass]

Utah has never had a helmet law thanks to the A.B.A.T.E. group who squashes the legislation every time it comes up.

I never wore a helmet, was lucky in two bike accidents over the years. All the sudden about two years ago a "light" went off in my head, that I had better start wearing one. I don't like the feeling of a helmet, it messes my hair up, but I always wear one now days on long rides. Around town I don't always put one on.

Bottom Line...it is the difference between an open, or closed casket in some cases!