by crfsonly » Tue Oct 26, 2004 11:46 am
helmets...the great debate...to wear or not to wear, that is the question.
let me share a story about a good friend who has been riding dirt bikes almost as long as he's been alive. he's now 45.
he was headed to a friends house not more than a mile away. he was traveling on a very familar dirt road; although he had not been on it for a month or so. it was dusk or perhaps even a bit later but with a head light on his KTM525E/XC that shouldn't have been a problem. he would just slowly roll down this old dirt road in first or second gear. of course there was no need for a helmet if you were just rolling in first or second, right?
he got within a block or two of his friends house when the earth in front of him disappeared. the once old faithful dirt road had been washed away in the previous weekend rain. the wash created by the flooding and a broken drain pipe was 20 feet wide and 10 feet deep. at the last moment he attempted to loft the front and carry as much speed as possible in hopes he would clear the chas...if not completely at least with his body. unfortunately neither happened. his body slammed head first into the opposite wall of the wash.
without a helmet there was significant facial damage but surprisingly no neck, back, skull, or brain damage. a helmet with a full face guard would have LIKELY saved him from a shattered jaw, damaged ear drum, rearranged teeth, not to mention numerous lacerations.
one could argue, as some are, that wearing a helmet would have given him more confidence resulting in more speed...not enough speed to clear the wash however. the increased speed would have increased the impact and would have caused more significant injures that could have left him dead or paralyzed. this thinking results from parallel stories of someone not wearing a seat belt being thrown from a vehicle during a crash were all the belted passengers perished. in this case we'll never know.
there's lots of lessons to be learned in this story and others like it. as for me, i wear a helmet and try to make the most of what that helmet is protecting. even still there are dangers out there...most are avoidable...some aren't...that is, unless you never throw a leg over.
ride smart, have fun.
ken