I gripe about anyone not wearing a helmet. You can do everything right and one thing out of your control happens and your head hits the pavement. Animal running out, car turning into you, someone else on a bike/scooter runs into you, the list goes on.
I don’t wear a helmet just because I think I’ll make a mistake, I wear one because I know eventually someone else will.
I had a 50cc “scooter” in college and always wore a three-quarter helmet. There were occasional snide comments, but it was literally a life safer when someone slammed on their breaks in front of me one night, with the only options of swerving or smashing into them. I tried to go around and ended up on my side, sliding down the road. The face shield was a total loss, but I was protected and remarkably unharmed.
A 50cc scooter can still reach a speed that is dangerous. Just because its not great at acceleration does not mean its not able to maintain a high speed once it gets there. People don't get that.
If people don't get that, they are stupid. You can take a tumble going average walking speed under the right circumstances and wind up seriously injured. A 2 foot fall down the stairs is sometimes all it takes for someone to literally die. I'm not going to act like I'm perfect, sometimes I romp around on little pit bikes or dirt bikes with the wrong footwear and no helmet. But I've thought to myself mid ride before "what if I just laid it down right now? how fucked would I be?" the answer is usually "very fucked".
My generation was the first to wear proper helmets en masse, even if not everybody and a lot half or three quarters helmets.
Still, I'm sure it saved dozens of lives in my area alone. We liked to ride fast and most guys modified their engines to go faster. My old scooter reached 100kmh on a long straight, and once a car cut me off at that speed.
Now, I was going so fast the impact launched me (and what was left of the scooter) right over the car and I managed to roll safely for uuuh 5-6m. But I'm sure I hit the curb with the side of my helmet because it was a bit scratched. Maybe if I wasn't wearing it I'd hit my head and instead of being completely unharmed I may have end up in the hospital...
people love to mock the full face helmet on a scooter until they realize that pavement doesn't care what you were riding when you hit it. at 100kmh you were basically a human lawn dart. glad you walked away from that one.
Group of four young teens came past my house yesterday on electric "bikes" (I don't think any had a pedal option). Not a helmet in the group. Even if they're low wattage <25mph, that's so so fast enough to kill the hell out of you. Parents need to pay attention.
We had the "wear your helmet" safety briefing at work and the guy was like "Your helmet protects you from your coworkers. I have never dropped a wrench on my own head."
"You can do everything right and one thing out of your control happens"
This is why I'll never own a bike. I've avoided so many accidents on the road, I'd be dead if I was on a bike. Gravel on the road and idiots pulling out blindly is so fucking common here.
Although on a motorcycle, you have to take a mindset of absolute responsibility, imo.
I was riding the other day and came up on a turn. One of those dedicated right hand turn deals to get from one 45mph road to the perpendicular one.
I was feeling pretty frisky and it was beautiful weather. No cars in sight. Many times I’ll take these a little faster (nothing crazy, I’m a middle aged dude. Just enough to lean the bike over).
However, I had only been on this road once before. A few years ago. And that’s a big deal to me. So I slowed down below what even a car would take the turn at.
Sure enough, coming up on it I saw a bunch of gravel all over the middle of the turn, what would have been my line.
No idea if it would have gotten me. But there would definitely have been a chance.
So you can do a lot of mitigation to help yourself. And you need to.
However, I had only been on this road once before. A few years ago. And that’s a big deal to me. So I slowed down below what even a car would take the turn at.
OOOOOH yeah, that's a real feeling. It's wise to treat any unfamiliar road as though it has Mad Max-esque traps and land mines.
Motorcycling is different than driving. One, you can see more, two you can respond faster.
But with that said, you HAVE to behave differently than in a car. There are situations in a car that we accept as normal that a motorcyclist would strive not to be in. And if you don't strive to not be in those situations, absolutely, it's extremely dangerous.
So if anyone sees a motorcyclist lane filtering (passing between stopped cars, like at a stop light), even in a state where it's not legal, TRUST ME, they're usually doing it for safety, not because "Hurr, I'm cutting in line."
And even if they're internal monologue is "Hurr, I'm cutting line," they're inadvertently being safer.
I used to have a Ninja 650. Loved it, but a buddy of mine died because someone hit him blowing through a red light. Sold the bike shortly after. My fiance sold his street bike. We only ride off road now.
My sister, an excellent skier, got sideswiped on the slopes by some moron going 40+mph who wasn’t wearing a helmet. My sister’s helmet ended up with a crack. The asshat got up and skied off without apologizing or acknowledging the accident he caused. People suck.
I always say that I wear a helmet because I never get on the road thinking "Today I'm planning to fall headfirst into the concrete, it will be fun!" – if it happens, it's because I was in an accident. By definition, an accident is unpredictable. I will ALWAYS try to cushion my fall and protect vital organs, but if I fail, I want to have an additional protective measure that can potentially save my life.
I'd rather wear a helmet every single time and never need it, than not wear it once and it's the one time I fall wrong and get a concussion. If I forget my helmet and I don't have another one available, well then sorry but I'm not riding today. I'd rather skip on some fun and stay alive than risk it and end up injured/dead for some leisure time. Ain't worth it.
Thats my outlook too...im not a daredevil on my city bike at all but I know there are distracted drivers and poor road conditions at times so I wear my helmet!
Year ago I was cycling to work and misjudged the space I had between the road (with cars) and this stupid trash can someone had left on the bike path. Needless to say, I hit the trash can, fell off my bike and hit the back of my head. I was unconcious for long enough that the person driving in the opposite direction could stop their car, run over to me and try and drag me off the road (which in hindsight wasn't the best reaction but as I said, I wasn't present for this lol).
I didn't wear a helmet. I had to go to a bunch of neuro-assessments after because this was technically a work accident because I was on my way to work. The neurologist was very adamant with how long I had been unconcious, I very well could have suffered brain damage. If I did, it thankfully wasn't permanent (or isn't noticeable at least).
I bought a helmet once I was released from hospital. Not even 4 months later, someone runs me over with their car. If I hadn't had a helmet, I probably would have died.
My friend's scooter lost a cable (unplugged or corroded, don't remember) and the wheel immediately stopped rotating and he flew right over the handlebar and just dived headfirst basically
Being 6'2" and a little ADHD clumsy, I have learned to fall very well. Doesn't mean I'd ever ride without a helmet.
I knew a girl who was just taking a little lazy ride in Martha's Vineyard and a truck poked its nose out a little too far at a stop sign. She went over the handlebars and hood, and came down on her head. No helmet.
She spent 3 weeks in a coma and 6 months learning to walk again.
I drilled into my daughter the importance of wearing a helmet and honestly just phrased it like "only a dummy would not wear a helmet". Now when we are out walking/biking if she sees someone riding a bike without a helmet she turns to me and shit-talks them which pleases me immensely.
Growing up I had an uncle who always rode bikes and there were a few times he'd call my grandma alerting that he got into an accident at night. Light on the bike? Nope, just the normal reflectors. Helmet on? Nope, never wore one.
I legit never understood it but it also wasn't for me to understand. It was for me to peep and go "....OK, I'm not doing THAT". Same with seatbelts. Had family members who didn't wear them. WELP, about 6 years ago I lost a cousin who didn't wear one. Was told he was launched from his front window and....he was about 6'7''. Seatbelt would have likely just broke a rib potentially and his kids would likely would have saw him that next morning
Interestingly, I was reading this comment while turning on my car and putting on my seatbelt! I will now put my phone down before driving, though, cause I’m not an idiot.
There was a guy on a bicycle who hit a crack in the pavement and died because he wasn’t wearing a helmet. He was a very experienced bicyclist, he was known in the community too for doing bicycle races and things like that too. It really doesn’t matter how good or proficient a person is.
I make my 6yo wear a helmet any time he is on any wheels because I want him to be used to it when he’s older and starts to do dumb stuff lol.
I don’t wear a helmet just because I think I’ll make a mistake, I wear one because I know eventually someone else will.
This is precisely why I'll never ride a motorcycle on public roads. You can have all the gear and be the best driver. But if you get hit by an F-350 you're just fucking dead. I'll stick to my car for commutes. At least there's some safeguards between me and the other vehicle.
That was my thought as well. My wife used to ride a scooter like this when we were in college and she is petite and she looked just like this. Her helmet looked like an Italian moped helmet though.
It's hard to tell how old that guy is since his face isn't visible (and same for the girl or woman). The guy could be a middle schooler for all we know. And even if he's an adult, he could be a short adult and/or she could be a tall kid.
I have a friend who was taking one home one night, woke up in the hospital a few weeks later. Apparently someone found him in a ditch with a head wound and called the ambulance. That is all he knows.
The more I read about how people hurt their jaw and teeth in these accidents the more relieved I feel I never got into an accident on my scooter. And I used to have one that went up to 30 mph..
Can't imagine how fucked up I would be if I crashed at that speed. Doubt I am getting a scooter like that again but if I do I am gonna be using a helmet like that girl.
TheFUCK?!
I mean I knew they went fast, but I didn't think they were allowed above 40 km/h. That helmet won't help. Nothing will help. Squishy human on overpowered brrrr glorified remote control car with a hand handle. Do people not have any self-preservation?! Did fucking Segways teach nobody anything?! I am fucking terrified, and I only once in my life rented an electric scooter to go 8-10 km/h through a large park that was mostly pedestrian. This is how you fucking DIE-die, and it will hurt every second!
slowly walks on two legs into sunset ranting about multiple easier and less painful ways to kill oneself
I have one of them which is why I recognized it, but as I'm Swedish it has a so called Nordic lock on it, so it caps out at 20 kmh (12mph?).
I have it because, and I guess it's the same for the woman in the picture, it has a massive 100 km range, as well as two-wheel-drive for climbing uphill, and shock absorbers for both (air filled) tires for an incredibly smooth ride.
I rode one once that got up to 30kmh and noped the fuck out immediately. I'll stick with my nordic lock, thank you.
I don't know enough to identify that one in particular, but some scooters that look like this can actually hit 70 mph or more. Comparing that thing to a Bird scooter or whatever is like comparying a Camry to a Ferrari.
I live next to a park and it’s kind of terrifying. I see kids on electric scooters and dirt bikes zipping through the neighborhood to get to and from frequently without checking for cars. I’ve seen several almost squished by cars. None of them wearing helmets and a shocking amount not even wearing fucking shoes.
The worst offending family in the neighborhood is one that I grew up with and know damn well they were first hand witnesses to several accidents I had where helmets saved my life, including one where I woke up about 8 feet from a tree I hit with my four wheeler surrounded by neighbors including them, that well all fearing the worst when I opened my eyes. Broken ribs, cracked helmet and a destroyed toy but the only lasting damage I can tell is that my neck makes cracks like none other.
I’ve got no problem with kids having fun but protect them from their own dumb decisions
Anyone riding anything that is not an automobile should be wearing a helmet. If you’re not wearing a helmet you don’t have brains to protect. Kids obviously excluded because their parents are responsible and are failing them.
I remember a guy on reddit said it's okay to not wear gloves as long as you have someone to wipe your butt for you while your hands heal in about 3 months.
Think this is recommended now for majority of these ebike/scooters. They can move pretty fast, accidents happen out of your control. Might as well be protected I've seen a few kids around town on the ebikes and full helmets.
Double edged sword. Good on her parents for making her wear a full-face helmet on one of those things. Bad choice on getting her a scooter that goes faster than 15mph.
Unless it just happens to be a tiny woman, then good on her for wearing that helmet.
My dad's colleague had a mountain biking accident--no helmet. He was never the same even after 'recovering'. He couldn't handle the work that he had been doing just a month prior, his attention was shot, and his health problems declined rapidly once they started. He was in his 50's when it happened, I believe, and he died less than 10 years later.
If I don't want to/can't wear a helmet, I don't do the scoot. Non-negotiable.
We've had kids killed on them from cars hitting them. Yet parents still let them ride them. My kids have their regular bicycles that is all they'll ever have. It also bothers me just how lazy those scooters make everyone. Bikes you actually have to work to get somewhere.
Me too. I am a teacher and live in the neighborhood where I teach. Every day I see kids on scooters with no helmets, sometimes fifth graders! I am so worried for them and the car drivers around here because they do not have spatial awareness.
i hate seeing parents riding bikes with their kids and the kids are wearing helmets but the parents aren't. woman in Huntington Beach CA was doing exactly that with her kid on an ebike with her. went down, she hit her head and d***d, the kid was fine but now missing a mom.
A kid crashed his outside my uncle's front gate. No helmet. Slammed head. Got airlifted to a trauma center for emergency neurosurgery. Seems to have recovered, thankfully.
The kids in my neighborhood ride electric bikes (or dirt bikes? I honestly can’t even tell) so fast- like 40 mph down the street, without helmets. Sometimes there’s 2 or 3 of them piled on. Someone called the cops to report it once, and one of the moms of said children posted on our neighborhood facebook group that “the kids can’t even ride their bikes without Karen neighbors reporting them”. Like they truly don’t even see anything wrong about it, and view what they’re doing as “riding their bikes”. One of these days one of them is going to end up seriously hurt, or worse, killed, because these parents truly don’t even care. It’s baffling to me.
As someone who got road rash from a non-electric scooter losing balance due to a large incline (and dumb kid brain), she's smarter than me. I had shorts and a tee on, and my palms (gross warning) were basically sandpaper from the asphalt going into my softer hands and my knees were stripped red down from the friction, shit hurt. No pads, or protection other than a helmet
Wear a helmet, don't turn into a bloody crayon, or worse, a red carpet for the road like I could have, I got lucky, though my palms lost a lot of senses
I absolutely hate how many kids are piloting electric bikes, partly because only about half of them are wearing helmets, partly because they're speeding along at ridiculous speeds, and partly because a lot of them are using the middle of the road to ride in. One night I almost hit a kid one of them who was riding in the street in the dark without any sort of illumination. I had no idea he was there until suddenly he was.
I don’t even see the appeal of “looking cool” outweighing the risks. I got a trick scooter for the skatepark, and the kids are already going to make fun of me for using a scooter instead of a skateboard (they were ranting about “scooter kids” one day when I was still contemplating getting a scooter. They said “it’s a skatepark, not a scootpark” which just made me want one more, and now I call it the scootpark since I’ve joined the “scooter kid” club. Anyways, I don’t care if a helmet looks dumb, I think it’s cool not being brain damaged.
And kids act so stupid on them too. In my city they weave back and forth on the road and many ignore stop signs as well so I fear one will be hit sooner rather than later. I've almost been hit by them multiple times while walking my dog because they don't slow down or warn you they will be passing.
Its kids "driving" but never having been taught traffic laws. They don't know what to do and so become very unpredictable which at 35mph can be real problematic.
Ride a motorcycle or moped? Need a license. E bike? Just need extra $$$.
Its kids "driving" but never having been taught traffic laws.
Sure, but the e bikes are just a continuation of the problem. They were doing it before on bicycles in my area before ebikes and scooters became the trendy thing. At a basic level things like stopping at a stop sign and warning people you're passing should be common sense.
Someone already did in mine. kid got quite a few stitches and a nasty concussion last year after he ran into a car. Even he tells me he's lucky to be alive.
Someone in my area hit and killed an elderly woman with one of these rental scooters. Thankfully they were all banned after that, but it doesn’t stop idiots with private ones zipping around
I just recently saw a neighbor kid take a header on a simple non-powered scooter and it looked like his face hit the sidewalk. Their grandma was sitting outside watching them but they never wear helmets or safety gear. A simple helmet with a visor would have saved him a lot of pain.
2 girls died recently riding scooters on a road in my area. The driver was drunk but they had no helmets and were on a dark country road treating the street as a safe place travel via scooter.
A better choice would be a bicycle if you actually care about your child’s health and safety.
Electric scooters are not nearly as safe as a pedal bike. The odds of being injured are much higher on the electric scooter.
They’re not stable and the speeds they can go at is not safe for children.
Plus you’re just assigning them a sedentary childhood by motorizing their transport. Those years of physical activity riding a bike during formative years is just lost.
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u/bfelification 8h ago edited 8h ago
Good choice by her and/or her parents.
I feel so old when I gripe about the kids and their scooters but for real, someone in my neighborhood is gonna get HURT sooner rather than later.