“I remember the night” is not how you want to be hearing yourself talk the next life.
You are the most effective form of crash protection. No helmet or piece of gear can eliminate all those assholes and losers and lunatics who DON’T GIVE A SH*T ABOUT BIKERS or anyone else really.
But here are some tips about good judgment, situational awareness, and riding within one’s limits. I promise you that’s all true, Deano said.
Good judgment though is nothing on a motorcycle when confronted with a commercial vehicle having no speed management, unsafe following distances, and reckless behavior. Never forget motorcycle riders are never more important than the equipment these companies rely on to make billions of dollars. You are never more important than any single piece of equipment. In a world without plaintiff’s lawyers, they might trade you for a truck.
Protective gear is all you. Like uninsured / uninsured motorist (“UMI”) insurance protection the choice of whether to wear a helmet is like buying UMI insurance. DO IT.
Helmet laws vary by state and are frequently debated. Regardless of legal requirements, helmet use often becomes a focal point in injury claims. Insurance companies may argue that injuries were worse due to lack of protective gear, even when the crash itself was caused by another driver.
True crash protection is a system: prevention, skill, gear, and judgment working together. Hopefully if you put all the pieces together you can ride without the assholes and jerks and sleepers menacing our highways.
For a full breakdown of prevention strategies, helmets, gear, and how crash protection affects injury claims, visit our Best Rider Crash Protection page.