Italian tourist, 59, dies in motorbike fall at Big Buddha viewpoint

[impulse]

1 hour ago, Old Croc said:

Road accidents and associated death and injury cost the community an enormous amount of money.

To say someone riding helmetless is only a risk or cost to themselves really shows ignorance.

 

Just had to sling an insult, huh?  I'm not ignorant, but neither do I believe we have the ability to save people from themselves, nor the right to make those decisions for other people.  Any more than we have the right to go into a bar and take the beer away from people who probably had enough already.  They're a bigger danger to me than someone riding without a helmet.

 

I'd prefer the cops focus what inadequate traffic enforcement efforts they do make on acts and behaviors that put innocent 3rd parties at risk before they spend time saving people from themselves.   Instead of picking the low hanging fruit by sitting in one place snagging helmet scofflaws, ignoring the speeding, weaving, going the wrong way, and other dangerous acts happening 100 meters away.

 

Edited December 28, 2017 by impulse

[arithai12]

3 hours ago, billd766 said:

 

I hang my helmet where it should be, which is on my head with the strap properly tightened, the same as I have done all the time I have ridden bikes apart from a couple of months in Thailand about 12 years ago.

 

Then I realised how stupid I was and ever since then I ALWAYS wear a helmet even for a couple of hundred metres.

In your reply to NCC1701, do you realize that he meant he hangs the helmet on the mirror AFTER he has parked? Or do you mean that you carry your helmet on your head even when  you walk around?

[chrissables]

8 hours ago, Old Croc said:

Road accidents and associated death and injury cost the community an enormous amount of money.

To say someone riding helmetless is only a risk or cost to themselves really shows ignorance.

See the attached breakdown of road deaths in Thailand. A couple of things stand out for me - the fact that bikes contribute 73% of all road deaths, and that Thailand loses 3% to 5% of it's GDP due to road crashes.

 

Not wearing a helmet is a victimless crime.

 

Being knocked off your bike bike a car, bus or truck is a crime, against the bike rider.

[Timbob]

36 minutes ago, chrissables said:

Not wearing a helmet is a victimless crime.

Is it truly victimless though? There's a significant administrative cost in dealing with fatalities. Emergency services, police investigations, court costs, higher insurance premiums, etc.

[happyas]

40 minutes ago, chrissables said:

Not wearing a helmet is a victimless crime.

 

Being knocked off your bike bike a car, bus or truck is a crime, against the bike rider.

Exactly right and the fact is that the majority of bike crashes are caused by "others".

Moreso in LOS as it states  49% of riders,pedestrians etc death rates in the rest of the world Vs 83% here because bike riders etc are down there with soi dogs in the eyes of many other vehicle drivers..they just don't care if they hit you!

 

Edited December 29, 2017 by happyas

[chrissables]

6 minutes ago, Timbob said:

Is it truly victimless though? There's a significant administrative cost in dealing with fatalities. Emergency services, police investigations, court costs, higher insurance premiums, etc.

Yes it is victimless.

 

The examples you have given have nothing to do with riding either with or without a helmet, they are the possible consequences of an accident.

[Old Croc]

Smokers and bike riders!

Always vehemently defending their freedoms to act as they like, despite commonsense rules and ample evidence of the effect of their actions on others in the community.

Victimless! Rubbish!  Many head injuries occur, or are exacerbated, because  of people  refusing to wear helmets.  Try reading about the costs to the community of TBI rehabilitation. 

 

[chrissables]

3 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

Smokers and bike riders!

Always vehemently defending their freedoms to act as they like, despite commonsense rules and ample evidence of the effect of their actions on others in the community.

Victimless! Rubbish!  Many head injuries occur, or are exacerbated, because  of people  refusing to wear helmets.  Try reading about the costs to the community of TBI rehabilitation. 

 

Maybe you should understand the meaning of victimless before criticising me. Not sure what smoking has to to do with a victimless crime, as it is legal.

 

There is zero evidence of any proof of the effect of not wearing a helmet. Effects of accidents, yes of course. 

[happyas]

18 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

Smokers and bike riders!

Always vehemently defending their freedoms to act as they like, despite commonsense rules and ample evidence of the effect of their actions on others in the community.

Victimless! Rubbish!  Many head injuries occur, or are exacerbated, because  of people  refusing to wear helmets.  Try reading about the costs to the community of TBI rehabilitation. 

 

Rave,rave...nonsense!

Try reading about the costs to the community of the effects diet and drinking/smoking AKA "living daily life".

These are many many times higher than TBI costs.

Check 'obesity' effects and costs..the cost of "freedoms to act as they like", despite commonsense rules and ample evidence of the effect of their actions on others in the community.

 

[billd766]

9 hours ago, arithai12 said:

In your reply to NCC1701, do you realize that he meant he hangs the helmet on the mirror AFTER he has parked? Or do you mean that you carry your helmet on your head even when  you walk around?

 

No I didn't. The mirror is where I usually leave my helmet locally but in the city I stuff it into the top box.

[NamKangMan]

 

In relation to riding without a helmet being a victimless crime, that would be true, providing there was no accident, which no one can guarantee.

 

So, in the case of a helmetless rider having a one vehicle accident, and dying, it may be the case it is a victimless crime, although I am sure the deceased's family and friends would disagree.

 

In the case of a helmetless rider having a one vehicle accident and surviving, with catastrophic injuries, family and friends will have to provide care, so will the medical profession, at the tax payers expense.  Whilst this may be a victimless crime for other road users, there are indirect victims as a result of the actions of the rider.

 

In the case of a helmetless rider having a two vehicle accident, obviously there are innocent parties involved, however, such an accident may still have occurred regardless of whether the rider was wearing a helmet, or not.

 

For me, if any rider shows such a blatant disregard for the road rules by not wearing a helmet, what other road rules do they also blatantly disregard????  Eg. speeding, riding whilst intoxicated etc. 

 

With that in mind, whilst riding without a helmet may be viewed as victimless crime, when no accident has occurred, where do you draw the line????  Do you then go onto say riding at 150 kmph is also a victimless crime???? 

 

The helmet law is there to protect the rider from himself / herself, as well as trying to reduce the impact on the community in the event of an accident, and in my opinion, should be enforced, if for no other reason than to force some responsibility into some of the idiots on the road here. 

 

 

Edited December 29, 2017 by NamKangMan

[chrissables]

6 minutes ago, NamKangMan said:

 

In relation to riding without a helmet being a victimless crime, that would be true, providing there was no accident, which no one can guarantee.

 

So, in the case of a helmetless rider having a one vehicle accident, and dying, it may be the case it is a victimless crime, although I am sure the deceased's family and friends would disagree.

 

In the case of a helmetless rider having a one vehicle accident and surviving, with catastrophic injuries, family and friends will have to provide care, so will the medical profession, at the tax payers expense.  Whilst this may be a victimless crime for other road users, there are indirect victims as a result of the actions of the rider.

 

In the case of a helmetless rider having a two vehicle accident, obviously there are innocent parties involved, however, such an accident may still have occurred regardless of whether the rider was wearing a helmet, or not.

 

For me, if any rider shows such a blatant disregard for the road rules by not wearing a helmet, what other road rules do they also blatantly disregard????  Eg. speeding, riding whilst intoxicated etc. 

 

With that in mind, whilst riding without a helmet may be viewed as victimless crime, when no accident has occurred, where do you draw the line????  Do you then go onto say riding at 150 kmph is also a victimless crime???? 

 

The helmet law is there to protect the rider from himself / herself, as well as trying to reduce the impact on the community in the event of an accident, and in my opinion, should be enforced, if for no other reason than to force some responsibility into some of the idiots on the road here. 

 

 

Very well explained. And i agree with some of the points.

 

Family would not be victims in my eye, but i get your point.

 

The consequences of accidents are another subject, although related.

 

Speeding and drunken riding have nothing to do with my comments.

 

The helmet law was introduced by insurance companies looking to save money, and persuading governments to make it law. (In Western countries)

 

If governments (especially Thailand) are really worried, they should stop the cause of the accidents, or at least prioritize that.

 

But helmetless riders are an easy catch, against alcoholics, obesity, diabetes etc which kills as many people. 

[happyas]

2 hours ago, chrissables said:

Very well explained. And i agree with some of the points.

 

Family would not be victims in my eye, but i get your point.

 

The consequences of accidents are another subject, although related.

 

Speeding and drunken riding have nothing to do with my comments.

 

The helmet law was introduced by insurance companies looking to save money, and persuading governments to make it law. (In Western countries)

 

If governments (especially Thailand) are really worried, they should stop the cause of the accidents, or at least prioritize that.

 

But helmetless riders are an easy catch, against alcoholics, obesity, diabetes etc which kills as many people. 

"But helmetless riders are an easy catch, against alcoholics, obesity, diabetes etc which kills as many people."

 

Not just an easy catch, but IMO media makes a great fuss about, in particular death on motor bikes and  especially when helmetless, and this brings all the sheeple out, raving about the foolishness of even riding a bike let alone without a helmet.

 

FWIW the others you mention [alcoholics, obesity, diabetes etc] kill 8-9 times more people than bike accidents do,but there is very little reporting/interest of all these, also mostly avoidable deaths.

 

If you choose to ride a bike,helmet or not,whether you eat  or drink to excess is your own choice, your own right ,as long as you know and accept the possible consequences,and others should mind their own business.

Edited December 29, 2017 by happyas

[NamKangMan]

14 hours ago, Old Croc said:

Road accidents and associated death and injury cost the community an enormous amount of money.

To say someone riding helmetless is only a risk or cost to themselves really shows ignorance.

See the attached breakdown of road deaths in Thailand. A couple of things stand out for me - the fact that bikes contribute 73% of all road deaths, and that Thailand loses 3% to 5% of it's GDP due to road crashes.

 

 

As stated previously, with Thailand having the second highest road fatality rate in the world, and Phuket Province having the highest fatality rate in Thailand, that would make Phuket roads the most dangerous in the world. 

 

I would suggest, not even wearing a helmet is going to change that fact. 

 

And why do so many people die on the roads here - "tuk tuk. tuk tuk." 

 

Remember, the next drunken fool that would have got public transport, if it existed here, as it does in other parts of Thailand, may be the one to kill or maim you and / or your loved one/s.