Am I the only person wearing a helmet when riding a motorbike these days.

I see a few Thais wearing them but most foreigners are going helmetless.

Sure, the checkpoints have disappeared but you still have a head to protect.
 

I don't see anybody wearing helmets now.

Seems the masks protect the pea brains inside the skull too

Crazy times

From your last post about being out on your scooter, it would seem you are sensible to wear a helmet..

 

As for the others, don't worry about it.. Won't harm you if they don't wear a lid !!

Yes, no need for a helmet if you have a face mask...maybe a strong amulet can help too.

Depends on local enforcement, usually if the local police dont enforce it, Thais and foreigners in equal amounts are not wearing helmets.

During lockdown and restricted travel etc, you could probably assume anyone out and about is doing a very local trip, the corner shop etc close to home. probably dont consider a helmet important for 20 kph trip to the end of the soi.

1 hour ago, cornishcarlos said:

From your last post about being out on your scooter, it would seem you are sensible to wear a helmet..

 

As for the others, don't worry about it.. Won't harm you if they don't wear a lid !!

Yeah, all this disregard for safety.

 

Its messing with my mind.

Natural selection....hopefully they haven't had a chance to breed yet.

1 hour ago, johng said:

Yes, no need for a helmet if you have a face mask...maybe a strong amulet can help too.

Yup,  I'll put my faith in an amulet.

Been proven they're much more powerful than a helmet, as long as you don't drive a motorbike.

I wear a helmet for long journeys, if im just going to the local shop down the road i dont bother.

 

5 minutes ago, jimmjam said:

I wear a helmet for long journeys, if im just going to the local shop down the road i dont bother.

 

And yet 75% of all fatalities are within 5 miles of home. That being the case I would consider moving.

1 hour ago, Peterw42 said:

Depends on local enforcement, usually if the local police dont enforce it, Thais and foreigners in equal amounts are not wearing helmets.

During lockdown and restricted travel etc, you could probably assume anyone out and about is doing a very local trip, the corner shop etc close to home. probably dont consider a helmet important for 20 kph trip to the end of the soi.

Any fall off a scooter at any speed is more dangerous without a helmet.

Police tend to target foreigners more than Thais for not wearing a helmet, the fine in my area is 500 baht, as compared to 200 baht for a Thai. And the Thais get let off if they say they have no money.

What kills me are the gung-ho types who chant personal freedom as the reason for not wearing helmets, then want support from relatives and friends when they become vegetables in a hospital bed as a result of their own wilful stupidity.

7 minutes ago, jimmjam said:

I wear a helmet for long journeys, if im just going to the local shop down the road i dont bother.

Statistically aren't most road accidents likely to occur near to your home than anywhere else?

 

edit: Sorry, I just noticed Surelynot posted the same as I was writing this.

 

I guess it comes down to personal choice and willingness to take the consequences, financial or physical... 

Some, as above, enjoy a helmet free slow cruise to the shops. Others gear up whatever the journey... 

And then there are many people who ride in shorts and/or flipflops. And no gloves, back protection, etc.

When is enough protection enough protection?

And when is too hot too hot?

I think it should be, and mostly is, up to the individual.

And about "helmets": many of these pieces of thin flexible plastic are useless. Shouldn't everybody use proper helmets all the time?

 

Should that be standard for all riders?

 

Most of the time I wear a helmet. And always closed shoes and long jeans. An accident will likely hurt. It's my life.

P.S.: Crossing the street as pedestrian is also dangerous.

2 minutes ago, cornishcarlos said:

I guess it comes down to personal choice and willingness to take the consequences, financial or physical... 

Some, as above, enjoy a helmet free slow cruise to the shops. Others gear up whatever the journey... 

Yes, but a 'slow cruise' doesn't prevent someone else crashing into you - through not paying attention, drunk, checking FB on their phone, etc.

2 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Yes, but a 'slow cruise' doesn't prevent someone else crashing into you - through not paying attention, drunk, checking FB on their phone, etc.

 

I go out running sometimes.. Sometimes I run fast, maybe even as fast as someone on a "slow cruise"..

I'd never consider wearing a helmet while running, even though someone could crash into me at any time..

1 minute ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

I go out running sometimes.. Sometimes I run fast, maybe even as fast as someone on a "slow cruise"..

I'd never consider wearing a helmet while running, even though someone could crash into me at any time..

Very drole.

I think it is a stupid law any place in the world.

A person can smoke themselves to death.

Drink themselves to death.

Etc.

All legal ways to potentially harm/kill ones self by these personal choices.

Not wearing a helmet should be a personal choice, not a law.

1 minute ago, bluesofa said:

Very drole.

 

But true ????

Up to them. Their lives.

If i go riding on my "motorbike" i always wear a helmet, however, on my scooter I don't. I live in a smallish rural village, navigating through rice fields (dirt tracks) with little to no traffic is great, rarely see above 20kph.

Having said that, if I lived in say BKK or Phuket, i would definitely wear a stack hat on the scooter. 

44 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Yeah, all this disregard for safety.

 

Its messing with my mind.

Hahaha. Then think about your own and don't worry about others?

who needs a helmet when you can ride a scooter in and out of traffic like i do with flip flips and my fabric almost see through anti corona mask.

 

suck on my 2 stroke smoke  suckers.

Yawn,  Yawn.  Where you live in Thailand depends on helmet wear and inforcement, the weather or whether you're riding a scoot or a big bike or where your going or what your doing in my book.

11 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

I think it is a stupid law any place in the world.

A person can smoke themselves to death.

Drink themselves to death.

Etc.

All legal ways to potentially harm/kill ones self by these personal choices.

Not wearing a helmet should be a personal choice, not a law.

As long as they don't expect the state to pay for any hospital bills where they live - assuming the accident involved a head injury.

 

I am one of those that say it should be a personal choice.  Most things in life are....still for the time being.  People smoke tobacco products, drink alcohol and eat junk food like Mcdonalds which are in many cases harmful long term.  But I always have a stack hat in the topbox.  They are very handy when your in a heavy rainfall situation.  

 

Ps: And if you do get pulled over by the cops here the fine is 100 baht, same as not wearing a seatbelt!

43 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Statistically aren't most road accidents likely to occur near to your home than anywhere else?

 

edit: Sorry, I just noticed Surelynot posted the same as I was writing this.

 

Of course statistics show that, that what most people do duh.!! 

Locals don't wear, so it is OK for foreigners also not to wear.

Problem solved, all happy.

Next...

 

47 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

And yet 75% of all fatalities are within 5 miles of home. That being the case I would consider moving.

Maybe because 75% off all journeys are less than 5 miles from home

14 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

As long as they don't expect the state to pay for any hospital bills where they live - assuming the accident involved a head injury.

 

 

And those with lung cancer or rotten livers ?? Stated funded health care ??