Is it illegal for students to use a helmet when on a bike?

[Pormax]

3 fatalities in 2 months in my area all young people with no helmut.

Schools have to accept some responsibility. In our local school there is a large sign at the entrance saying that helmuts must be worn. So why does the principal of the school not inform the guard at the gate that no motorcyclist with out a helmut can bring his/her bike into the school. Schools are there to teach their pupils.

Saying that, the main responsibility comes down to the parents. My daughter was bought a motorbike just before she was 16 and after a pep talk about her safety and others, could only use it with the following conditions:

She must do the test and get a licence. she did 2 days after her 16th birthday.

She must always where a helmut when on a motorbike whether she is the driver or not.

She will not allow anyone on her bike as a passenger if they are not wearing a helmut.

She will not allow her friends to use it.

She has to keep it clean.

2 months ago went into town about the time school finished for the day. Saw my daughter on her boyfriends bike and while he was wearing a helmut she wasn't. I banned her from using her motorbike for 2 weeks. Last week she did it again and even though it was only for a 150 metres from the school to the bust stop she is now banned from using the motorbike for a month. This will now really hurt her as the school holidays start for her this week and living in a village she will not be able to go and see her friends.

Unfortunately many parents do not care.

[A1Str8]

Leave them alone. They are extremely skilled riders. It's in their blood. Just like stupidity.

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[Pormax]

No matter what education or enforcement of traffic rules, accidents will always happen. Such as dogs/cats running across the raod in front of you or like a friend of mine, (who lives in Cyprus) recently had an accident on a very powerful motorbike, when a tyre blew out. Thankfully he is sensible, was driving within the speed limit and was wearing full protective clothing. He did nothing wrong, it was an accident, these things happen.

Don't forget in an accident there is normally one blameless person but unfortunately the one that suffers. So if you don't wear a helmut then you are as stupid as all the others and breaking the law.

Maybe insurance companies should bring in a clause saying no helmut and no license then no claim. Might wake people up a little.

[JesseFrank]

However, have you seen what are called helmets here? They are made of cheapish plastic with nothing more than Styrofoam inserts. The strap is never tightened, if even done up at all. Any impact will not deform the inserts and the plastic shell will simply crack and transfer that force straight through to your brain. The fact is that these 'helmets' will do nothing more than give the police something to put your brains back into after the crash. But then again even these poor excuses for helmets are better than nothing at all.

Wear the dam thing... but make sure it is a proper one and not one of those colored plastic bowls that will do nothing more than give you the ability to serve soup in!

You are correct about the poor quality of some helmets and the lack of using the strap.

The thing is that the law clearly states that everyone on a motorbike must use a helmet, the helmet must be certified and the helmet must be securely fixed to the head with a strap. If all this is not followed you are not leagally using a helmet.

A helmet must have a TIS sticker with the number 369-2539 to be certified for motor vehicle use. If you helmet do not have this sticker it's not a helmet and will only protect you from the sun.

For many years I see a foreigner ride around in Pattaya with a helmut similar to this. You thinkit has the TIS sticker

[noodle]

One of the heights of,largely western, idiocy is the willingness of the sheep to obey inanimate objects such as lights, signs, markings, etc without considering their immediate relevance. To also believe that some 'crime' is committed by ignoring these objects is indicative of total brainwashing. Believers in these non crimes can find many countries where they can revel in the glow of state control. Helmet wearing may reduce the risk of death but may also increase the risk of permanent disability. Would this really be an improvement in Thailand?

[iamariva1957]

However, have you seen what are called helmets here? They are made of cheapish plastic with nothing more than Styrofoam inserts. The strap is never tightened, if even done up at all. Any impact will not deform the inserts and the plastic shell will simply crack and transfer that force straight through to your brain. The fact is that these 'helmets' will do nothing more than give the police something to put your brains back into after the crash. But then again even these poor excuses for helmets are better than nothing at all.

Wear the dam thing... but make sure it is a proper one and not one of those colored plastic bowls that will do nothing more than give you the ability to serve soup in!

You are correct about the poor quality of some helmets and the lack of using the strap.

The thing is that the law clearly states that everyone on a motorbike must use a helmet, the helmet must be certified and the helmet must be securely fixed to the head with a strap. If all this is not followed you are not leagally using a helmet.

A helmet must have a TIS sticker with the number 369-2539 to be certified for motor vehicle use. If you helmet do not have this sticker it's not a helmet and will only protect you from the sun.

You are right of course. However.... have you ever just watched how someone from here buys a helmet? They stand around looking at colors and the style of the thing. Never once have I seen anyone look for a number or ask if it conforms to regulations. After all their searching they will buy the one that comes closest to the amount that they have in their pockets at the time. Then it is placed on their heads ... no strap of course... and off they go down the wrong side of the street to make that turn that they would have spent a extra 2 minutes to get to if they had traveled on the correct side of the road.

Helmets are important and one should check for the right markings on it to see if it is even certified as a motorcycle helmet. But as I said once before on TV... Thais ride scooters and they ride them like they are actually bicycles. So the proper helmet idea goes out the window and so anything will do in their minds just to avoid the helmet check points, or better yet, cover the shopping when making a stop at the food stall.

[bushman1666]

Police do not bother with them, why? because they would need to detain them, have bike towed to police station, call parents and final result is nothing, they will keep on doing it(that is if you take financials out of it)

If you add financials into it, police would waste half a day if not more and possibly get 500 baht fine out of parents.

And why would the final result be nothing ?

When I get a fine from a policeman, I will have to pay, and I've never seen him spending more than 15 minutes on it, let stand half a day. Why would that be different with a student.

The only thing this is about is face.

My sons uncle almost died 10 years ago because he fell of a motorbike and wasn't wearing a helmet. For 2 months he was a zombie and didn't speak a word. Luckily he recovered. as he was only 9 years old at the time of the accident.

These days that boys mother, my sons grandmother, is taking my son to the school by motorbike, and she doesn't give a if he wear a helmet or not. I bought him a decent helmet and check frequently if he wear it.

When I discover that he didn't wear it one day, as was the case a few weeks ago, I shout the grandmother a skin full that the whole village can hear it.

I don't care that she loses face and hates me for it. It is to me beyond comprehension that her son almost died for not wearing a helmet, and still doesn't realize the importance of it.

In Thailand all these things are down to fete. The motorbike probably hadn't been blessed properly.

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