I just returned from my vacation there, and while I was there I noticed that 95% of all the motorcyclists I saw were riding around town and the highways w/o helmets.

Why is that? is it because its way to hot down there to wear a full faced helmet or do most people prefer to ride w/o a helmet?

Up here in NY I believe that if you dont wear a helmet you can be ticketed and pulled over.

someone please clear this up for me.
Thanks

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Future Evo 8 Owner &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I just returned from my vacation there, and while I was there I noticed that 95% of all the motorcyclists I saw were riding around town and the highways w/o helmets.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Damn, I see only about 30% of riders without helmets (that is not with the harley guys added). I guess that they think that they are "cool".


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Future Evo 8 Owner &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Why is that? is it because its way to hot down there to wear a full faced helmet or do most people prefer to ride w/o a helmet?</TD></TR></TABLE>

I have only sweat once with my new helmet (I have had it for ~6 months now).


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Future Evo 8 Owner &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Up here in NY I believe that if you dont wear a helmet you can be ticketed and pulled over.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Well, you can ride a motorcycle without a helmet BUT you have to have $10,000 worth of insurance. If you do not a helmet and do not have insurance, you could get a ticket BUT cops do not inforce it.

 

on the gulf side...like the Tampa Bay/St Pete area....95% of the riders do not wear them and it is not illegal like it is in most places.......most of these guys are just cruising along neighborhood roads and feel as if they will not be going 60 mph.......all though the sport bike guys i do see where one almost 99% of the time...it is mainly the cruiser type of guys who dont in that area of FL...i cant really speak for the rest of FL......

steve

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 10seconds &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">on the gulf side...like the Tampa Bay/St Pete area....95% of the riders do not wear them and it is not illegal like it is in most places.......most of these guys are just cruising along neighborhood roads and feel as if they will not be going 60 mph.......all though the sport bike guys i do see where one almost 99% of the time...it is mainly the cruiser type of guys who dont in that area of FL...i cant really speak for the rest of FL......

steve</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah, on my visit to Tampa, I was driving on I 4 west going towards clearwater beach, and on my right hand side blind spot I noticed a young guy driving a ZX7RR
w/o a helmet. I didnt see him but luckily for me I heard him cuz I did change lanes later on. If I didnt hear him in my blind spot I would have ran him off the road. and I'm sure if he fell of the bike w/o a helmet, he might have been killed.

later on I was kinda cussing under my breath cuz most rider dont wear helmets.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by turbogixxer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Well, you can ride a motorcycle without a helmet BUT you have to have $10,000 worth of insurance. If you do not a helmet and do not have insurance, you could get a ticket BUT cops do not inforce it. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Cops DO enforce it, ask me how I know

Most people here, regardless of type of bike, do not ride w/ a helmet...I am NOT one of those people.

Here's the FL law on helmets...signed into law as of July 1st, 2000


FSS 316.211 Equipment for motorcycle and moped riders.--
(1) A person may not operate or ride upon a motorcycle unless the person is properly wearing protective headgear securely fastened upon his or her head which complies with Federal Motorcycle Vehicle Safety Standard 218 promulgated by the United States Department of Transportation. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall adopt this standard by agency rule.

(2) A person may not operate a motorcycle unless the person is wearing an eye-protective device over his or her eyes of a type approved by the department.

(3) (a) This section does not apply to persons riding within an enclosed cab or to any person 16 years of age or older who is operating or riding upon a motorcycle powered by a motor with a displacement of 50 cubic centimeters or less or is rated not in excess of 2 brake horsepower and which is not capable of propelling such motorcycle at a speed greater than 30 miles per hour on level ground.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (1), a person over 21 years of age may operate or ride upon a motorcycle without wearing protective headgear securely fastened upon his or her head if such person is covered by an insurance policy providing for at least $10,000 in medical benefits for injuries incurred as a result of a crash while operating or riding on a motorcycle.


(4) A person under 16 years of age may not operate or ride upon a moped unless the person is properly wearing protective headgear securely fastened upon his or her head which complies with Federal Motorcycle Vehicle Safety Standard 218 promulgated by the United States Department of Transportation.

(5) The department shall make available a list of protective headgear approved in this section, and the list shall be provided on request.

(6) A violation of this section is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a nonmoving violation as provided in chapter 318.

Any questions, feel free to hit me up...they are supposed to be repealing the law from what I've heard recently, but I have no "evidence" to back that up as of yet.

 

From what I have seen and heard, They do not enforce that much. Maybe it is different in Broward county, but in palm beach, I am yet to hear or see about a person getting a ticket for no helmet. In my eyes, They should very strict about the law, but I can't do anything about that. *sigh*

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by turbogixxer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">From what I have seen and heard, They do not enforce that much. Maybe it is different in Broward county, but in palm beach, I am yet to hear or see about a person getting a ticket for no helmet. In my eyes, They should very strict about the law, but I can't do anything about that. *sigh*</TD></TR></TABLE>

well anyhows, when I was in miami south beach last week I saw a lot of young peeps driving around town on rental mopeds, and all were driving w/o helmets.
I was like holy smokes, this is madness!

I hope that noone gets hurt though...

 

There was one person who fought to get the law passed in the State of Florida, don't remember her name...

The week after the law passed, she died in a motorcycle accident where she most likely would have survived if she was wearing her helmet Irony? I think so...

And Broward is much worse than Dade or Palm Beach (from my experiences) for helmetless riders, w/ all types of bikes, not just the cruisers....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Jason &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">And Broward is much worse than Dade or Palm Beach (from my experiences) for helmetless riders, w/ all types of bikes, not just the cruisers....</TD></TR></TABLE>

I can vouch for that.. BSO in broward county aint no joke.. a friend of mine had to tow his bike all the way back to his house for not having his endorsement.. sucked to be him... As for the whole helmet law i am a firm believer in wearing a lid regardless of where or how fast (or slow) you are riding... i had a friend of mine killed on his bike when a car pulled out of a parking space in front of him, he was traveling at about 20 miles an hour, he hit the car and broke his neck. - WEAR THEM HELMETS BOYS AND GIRLS...

 

I have never really seen any of the cops checking people w/out helmets for insurance. I have seen/been harrassed for having my visor cracked while riding. I had it open 1/16 of an inch while driving 15mph in town (bumper to bumper traffic and the motorcycle cop motioned me to put it down or I would get pulled.)

But that was in clearwater going towards the beach and the beach cops are ******.

Steven