Michigan Votes Forum

Myself and a group of about 25 other bikes went for a great ride this weekend. In Ohio that is! We sure did enjoy spending our money down there were we didn't have to wear helmet in 95 degree heat.

I am a police officer and it is NOT illegal to wear a helmet in a motor vehicle...it is only illegal to have your vision obstructed by SOME means (usually passengers and/or cargo). Most helmets I know of do NOT impede the drivers vision. And, while I too ride a hog, I would never consider NOT wearing a helmet (and yes I have personal experience seeing what helmets can/cannot do)

...regardless of your decision regarding the questionable safety benefits provided by the 'ol commie-cap, do you favor repeal of Michigan's law requiring its use?

Today is Independence day. A day in which we are suppost to celebrate freedom from tyranny and governmental control. Unfortunatly, those of us who reside in Michigan wouldn't know anything about that. We are STILL one of the few states that have a communist mandatory helmet law. Since this did not get taken care of before the summer recess, I don't expect it to be taken care of in this legislative session. Our only hope is that it is dealt with in the fall, if not don't expect it to happen next year, not with next year being an election year. The time is now to start thinking of a new governor since Granholm is the only one standing in the way of freedom. Vote for DeVos for governor in 2006 for a helmet choice summer of 2007. Personally, I don't see it happening any other way or any sooner.

I really don't want to wait 2 more years, however it is nice to know that there is at least a chance that this mandatory helmet crap will be put to bed in the near future. I only hope that knothing goes wrong between now and then.

due to the fact that car and light truck drivers account for most of the head trauma, and brain injury, it should be mandatory for them also. motorcycle deaths are largly due to blunt tramua to the chest, not head injury like the insurance company wants you to believe. the warm feely that because you wear a helmet is going to prevent an accident. sorry, not true. EDUCATION, not legislation, is the key to pervent motorcycle accidents, and, deaths. the sooner you non riders wake up and realize that the better we all will be. " look twice save a life, motorcycles are everywhere " should be on as many signs and billboard as " click it or ticket ", but, i don't think lansing cares about that. it would cost them money, not make them money for not wearing a seatbelt. imagine gov. granholm having to wear a helmet in her limo with no air conditioning, to a news conferance in benton harbor. what do you think she would look like ? what would she say about her appearance? with her wet matted hair and overheated looking face. it will never happen, but, it's interesting to think about it.

Bill Orielly from the "factor" just cited Our beloved governor as being very lax on child endangerment and abuse. He said on his show that "she must go"........I agree. Lets send her back to canada where she belongs. I can't wait until the election. I will vote for DeVos!

I would reply to anyone that wanted to hit me in the head with a bat [to prove the efectiveness of helmets] this way....You wear a helmet and I won't. We will both be able to hit each other in the head with a bat but there is one catch, I get to hit you first. Your helmet isn't going to help you. I promise I will try and wake you in 10 years [or so] for your swing at me. Helmets are totally overrated!!!

I would reply to anyone that wanted to hit me in the head with a bat [to prove the efectiveness of helmets] this way....You wear a helmet and I won't. We will both be able to hit each other in the head with a bat but there is one catch, I get to hit you first. Your helmet isn't going to help you. I promise I will try and wake you in 10 years [or so] for your swing at me. Helmets are totally overrated!!!

Put your helmet on. I'll go without. We will both be able to hit each other in the head with a baseball bat. Only stipulation, I get to go first. Lets see how well your helmet works :) I'll wake you up in a couple years to have your swing!

the ball bat should be used on the the people oppposing this bill. they are the one that probably don't ride at all. but, think that putting a helmet on you will solve everything. sorry people, you are totally wrong. " it's education, not legislation." it's also more government control of adults 21 years of age and older. granholm is in the way of "freedom of choice ". she needs to be voted out of office. let the people speak in 2006. VOTE !!!!!

doubt that the ball bat would do any good. these people are in such a mind set about helmet being the answer to it all. no helmet ever prevented an accident. they still don't get it. they look at you like, " you can prevent an accident on a motorcycle ?" then you tell them " look twice save a life motorcycles are everywhere ." the look you get is astonishing. but, they still don't get it. what will it take to get through to those like grandholm ? anybody have an idea ?

I don't see the same crotch rocket guys that you do. I see them riding dressed in shorts, t-shirts, tennis shoes. Where most of the cruiser guys are dressed in boots. jeans, and at least denim jackets. The rest of what you said is very correct.

Here's one that I've always liked. Give them a ride on your bike, let them see 1st hand what it's like. Only problem I see is that these fools just don't have a sense of balance.

What these legislators do not realize is that those of us who love our helmet less rides actually go to states on purpose to ride free… Then when 50 of us stop a diner to eat, OHIO gets the revenue and OHIO gets our money and OHIO business’s profit from NO HELMET LAW… As I explained in another thread I am about to retire and am making sure the state I move to has no helmet law… You think I am the only person who does this? Not for a second… Think how many others have already left this state because of restrictive laws and high taxes…. They will never get it…

i ride to ohio alot also. the freedom of not wearing that constricting , hot, neck straining helmet. and, yes, i spend a lot of money there to. i always gas up in ohio before comming home. there is over two hundred thousand registered motorcycles in michigan. wouldn't you think that would want the "freedom of choice." calling, writing, faxing, the governor about this intrusive law would put enough pressure on her to comming to sign this bill. remember she is up for reelection next year. lets get a firm yes answer for her, or, let's give her the boot for not doing what WE want. remember, she works for US, and we can fire her!!!!!

what a great day !! left michigan at 9 a.m., rode down to angloa ind., bought cheaper smokes , gas, food ( sorry grandholm, no revenue off this trip.) put about 300 miles on the harley. most in indiana. and i rode WITHOUT my helmet !!!! i'm now home and still alive. gee, i guess we can ride without a helmet and still live for another day. to bad the governor has blinders on. thanks indiana, for nice roads, cheeper smokes, gas, and food on my trip. but, most of all thanks for letting me exercise my freedom of choice to wear or not wear a helmet. i'll be back. garenteed !!!

This is the honest-to-God truth. A few months ago, their newsletter opened with an editorial from the AAA-Mich president, Linda Puffbrain Fuzzywinkle or some such, extolling the virtues of the imperial federal government's obnoxious "click it or ticket" campaign. Her main motivation seemed to be the tired old "if we could save just one child.." spiel. AAA is but a collection of nannies and socialists. Please avoid them.

It may be the first day of fall on the calender but you'd never know that by the wonderful day we're having. Mid 80's low humidity and not a cloud in the sky! It would have been a wonderful day to ride, but unfortunately we live in the communist, nanny-state of Michigan. Sick of it yet? I sure as hell am! Good news however. Next year is an election year. There are 2 candidates, Dick DeVos and Jack Hoogandyk, (BOTH OF WHICH SUPPORT HELMET CHOICE) who will be running for Governor next year. Since Michigan's economy is in the toilet and we are ranked number 1 in unemployment (hey, at least we are number 1 at something) not even the union vote can save Jenny. And how about that FELLOW union worker (I am a teamster) since we have the highest unemployment rate, that means ANYONE could have done a better job that Granholm! Think about it. If Posthumus had won the 2002 election, not only would Michigan be a helmet choice state RIGHT NOW but the unemployment rate COULD'T be worse than it is right now! Just giving yall something to think about.

This summer I have rode my motorcycle (and spent my money) in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and for the first time Pennsylvania, because they recently repealed their helmet law. I still have yet to see an out of state bike plate here. Hopefully Michigan will realize all the money it's losing just because of this mandatory helmet non-sense. F.Y.I. during my thousands of helmet-free riding miles, I have not died, I have not had a head injury, nor I have not caused anyone insurance rates to go up.

good for you. you are exercising tour freedom of choice in many ways. where to ride free, where to spend your money, how long you want to ride free. etc. if we could get more motorcyclists to take there money out of michigan, get receipts, send them to lansing. show them how much money they are losing. the governor needs to know how much she losing by listening to the insurance companies blah, blah. there will be an election next year with two people running that support " freedom of choice". hammer granholm about those facts, she needs to know that her job is in jepordy if she doesn't do what the will of the people want. you can't call, write, fax, e-mail enough. once this is done, and the law modified, lansing won't know what to do with all the extra $$$$$. proablt vote themselves a raise !!!!

i've noticed since the ridding season in michgan has slowed, so has the comments. this bill in very important to the freedom of choice, and income to the state of michigan. keep the pressure on the governor to sign this bill. calls and e-mails are the best way to let her know your concerns. keep the fight !!!

Katherine Blanco (who reinstated Louisiana's helmet law in 2004) was voted "America's worst governor" in a Time Magazine news poll. Hopefully our mommy-governor doesn't follow in her footsteps by vetoing our bill.

There are several reasons for motorcycle fatalities. Since the fatality rates are virtually the same in free states as they are in helmet states maybe there's more than meets the eye. There has been an increase in motorcycle accidents that follows almost to a tee along with the increase in SUV's on the road. When a car would hit a biker, the biker would fly over the car. The biker would be seriously injured, however not dead. An SUV is to tall to fly over, so therefore SUV increases are directly related to motorcycle fatalities. So should we ban SUV's? Absolutely not. Banning SUV's would be just as wrong as mandating helmet laws. The answer is awareness. There needs to be just as many "look twice save a life" billboards and commercials as there are for "click it or ticket". Awareness and education are the best tools for safe riding. Not banning freedoms and choices.

i'm glad that there is one more person out there that get's it. the warm fuzzy feeling that a helmet is the answer is the norm in lansing. repeal the law, spend as much on " look twice, save a life - motorcyles are everywhere " as they spend on click it or ticket. watch the accidents and fatalites drop. NO HELMET EVER PREVENTED AN ACCIDENT.

have seat belts

What is the hold up? Everyone needs to keep on top of this. Write you letters.We don't want to start from the begining again do we!

letters, phone calls, faxes, to the governor,and to your house reps. this law needs to be passed . not only for the freedom of responsable adults to choose, but, the economic boon to the state. millions of dollars, and, lots of jobs depend on this passage. wake up michigan !!!

Is there some sort of guilt-induced neurosis that causes politicians to enfoce knee-jerk "protections" against all conceivable risks to ourselves? Maybe we should all stay safely inside our concrete bunkers, never venturing outside, safely munching organic bean sprouts in front of the government-approved TV show. Fact: within the next half-hour, someone somewhere within our universe of 6 billion people, perhaps a frail senior, small child, or government-school teacher will suffer violent injury or death. How much of my freedom would you abridge, or how much of my property would you appropriate at gunpoint, to reduce that chance?

This past summer they had a vote to create a federal helmet law, taking the right to choose away from the state and giving the feds the power to create a NATIONWIDE helmet law. Thankfully that failed by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. F.Y.I., Senator Carl Levin voted FOR and Senator Debbie Stabinow voted AGAINST the federal helmet law. Please remember this come election day (11-7-06).

i can understand levin voteing for this, being the democrat that he is [ you don't know whats good for you, let me do it for you]. but debbie stab you. do you think she's comming around ? she might be on the side of " freedom of choice " .

If you've ever thought that no-fault insurance was a good idea, think again. No-fault promises to get rid of the paperwork involved in insuring your vehicle: Everybody pays a flat fee, and the money insurance agents and attorneys would earn is saved. If you crash, your expenses are paid, and you don't have to bother filling out forms. Sounds great, but Michigan's Catastrophic Claims Association (MCCA) gives an idea of how this works in the real world. In Michigan, every vehicle owner pays a 'recoupment fee' to support MCCA. If they crash, their medical expenses are covered, for life if necessary. When the program started, the fee was a modest ten dollars per vehicle. Now it's up to $100 per vehicle, and climbing. Motorcyclists must pay this charge for every vehicle they own, but they are excluded from benefits in single vehicle accidents. Sounds reasonable? Perhaps, but what if you crash when a deer jumps in the road, slide on an oil spill, or are knocked off by a hit-and-run driver? So if someone pulls out in front of you, make sure you hit them, because if you avoid them and slide off, you aren't covered for medical expenses. The thing that really sucks is this: Car drivers are covered in single-vehicle accidents, motorcyclists aren't. Michigan motorcyclists -- why not write to your State Senator and protest MCCA? Everyone else -- if someone tells you how good no-fault is, think again.

Is what our neighbors in the Hoosier state will be celebrating this year. Indiana has allowed helmet choice since 1976! Guess what, they do not have higher insurance or fatality rates than we do. 3 decades and 6 presidents later and Michigan is still a commie state! There is some light at the end of this long communist tunnel however, this is an election year. If Dick DeVos is elected governor this year Michigan will be a helmet choice state next year. Til then keep the pressure on Granholm, hopefully soon communism will fall in Michigan.

being a 55 year old life long resident from the state of michigan i wish you hoosiers all the best. being a biker myself, i take my money out of michigan as often as i can. ohio, indiana, illinois, and, wisconsin, all realize responsable adults can make their own decisions. michigan is, and probably will be in the stone age. pass this helmet repeal, and, tourism will increase, $$$$ will come in to the state, more people will ride motorcycles, gasoline will be saved. so many benifits to passing this law. keep the fight.

Jennifer Granholm won the last election by @ 30,000 votes. That's a very close election. 30,000 is a small town population. There are over 200,000 motorcycles registered in Michigan. The nationwide average of motorcyclists who are also registered voters is 91%. If Granholm thinks this issue can't change the election, she'd better think again! If all of you Michigan motorcyclists think your vote doesn't matter, you'd better think again! This is a very hot topic. It is the 1st and 3rd most viewed bill! Since her popularity isn't very good right now and her opponent, Dick DeVos, is in favor of this issue, she pretty much has to sign this bill if she wants to get re-elected. If you want to make helmet choice in Michigan a reality the time to act is now! Here's how : Write her. Send a letter to; Governor Jennifer Granholm State Capitol P.O. Box 30013 Lansing, Mi. 48909 Or you can call her hotline number; 517.335.7858 The time to act is now ! ! !

Michigan's insurance rates will not go up if the helmet law is repealed, PERIOD! The Michigan Insurance Council has stated that IN WRITING! Not to mention that there is a clause in this bill that unhelmeted riders have to have at least $10,000 of personal protection insurance to legally ride helmet free. There it is! The insurance arguement is officially over! Anyone who STILL wants to argue this issue is talking out of their ass.

most responsable people would carry full coverage insurance. i do, and my coverage is $100,000/ $300,000, per accident. i also hve UNDERINSURED MOTORIST coverage, which , in the state of michigan is only available thru foremost. this is to cover you should you have a crash with someone with only pl/pd basic insurance. no extra charge . no state has had to raise rates do to helmet reform. but, it will happen, michigan will figure a way. it's all about getting in your wallet. remember when we used to be the land of the free ? kiss them days good buy !!!!

This bill passing is in the best intrest of EVERYONE biker or not. It is in the best intrest of non-riders because it will bring more revenue to the state through increased motorcycle sales and tourism. It is also in the best intrest of non-riders because it is in the best intrest of freedom. How often is a freedom taken away and then givin back. The repeal of prohibition is the only example I can think of. Anyways ALL bikers need to unite on this issue. Harley riders and sportbike riders alike. When I was a younger man I didn't care about the helmet law. I was into sportbikes and wore a full face helmet as most sportbike riders do. Now that I'm a little older, I now ride a cruiser and hate wearing my helmet. Had I of fought helmet choice then, maybe I wouldn't have to now. Maybe Michigan would have repealed the helmet law 30 years ago like all our neighboring states did. ABATE of Michigan is dedicated to fighting for the rights of ALL bikers, not just Harley riders. We are not the anti-helmet people, we are pro-choice. There have been several issues that ABATE, and ABATE alone, have fought for in Michigan. For example, there has been legislation introduced in the past to limit a motorcycles horsepower, and to eliminate sportbikes altogether! ABATE of Michigan was the only voice in Lansing to prevent this from happening. This why all bikers need to join ABATE of Michigan. You can do that by logging on to abateofmichigan.org The helmet-choice bill is our top priority now, but who knows what kind of anti-bike legislation will pop up in the future.

as a 55 year old biker i echo your view. i am also an ABATE member. have been for years. people that don't ride have the mindset that the helmet is the answer. if you were riding a bicycle it helps kids from having head injuries. not so much on a motorcycle. how often are you riding 14 mph or slower. that is maximum mph that the helmet is effective. even the manufacture says that no helmet will protect you. the powers that be in lansing have this warm fuzzy feeling knowing they are protecting you by making you wear a piece of plastic that actually hinders you at speeds in excess of 17 mph. the average open face helmet weight at 55 mph is multiplied to over 2oo lbs. did your congressman or senator ever tell you that ?

Is it really that hard to make up your minds that the Helmet Law for Michigan should be repealed with no attached if, thans or buts? The House has already repealed it once, why are you now tying up taxpayer dollars researching this thing further? Think about this for a minute...if you had a choice...to wear a helmet and have a head-on collision and break your neck (which that will happen, necks can not take that impact) and be para or quadriplegic OR not wear a helmet, get killed from the impact and not cost your family a dime, what would your choice be...oops "Your Choice" it's not "Your Choice" but I have a living will that will make it my choice to die so I don't cause undo hardship on my family. Oh, back to "Your Choice" why is it that in a FREE country like the USA, we can't ride down the road without a helmet but in a less then free country like in Europe, Middle-East, etc. they have that right? Because we don't live in a FREE country anymore ladies and gentlemen...we have scared people running our governments locally that think they are making the right decisions for us but think we don't have the brains to make our own choices. Whatever happened to OUR OWN CHOICES? Well the Gays are able to make their own choices...the criminals can make their own choices...Government can damn sure make their own choices...but what about us, the simple God fearing patriotic citizen of the United States of America...can we make our own choices? Not any more...why? Because it is easier to move a herd if the herd wants to be moved. We want to be governed...we don't want to be in charge anymore...we don't want to be held accountable anymore. There are people within the Michigan government that have tight armed this state to a point of bankruptcy. And they will be getting theirs right along with Mr. Abarmoff. They have miss-managed this state so bad that H. Ross Perot couldn't put it back together again. Alright, I’m ranting, by the way, did I say “Please repeal the Helmet Law?