By Dr. Donald L. Green, 24 January 2023
In the last week, I have driven around 1400 miles on a quick trip to my hometown for a wedding and a visit with family. Part of the trip was in the nastiest weather of the year, and the rest was in weather where it would have been a good day to ride if you love motorcycles. With these two different environments, some observations came to light.
- As a helmet user, sometimes I am surprised by riding or driving through areas where helmets are only used to a minimal extent or not at all. I have to admit when I first started riding powered two-wheelers, wearing a helmet was not necessarily a front-of-mind consideration. In the mid-seventies, having the wind blow through my hair was normal and the predominant way everyone rode. The one thing that changed my mind about helmets was watching Evel Knievel on his motorcycle succumb to the terrible crashes on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. Let’s face the fact he was not an average rider, yet he did advocate that he was a professional stuntman and that we shouldn’t try such things – and – as riders, we should protect ourselves with a helmet. He was ONE of my Heroes, and what he said was worth considering.
2) Two people who impacted my helmet wear were my mother and father. My Father already had a helmet for me before asking my mother if I could be picked up and ride with him. It was a shiny bright red one made by bell that seemed so small; it would have fit inside my father’s helmet. He not only wanted to protect me from any possible issue, he knew that my mother would not let me ride without one. Despite being only a CB450, that motorcycle was huge for the time and a daily rider for my dad. As I grew older and began riding myself, first a mini-bike and then an actual motorcycle, the model was there, and I began to wear a helmet more regularly, eventually all the time. My perspective has changed; now, it is a good habit that I rely upon to be a model for others.
3) I was eventually “required” to wear a helmet because of my affiliation with the military; it was an absolute requirement if I wanted to continue riding. So when I became a RiderCoach, it was already a natural act and habit to always “don” the gear before sitting “astride” the motorcycle regardless of where I was. Every time I go through the motions, demonstrating a path of travel or conducting a simulated practice demonstration, the sequence embeds and otherwise exhibits what every considerate rider should do every time they mount. To me, wearing a helmet during all THREE of those instances demonstrates the minimum standard. In addition, it helps to reiterate the action to every riding partner and student and the value of their lives to their entire family. When I roll back into my hometown and see the pervasive culture of no helmet wear, I wonder what the catalyst for maintaining habits from the seventies is. Fifty years ago, when motorcycle rider education was in its infancy, I began a journey to where I am today, and I wonder why so many others remain unchanged. Are there leaders in the culture who resist change under the umbrella of freedom, and how many still aspire to be leaders within our community?
I hope the ruminations inspire you to “put it out there” and seek more understanding. If it interests you, try Tribe Talk Happy Hour on Wednesdays, you never know where we will go with the discussions.
Have a great week!
– Don
