Why I hate helmets
Published by Yazad Jal July 18th, 2004 in LibertarianWhatever you might say about Delhi, it has glorious roads to drive on. I met up with Sruthijith this morning and we went riding on his new Pulsar from Hauz Khas in South Delhi to Gulmohar Park and then Shahajehan Road.
The only hitch was the infernal “helmet rule.” You’ve got to wear a helmet if you’re male and on a bike in Delhi. Yes, I know it’s “for my own safety” but I am an adult. And part of being an adult is the decision making power that I vest in myself whether or not I want to take a risk to my life in exchange for the pleasure of the wind in my hair. Nobody except me has the right to make this decision except me.
Everything has a price ;-) SK insists that I reccomend that he’s a rides a mean bike and females who want to ride pillion with him are always welcome
Update (August 12): The “no helmets for women rule” has more to do with Sikhism than women. According to them, the only headgear Sikhs are allowed to wear is the turban. This holds true for women as well. As they do not wear turbans, they can only put a piece of cloth over their heads. No helmets / caps etc. The issue did flare up in places like Canada where Sikh mounties fought for the right to wear turbans. In India, Sikh men have had it easier as there has been very little debate whether they should wear helmets. It’s a given that they would not.
Now, for Sikh women, it’s diferent. They had to fight to ensure this religious “right.” As an unintended consequence, “no helmets for Sikh women” was expanded to “no helmets for all women” as you can’t really make out if a woman on a bike is a Sikh or not. (which you can for the men!)
reccomend ??
Yaz u can stick your head out of a car.
” but I am an adult…”
This argument doesn’t hold. By injuring yourself you can impose costs on the public health system and thereby on the rest of the society. Same applies to seat belt laws, laws against tobbaco and can even be used to justify action against the purveyors of “unhealthy foods” like McDonalds. Thats the evil thing about collectivization. Once you allow a little of it, you can justifiably take a lot of activity out of the private domain.
Firstly, why use the “read more” option when you have only one more line to add?
Secondly, what does this - “I reccomend that he’s a rides a mean bike” mean?
Ashwin, my main point is “who the hell are you (or anyone else) to tell me whether I should wear a helmet or stick my head out of a car?” a.k.a. “saying mind your own business” — policy makers have this “i know what’s good for you” attitude and unfortunately it is way too common.
Bhavin, my point exactly. We’re sliding down a dangerous slippery slope. Read this op-ed by Ed Hudgins of the Objectivist Center.
Gaurav, that was a joke and a plug for Sruthijit. Not connected to the main post so I put it in the read more section.
yazad, i think gaurav meant to point out the spelling and grammatical mistakes in “I reccomend that he’s a rides a mean bike” rather than ask you what it ‘meant’. now i really appreciate your advice to us about keeping our blogs error-free…
:O :O Women don’t have to wear helmets?????
So what do you say about suicide ?
AW main point is about wearing helmet, rt ??
Actually you are contradicting your own point a.k.a. “mind your own business”.
By not wearing helmet you will be minding with the business of police to doctor to mortuary [may you never have to go through all this just beacuse of not wearing helmet]
All the best.
I believe that my life is mine alone. And my body is my property. It’s a terrible thing to commit suicide, but the choice lies within each of us. I do not think it should be a crime. (After all who is the “victim” in a suicide case? and the “criminal”? — seems to be the same to me)
You are assuming that simply not wearing a helmet equates to death. A rather large jump I must say so!
Clearly the perpetrator of a suicide ought to pay damages to the victim.
What, the helmet law does not apply to women?
helmet that we use in india are designed for the safety and comfort standards of europeans and americans where the average temp is less than 20 deg cel.
In indian conditions where temperature in most part of the country is always above 35 deg c, it is really uncomfortable to wear helmets.
no wonder most of the people do not prefer to wear it.
so the bottom line is we need these helmets to suit indian heads in indian conditions
You know…you’re an idiot. This is the stupidest arguemnt I’ve ever seen online. Why not just wear the helmet and protect yourself? Did you not wear one before, and that’s why you fail to see the simply sense of this matter? Idiot.
First of all making helmet in cities is ofcourse worst idea. Matter of Common sense that rider must have choice whether wear or not to wear. Cities are becoming hotter and hotter and it is ofcourse very uncomfortable and unncesessarty to carrey helmet whenever u go outside.
In city helmet is really unnecessary where in most areas u drive less that 30 or 35.
Helmet are not for daily use but only on highways and race treks.
The rule directly attacks on personal freedom. You can not enjoy evening ride in free air even there is nothing to fear about. The rule says you can never go without helmet. very bad. I think these people are always ride in cars. they do not understand difficulties of two wheeler riders. If somebody some day die due to head injury it does not mean that u strictly put helmet on thousands of riders.
Also pillion can not have two wheeler at all how he could have helmet ?? Think is some worker on building falls down and die, will govt make helmet mandatory to all workers.
Your head are unsafe on road because u are two wheeler rider?? there are cyclist and walker also . u hit your bike with cyclist and he dies. Now what?? All cyclist of country must wear helmet and they cant go outside without helmet ?????
I think our country isn’t a republic nation yet. If you have wealth & power you can do whatever you want. Law is for the weaker not for people like me.
the contention here seems to be, against the concept of going against free-will, AND at the same time, the uncomforts of putting on most of the lids that are being manufactured these days.
While there is some truth to the Police’s arguement that a fatal accident can take place right outside your house, on your local colony road or whatever, i say.. why the hell put a monetary challan for it?!
i mean.. i partially agree with Yazad here, that at the end of the day its his own life that he puts on the line. And i dont think NOT wearing a helmet makes you any more a menace to the part of society on the roads.
To the policy makers i say, Not wearing a helmet is not what kills. Not wearing a helmet and then driving like youre godsent, kills! And i say, if somebody decides not to wear a helmet [for the want of Wind-in-hair-experience, or for comfort reasons or whatever] and then they drive in an uncautious way that gets them killed.. well.. i say, thats probably for the better. Eventually that idiot-on-death-row will meet the wall someplace. So well.. i couldnt care less if it were next week or next month. He IS better off, not on the roads.
And well for the scenario when someone else with a heavier set of metal on wheels decides to make you a part of the tarmac, you COULD do better for your survival chances by putting a helmet on, but then again thats a personal decision. Its one’s own judgement. He/she is the only person that gets the raw end of the deal, for his/her decision.
So well, if i choose not to do anything about missing socket plugs for most electrical appliances at my home, and instead suck up to my laziness and rather choose to deal wit naked live wires all the time during the day, i AM at some level choosing to play the risk of being involuntarily baked! THERE!! another place where i can do better, but i still choose to risk it. I probably stand to loose my life over it at any given point. But then, you’re not planning to roll a bill in parliament to put a law pushing challans for it, right?!
so why a challan for not wearing a helmet?!
Let it be a matter of personal educated decision making powers.
And if you dont trust the average ‘Ramesh’ out there to make the right decision for something as lame as the safety of his own life, then i say.. well let him go on the roads and get himself killed. Afterall, you were ignorant enough to grant him a driving licence at some point of time, yourself. so quit trying to act smart now.
I think the contention issue here, is to make better helmets! Helmets with denser though lighter material that is ‘porous’ at the same time. Im sure technology today can come up with lids that keep your hair dry and your head cool.
Nobody seems to be working on technologies that enhance airflow in and out of a helmet. nobody seems to be working on ideas like incorporating handsfree mobiles kits inside helmets. nobodys wants to make helmets that tackle glare, helmets that take care of glass-fog up in winters/rains, helmets that are small light and dont spoil your personal ‘decor’, helmets with photochromatic glass lids that turn dark in the sun and clear through at night.
the government doesnt want to promote R&D into an area with directly affects the personal safety of a million bike riders on the roads.. while MNCs fall over each other, coming up with washing machines that soak, clean, dry, iron and fkkin even put clothes on your damn self!
the government is too busy passing more laws to put out challans on more and more stuff you can do on the roads, and make sure its cash inventory stays in the green band.
Sad state of Affairs.
I hate helmets. THey are so stupid i mean if i wanted to save my life, i would wear it. but im not dumb enough to stay in the way of a car. if i see a car coming at me i would jump out of the freaking way i mean if its a car gooing 45 you can HEAR it before it comes near you, and if you cant the go buy a helment and some mirrors for your bike.