"Without taking huge risks"? Look at the data, all of it. 18-30 year old sport bike riders are drastically more likely to be in a wreck as well as die than an old fart on a cruiser. They are also more likely to be wearing a helmet. Should we just require it for young sport bike riders? the 18-25 age group is more likely to die in an auto accident than an old fart on a cruiser. What about that? Your argument it weak and based on opinion not data. Your opinion is rooted in fear and a willingness for force your beliefs on others.

You are still missing the point. But people like you seldom get it. Golf Foxtrot Uniform. Get it?

Your calculations are flawed. When discussing crash data relevant to helmets you don’t compare accidents to the entire pool of riders, you look at the accident values. Looking at the total pool of riders as you did only proves that the majority of us didn’t crash that year. 104,000 accidents, 4,810 fatalities is a 4.6% fatality rate, not bad, but still sad to see that loss of life. “4,810 deaths of which 752 could have been prevented by wearing a DOT approved helmet” That by itself is 15.6% of all fatalities! Now factor the prevented deaths buy wearing a helmet 1,658. Add that to the total fatality amount (because they would have been dead). 6,468 dead or would have been dead. So let’s say the 752 were wearing helmets, add that to 1,658 = 2,410. So out of 6,468 accidents were there was a potential fatality 2,410 would survive because they were wearing a helmet. That is 37%! With all that said, that year there was 752 funerals that were completely unnecessary and pointless. There are 752 mourning families that should still have their loved ones with them. Even suggesting that it is more dangerous to wear a helmet is the reason we need to have laws forcing you to wear one. You have the freedom to buy any bike you like, the freedom to ride it wherever you want. Gear however is not about freedom it is about reasonable requirements so you can get to the places you choose on the bike you want without taking huge risks to your life. You can try comparing this issue with others if you like. They play no bearing on my perspective. I look at each issue as its own entity with its own set of variables.