Is it a law that you must wear a helmet when driving a motorcycle?

Question

I saw a group of guys driving on the freeway today without helmets and a cop pretty much drove by them like nothing.

Is wearing helmets mandatory?

Answer 1

everyone got it wrong....  YES you must wear a helmet..

OHH.. I forgot....  you think www  means AMERICA.....

WRONG... WORLD WIDE........  so where are you???

Answer 2

you dont have to wear a helmet if you dont want to          if your confident in your skills then dont wear one if your afaid to fall stap one on lol

Answer 3

Are you talking about man-made laws or laws of physics and probability?  If it's man-made laws, only about 20 U.S. states require all riders to wear a helmet.  That means a REAL helmet that meets DOT or Snell or some other standard, not one of those P.O.S. "beanie" helmets that are good only for scalp sunburn protection and cannot possibly protect your brain in a crash.  (More on this later.)

If you're not smart enough to wear a real helmet, your odds of being in a crash are higher (something about the way you ride.)   And if it ain't your lucky day, your odds of being killed are about 3 times higher if you're unhelmeted or wearing a beanie helmet.  And your odds of a surviving your crash but having a serious brain injury that hampers your ability to earn a living or attract hot chicks is about three times higher.   So that old c**p about how you'd rather kick the bucket than survive and live as a drooling idiot?  It's B.S.  Go without a helmet and you triple your odds of both!   Not so smart, huh?

Beanie helmets are totally worthless because they don't have any hard, energy-absorbing foam inside, and it's the foam that actually does the job of protecting your brain, not the hard outer shell of the helmet.

Answer 4

It depends on what state you live in. Were I live in Oklahoma you don't have to wear a motorcycle helmet.

Answer 5

It varies from state to state.....

Answer 6

Depends on the state, some require a helmet and others only require anyone over 18 to wear one.

Answer 7

I live in Oregon and it IS ilegal but i went to Utah and nobody was whearing one so it varies from state to state .

Answer 8

Depends on what state your in and a lot of times a cop will exercise discretion.

Answer 9

You didn't tell us where you are, so its tough to know.  Many states do mandate a helmet, but some, like my home state of Florida, permit driving without one.  In Florida, there is an insurance requirement if you're not going to wear a lid.

So without knowing your state, the best I can say is maybe, maybe not.  Still a great idea, though.  All the gear, all the time, half the risk.

Answer 10

Some states are required.  Others are NOT required.

http://usff.com/hldl/frames/50state.html

Good luck...

Answer 11

This is the best up to date site I sourced for you that tells every state in the USA.  Check it out and then scan the mouse arrow over the states and you will know the law re motorcycle helmets for every state in the union.

Answer 12

In Texas you dont have to.  Isnt that funny?  Because if you are in a car with steel protecting you, you have to wear a seatbelt.

Answer 13

In TEXAS -have successfully completed a motorcycle safety course, or

are covered by a health insurance plan providing the person with at least $10,000 in medical benefits for injuries incurred as a result of an accident while operating or riding upon a motorcycle.

Motorcycle Safety Course. The Basic and Advanced Motorcycle Operator Training Courses meet the helmet exemption requirement. The Advanced Motorcycle Operator Training Course is recommended for experienced licensed motorcyclists....got this from my motorcycle safety course books.

Answer 14

Check your state's requirements -

http://www.amadirectlink.com/legisltn/la...

Answer 15

in most states it is. New Hampshire is one of the few that doesn't reqire it. (live free or die) If you live in a state where you need to wear a seatbealt then they probably reqire a helmet. Call your local police station or DMV and ask just to be sure.

Answer 16

depends on the state.  FL doesn't require a helmet, nor does NH.  MA does.

Answer 17

Depends on state, age, if license or permit, etc.

Answer 18

yes if you dont want to die or become mental