Helmet law for minors

[Baconzoo]

In Western New York we had yet another death where a minor wasn't wearing a helmet. So the news is claiming that it might become a law soon, similar to the bicycle helmet law. Any other states have a skiing helmet law?

I think this is a great idea. Seatbelts and helmets are key for anyone going over 20mph.

PS I tried to get Burton to use my idea for a helmet ad:
Be the coolest kid on the short bus. (image of pimped out kid on the short bus wearing a RED helmet. kid has tounge sticking out of the side of his mouth)

[MOHSHSIHd]

I think its a good idea...

when I was little I straightlined EVERYTHING....my dad forced me to wear a helmet....

[cj001f]

I think this is a great idea. Seatbelts and helmets are key for anyone going over 20mph.

Except ski helmets aren't designed to work over 20mph

[Lurch]

I think all kids should wear helmets but I don't like it the idea of it being a law.

[Baconzoo]

I think all kids should wear helmets but I don't like it the idea of it being a law.

We hve 80-100 bus loads of kids coming to our resort every Friday night. If it wasn't a law, they wouldn't wear them and the Parents are not there to govern them.

The news showed some skier with a big bandage on his forehead from being taken out by a boarder. He was bashing new boarders for having tunnel vision and being idiots. Although he was the one who wasn't wearing a helmet. Classic narrow minded reporting.

[DaveTV]

I think all kids should wear helmets but I don't like it the idea of it being a law.

I second that

[SkiingBear]

I think all kids should wear helmets but I don't like it the idea of it being a law.

I'm not necessarily sold on even this. This idea falls into my thought that we're pussifying America.

While I agree that helmets could save a life, I'm not sold that every life needs to be saved (ie natural selection). Call it cold if you want, but I believe that maybe teaching kids how to ski/snowboard might be a better idea than just strapping a helmet on their head and sending them out the door.

[cj001f]

The news showed some skier with a big bandage on his forehead from being taken out by a boarder. He was bashing new boarders for having tunnel vision and being idiots. Although he was the one who wasn't wearing a helmet. Classic narrow minded reporting.

WTF? He doesn't have a right to be pissed that some idiot ran into him? I should have to wear a helmet to protect myself from fuckwits who can't look before a heelside? Should I have to wear a Zorb to walk across the street?

Until there is strong data that helmets will save substantial numbers of lives (I've yet to see it) any law is just political grandstanding of the worst kind.

[freshie247]

More legislation is not what skiing needs.

[m1e448]

HV is madness on Fri and Sat nights. I never rocked a helmet there, but always watched my back. Hope you guys get some snow in Feb. BZ

Its also the law to put the bar down on the lift in NY. If you've already got seatbelts to speak, why not helmets I guess.

[Tippster]

How do you know it won't increase safety? I never wore a helmet until last year. I straightlined whenever possible as a kid - it's what they do. I do not know ANY kids that go slower than the maximum possible because they have no helmets on.

[Woodsy]

Except ski helmets aren't designed to work over 20mph

quit spreading this shit.
most impacts arent direct impacts, but glancing blows.
Mine worked at a much higher rate of speed and I weigh over 200 lbs.

that being said I am mixed about REQUIRING helmets.

[cj001f]

quit spreading this shit.
most impacts arent direct impacts, but glancing blows.
Mine worked at a much higher rate of speed and I weigh over 200 lbs.

that being said I am mixed about REQUIRING helmets.

Spreading that shit? I read and report what the AMA says, not pulling some dumbass ancedote out of my ass.

Because most severe and fatal head injuries occur as a result of a direct impact with a fixed object at speeds greater than 20 mph (a speed reached by most skiers), the currently proposed ASTM standard would provide minimal protection for such injuries.1 ,7

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/13646.html

Sure they can reduce serious head injuries; that isn't what these laws are intended to address, nor is the cost benefit particularly good.

[Baconzoo]

Worse, the majority of kids that I see with helmets on don't have them fitted properly. So, not only will you have kids feeling free to ski faster because they have a helmet, but that ill-fitting helmet could well do zero good in an actual impact.

Last nights X-games..... Every rider had an XL over his cap/goggles/and headphones. That looks so lame, I don't get it. Bulbassheads

[Woodsy]

wow, 1997?!?
not much has changed in the frequency of use or helmet technology since then.
I dont support legislation, nor do I support you wearing a helmet.

[SponsoredByDuctTape]

I'm not necessarily sold on even this. This idea falls into my thought that we're pussifying America.

While I agree that helmets could save a life, I'm not sold that every life needs to be saved (ie natural selection). Call it cold if you want, but I believe that maybe teaching kids how to ski/snowboard might be a better idea than just strapping a helmet on their head and sending them out the door.

Although I think the natural selection idea is a bit of a stretch, I agree with the pussifying of America.

This goes right along with the fact that there are no jungle gyms or merry-go-rounds on playgrounds anymore. Everyone is afraid of kids hurting themselves, or worse. Broken bones, scars, stitches, bloody noses - it's all part of growing up. You're a kid, you do something stupid, you get hurt, you don't do it again. You might argue that death is something completely different, and that you can't do something wrong again if you're dead, but what are the statistics of 8-year-olds dying where a helmet would (not might) have saved their life?

I think that helmets, wrist guards, and the like just lead you to think that you're more invincible. Look at pro football. The number of big, concussion inducing hits has steadily increased over the years. Why? I think it's because of too much padding. The pads become too good, the helmets too safe, and what you end up with is lower risk of injury, but much more serious injury when it does happen. If you made those guys play with old school pads and leather helmets, they wouldn't be able to hit like that. They'd be afraid of getting hurt. Fear is a much better deterrent to injury than a helmet.

[Kya]

I make my daughter wear a helmet because I'm her dad and its my responsibility, its scary enough watching her ski fast, and really scary watching all the gapers fly around barely in control.

A law is stupid! Come on dudes, we got to vote these idiots out of office

[cj001f]

wow, 1997?!?
not much has changed in the frequency of use or helmet technology since then.

Not much has changed in Helmet technology since then Woodsy - except the proposed ASTM standards are now a standard. Oh, and helmets now have more holes for better ventilation, so they offer less protection.

[smmokan]

How can they enforce the bike helmet rule (for kids under 16?) but not a skiing helmet rule? Hell, more than 50% of skiers on the slope today already have them anyways.

[jackstraw]

Last nights X-games..... Every rider had an XL over his cap/goggles/and headphones. That looks so lame, I don't get it. Bulbassheads

ya, and the chin strap had a two inch gap...wtf good does that do?

i grew up on dirt bikes and always had a lid on so it was a natural to wear one making turns. my kids have never skied w/out one.

a law...i don't know...too many laws as it is. it would be nice to see more pro's wearing helmets as an example. sage and micah are the two that my kids look up to and they both sport the helmets which is cool.

[phatfreeheeler]

Last nights X-games..... Every rider had an XL over his cap/goggles/and headphones. That looks so lame, I don't get it. Bulbassheads

My wife and I made the same comments last night. White was the only one that wore goggles over his helmet. Course he still had that stupid bandana

I'm not into legislation - Just kill the fucking lawyers and we'd be fine I agree with Bear, natural selection must be allowed to work. I find even seatbelt laws stupid. I don't even have a box around me when I ride my motorcycle, but it's legal. Sometimes I've even riden without a helmet. It's my life if I want to ruin it.

Just make it so the state doesn't pay medical costs if proven effective and easily taken precautions were avoided.

Jamie wasn't wearing a helmet when he chose to fall off that 245 ft cliff and landed head first. His life, his choice. If my kid dies because I didn't make them wear a helmet, I'm the one that will be living with that decision.

Stepping off the soapbox now...

Of course, if you make the law, I'll build the helmets

[Free Range Lobster]

"ZOMG IT DOSEN'T SAVE YOUR LIFE OVER 20MPH"

Yeah? So?

Kid gets clipped and bounces his melon off boilerplate, even under 20mph there's a good chance he could receive a severe concussion from that, tell me how a helmet is not a good idea again?

Children under 16 are required by law to wear a helmet on bicycles in MA, nobody whined like you group of fucking twats seem to be doing over the same thing only for skiing.

[Free Range Lobster]

Helmet use has skyrocketed, and head injuries have gone up.

Mostly because people are doing more stupid things because they're wearing a helmet.

Murphy's law of safety.

[Tippster]

Kya: the law is for those too idiotic to follow common sense.

Likwid: that was CT's original point. I'm still not sure I buy it, but the anecdotal evidence seems strong.

[skiguide]

Although I think the natural selection idea is a bit of a stretch, I agree with the pussifying of America.

This goes right along with the fact that there are no jungle gyms or merry-go-rounds on playgrounds anymore. Everyone is afraid of kids hurting themselves, or worse. Broken bones, scars, stitches, bloody noses - it's all part of growing up.

that's not why there are less jungle gyms & merrygorounds - it's because the cities/schools are so damn afraid of getting sued by parents of kids who DO get hurt. (hence, the idea of pussified parents who just can't accept that it is a part of being a kid)