OK, enough about paying for people who refuse to take reasonable actions to protect themselves. Let's move on to the other subject that these "motorcycle rights" threads bring to my mind. I've gone to a great deal of effort in the past to research the Bill of Rights and the Constitution to find the claimed "rights", and I've got to admit I can't find them anywhere. However, I am fully aware that driving or riding a motor vehicle on public roads is in fact a "PRIVILEGE" that we can enjoy as long as we meet certain requirements, such as operator licensing, vehicle registration including meeting insurance requirements, and adherence to all rules and laws of the land pertaining to using that vehicle on public roadways. So maybe some of these folks yelling about their "rights" can point me in the right direction to get a definitive and official explanation of these "rights" of which they speak. If I were to believe everything I read some motorcyclists seem to think they have the right to run illegal equipment, make enough noise to raise the dead in the name of "safety", and not have to adhere to valid laws and rules just because they don't agree with them. Yup, sure would be nice if we could all just do whatever the hell we want whenever the hell we wanted to do it, as long as the other guy couldn't do the same thing and irritate the crap out of us. Funny thing about all this "freedom" and "rights" is that in the real world often one man's so-called right conflicts with another man's right. Thus the need for rules, hopefully determined fairly by the majority. The opposite approach is called anarchy, and it's not a very good way to live.
Anyhow, for all those who seem to think that they should be able to do whatever they please and to hell with everyone else, good luck. I hope a bunch of tree huggers move in next door and build a wind farm outside your bedroom window. After all, they have "rights" too.

Jerry
Oh, btw, as for the suggestion that if a biker has to wear a helmet then a car driver should have to also wear a helmet, I'll agree with you just as soon as you install on your bike all those safety features that come on modern cars and trucks. For starters you will need to add seat belts, airbags, a roll cage (yes cars and trucks have them built into the structure to meet rollover standards), stability and traction control, ABS, crush zones, etc.. Suddenly a requirement for just a helmet doesn't look quite so bad, does it?