Back in the early '80's I read that running 90 MPH vs. 80 MPH was 4 times more dangerous... according to the APBA. "HIGH LIFE"

As far as shootouts, I don't know of any where a helmet is optional. Every one that I've heard of, its required equipment.

I keep 2 helmets on the boat at all times just in case of rain but sometimes I wear mine if we running to the Ohio islands just so when we get there I don't feel wind burn or face goo. I don't have to worry about helmet hair..... I get more challenged every year.

I'm with you there, but it easier when you get out of the water after a swim

I had a pigeon hit me one time in my Schiada going around 100. Right in the shoulder. It hurt like hell for a couple days and I was wearing a Lifeline and a helmet. I thought it had broken my shoulder but it was just badly bruised. So was the pigeon. At least the parts that could be located.

Had it hit me in the face without a helmet I doubt I'd be here typing this. And a pigeon isn't that large compared to most sea birds.

That's a good point Rex. Flying debris can be dangerous, and even something as small as rain can hurt like hell. Additionally, I can't stand what my hair feels like after running 70mph for a while let alone 90-100+mph.

That said, IMO safety equip isn't all that its cracked up to be. Don't get me wrong, I think it is a good thing, but I think it definitely provides a false sense of security. I had a MI highway patrol officer tell me that the most disgusting thing that he's ever seen was a 120mph motor cycle wreck where a guy was wearing race leathers with inserts in them. He said that the dood flew off of the bike, landed, and slid on the ground for about 100yards. The underside of the suit got so hot that it melted to his skin. The guy literally baked himself and melted himself to death and he died of burns, not impact. Sounded gross to me.

That same cop also told me that in his opinion helmets cause nearly as many problems as they help. He thinks there's some worth to a helmet up to about 65-70mph, after that you're dead anyhow, and even at slower speeds the helmet can be a problem. He's seen instances where the friction between the road and the helmet caused a broken neck where the head trauma otherwise wouldn't have seemingly been that great had a helmet not been worn.

I do believe there are good and bad points to helmets. The bad, in boating anyway, are weight and bucketing possibilities. Many racers are now starting to use helmet restraints. Given a choice I will choose a helmet only based on things I've seen happen in racing. Many of these things can easily happen at poker run speed as well.

Earlier in this thread, is was mentioned that, most injuries in boats are not head relatede. In the accident with Steven Posner, head injury was listed as the cause of death I recall. Just a thought.

If it's cold out, rainy or sometimes just because, but only in my little boat. Helmet or not, I always wear the lifeline.

No offense to you, but I think that cop is full of crap. No way someone is injured more by wearing a helmet sliding along the asphalt vs a bare head. Roads are like cheese graters on human flesh. I also don't believe his "died of burns" theory. The MotoGP guys wreck all the time and slide huge distances and many times get right up on their feet. No way in Hell they'd do that if they didn't have a helmet and full leathers.

With that said, a helmet and leathers won't help you if you hit something (like a guard railing or telephone pole) at speed. But, there is no doubt wearing full gear on your bike will reduce your risk and magnitude of injury.

I can't believe a Hi-Po was so stupid to say something like that.