I understand your anger Jeff. We can't live other people's lives.

Rick,

Please reconsider... that's like saying a bicycle rider should NEVER wear a helmet... as they rarely go over 30 mph.

Or that the car that hits you can only go 30 mph... no speeding allowed.

Or that you going 30 and the car going 30 is not a 60 mph collision speed.

A 30 mph blow to the head (curb, bumper, light pole) is pretty much lights out.

...and the first injuries are usually to the jaw, with people actually having them torn off.

Full face would be good.

STOP DOING THAT.

PLEASE.

Sorry Jeff about your loss. What happened? was he run off the road by another driver??

My condolences Jeff, it really sucks to lose a bro.

If I may...was the lack of a helmet complicit in his death? Here in jersey 'tis the law of the land to wear one which I would do any way. Across the river in pennsy it isn't the case and yes, oddly enough it appears to be the croozers that don't wear a lid.

Actually, riding a bicycle looks far more dangerous with or without a helmet to me. The one turn I have to make into traffic would be impossible on a bicycle. On a motorcycle I can accelerate fast enough to get out of the way of any car I can see. I don't go through those traffic light intersections by my house. I just consider them my boundaries for no-helmet riding. Yes, I know how easily it can all go to hell on a bike. I just don't consider the 3 min. each way I ride to be that dangerous. If traffic conditions on that route change, I might think differently.

Perfect.

My condolences to his family.

May he rest in peace. At least until I catch up with him...

+1

I wear the seatbelt every time. Yet I still know people that just won't put it on. Can't explain it.

I'm sorry for your lose.

Jeff, sorry you lost your bud this way... spend some time reliving some fond memories... thinking on the good times could help a bit.

Kudos to you for speaking up about the helmet thing... I wish everyone who rides would strap on a full face every time.

Yes, Hawktel, there are those who won't wear seatbelts... one of their "excuses" goes something like, "what if I get in a wreck where I can't get to the latch and get trapped in the car and it catches on fire... or what if I go into a lake or river and can't get the belt undone in time to keep from drowning?"

The answer to that is that seatbelts only hurt your chances of surviving a bad wreck in one out of 10,000 times.

So we can all ask our non-seatbelt-wearing friends if they would play Russian Roulette with a pistol that has 10,000 chambers and only one is empty.

Sorry to hear this Jeff - at least he was doing something he loved.

Good Luck.

Sorry, Jeff. Was he coming from Milwaukee?

It's a total shame and shows you that bad stuff can happen to even the most capable rider.

Sorry to hear another brother going down.

no kidding, you ever see what happens to a foot and lower leg in a motorcycle wreck? I hope you never do. Down side of the helmet law is it sort of dried up the ranks of the organ donors.

Sorry for your loss Mr Higgins, but do not yield to anger, it is a selfish emotion in this case. Dwell on time spent riding with him, not the inability to do so again

I always ride my bicycle with a helmet, if I don't crash occasionally, I am going too slow. Good friend of mine in the Navy died in a parking lot going 5 mph riding his Honda without a helmet, well did not die there, they unplugged him a few days later.

He was getting out in two days. Makes me cry thinking about speaking to his parents after

Sorry bout your friend. I saw a guy on a Road King get nailed yesterday.

Thankfully NY has a helmet law. I rarely ride with anything more than converse and T-shirt and shorts which I know is stupid, but I stopped riding with anything less than a full face helmet years ago.

I just done get it. Look at Indian larry, amazing rider, doing stunts with no helmet and now he is dead

I have yet to see a turn like that. There is always a way across an intersection on a bicycle...just might not be the way you want to do it.

I never get on a bicycle without helmet and gloves.

I never get on a motorcycle without full gear.

My son sees what I do, and not what I say. He never gets on his bicycle without a helmet. And he points out all the people on motorcycles that don't have full gear and says they're being stupid.

Yet another reason to wear gear...

Wow does this post make me want to NOT buy a motorcycle.

yes, yes I have ;)

And in my case I was wearing freaking motorcycle boots...

I live in a college town, and see waaaay more sportbike riders without any gear on.

Once again Jeff, sorry for your loss.

Jeff, I'm in Minneapolis, about 2 hours from where the accident took place if they need any help with arrangements, rides to the airport, or anything.

Earlier this summer I saw a car/motorcycle accident take place in the intersection just ahead of me as I was stopped for a red light. My sons were in the car with me and saw the whole thing too.

I was stopped for a red light. The cycle was to my right, trying to turn left in front of me to go the opposite direction of me. He had a left turn arrow, but I think the light changed on him before he entered the intersection. He did enter the intersection for his left turn as traffic from my direction started to move forward. The woman to my left (the middle lane) ended up clipping him hard on the rear tire as he almost got through the intersection. She flipped the bike completely, sending him flying.

The bike was ruined and I thought he was a goner, but he was dressed in full leathers, heavy coat and big boots with a good helmet on. I saw him land, tuck in his shoulder and roll onto his back. As soon as he stopped skidding he jumped up and charged the car and was yelling at the soccer mom at the top of his lungs. I do think he was the one who ran the red light, but I was too concerned about watching the accident unfold that I wasn't paying that much attention to the color of the lights. We turned around and went back to see if we could help. A cop was already there and the cycle driver was still standing and appeared to be arguing as forcefully to the cop as he was to the driver, so i took it that he wasn't hurtm more than bumps and bruises.

If he had not been wearing a helmet his head would have hit the pavement for sure and he probably would be dead. The speed differential was easilly 30 MPH between the two cars. If he hadn't been wearing full riding gear he would have lost serious skin, if not a limb. As it was, he walked away (literally) with no broken skin and only bruises. The bike was really bent up. It was eye opening for both the boys and me.