Helmet laws are a joke, just like seat belt laws. There is no reason anyone should be told how to protect themselves. Should I not sit by a window in McDonalds because of a likely chance of a car coming through? Laugh if you will, but recently happened in my small town.

I thought I had the freedom to live how I choose, not to be told. When did the land of the free become the land of parenting peers?

If a person wishes to seemingly protect themselves, that should be their option. The law should state that a person CAN wear a helmet, or CAN wear a seat belt if they choose.

Just talk to any ER doctor...they will agree that helmets should be law. My brother lost both our father and his best friend to a motorcycle accident. Coincidence? I don't think so. It's just common sense.

I THINK THIS IS SUCH A HORRIBLE THING! HERE IN ONTARIO IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 AND YOU ARE CAUGHT RIDING A BIKE WITHOUT A HELMET YOUR PARENTS RECEIVE A FINE! THIS SHOULD BE LAW FOR EVERYWHERE! IT IS ABSOLUTELY OBSERVED THAT A STATE SAYS KIDS DONT NEED TO WEAR A HELMET! COME ON YOU STUPID IDIOTS - WE ARE TALKING ABOUT BRAINS UNDER CONSTRUCTION! BRAINS THAT NEED PROTECTING SO THAT WHEN THEY GROW UP THEY CAN BE SOMEONE AND DO SOMETHING FOR YOUR STATE! THE ONLY THING PROTECTING THE BRAIN IS YOUR SKULL WHICH IS NO MATCH FOR CEMENT PAVEMENT WHEN ONE FALLS OR ANYTHING ELSE! GET A BRIAN OF YOUR OWN AND MAKE IT LAW FOR CHILDREN TO WEAR HELMETS! I FEEL EVEN ADULTS SHOULD BE MADE TO WEAR HELMETS BUT WE AT LEAST UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES THAT CAN COME FROM NOT WEARING ONE AND THERE FOR CAN MAKE OUR OWN MIND UP! CHANGE THE LAW!

I went on this website today and read all the comments.I must say that I'm very dissapointed that many people said ''no'' to wearing a helmet.So who ever said NO, THINK IT OVER.But whoever said YES, Your a GREAT person.(P.S, Whoever said no, YOUR STUPID.)HEE HEE HEE

I think Illinois's law should change because there are lots of children out there who think they're safe.Children every age SHOULD wear a helmet for many reasons.
.#1-Children should wear a helmet at ALL times.
.#2-Children over the age of 25 should wear a helmet or to be even better, all ages should wear a helmet.

PLEASE, FOR YOUR SAFETY WEAR A HELMET.TO MAKE ILLINOIS BETTER,not that I'm saying it's bad, butt for YOUR safety, PLEASE,Please, WEAR A HELMET.This message was writen by a 10yr old child.She thinks it's important.So please call judge jp and ask her to try to change the law, for Your safety.

As my mom said earlier, my brother died because he didn't have his helmet on. We have no laws that persuade bikers to wear their helmets. I don't want anyone else to go through what my family has gone through. My brother is never going to come home again. His daughter will grow up without a father to hold her hand through life. I will help in any way I can to change the laws for other families. Thank you for what you are doing!

I feel this law should be changed as I lost a friend of 10 years a little over 1 year ago he was only 19 years old when he was riding his bike wrecked and struck his head and passed away.We are trying to spread the awareness by posting stickers and his mother has a friend who operates an ice cream truck they give away free ice cream to children who are wearing there helmets so please please take this seriously as this was no motorcycle but just a regular peddle bike. In loving Memory of Aaron P. Williams 88-08

We totally support helmet laws. We live in Indiana and do not have any helmet law. Ohio does not have a helmet law either. On August 22, 2008, our son was killed riding his motorcycle a quarter mile from his home in Ohio. He had no internal injuries, no broken bones and only a small road rash spot, but he died because his brain shifted in his head when he hit the ground. He never re-gained consciousness. His wife and 2 year old were following him in the car. We will be happy to do anything to help support this worthy cause.

I agree that we should be allowed our civil liberties, however, when it comes to children under the age of 18, I also believe we have the responsibility to protect them. This is what a helmet law does.

I am both a bicyclist, and a motorcyclist. The state of Connecticut does not require adults to wear a motorcycle helmet. I choose to wear one, as I have seen enough accidents which ended tragically as a result a riding without one.

Because Connecticut has a bicycle helmet law for children, it is easier to ensure that my child will be wearing one at all times. At 12 years old, this child understands that this is required in order to be law abiding...

Come on Illinois, get with the program.

I agree the law of wearing a helmet should be passed all over the united states. It is for our own safety. A helmet would protect your head incase of an accident.

In 2000, my 12 year-old grandaughter crashed her bike. She was wearing her brother's helmet which was totalled in the wreck. She had severe head injuries. The ER physician stated that in his opinion, she would not have survived without the helmet.
A couple of days later, he brought her two new helmets...one for her and one to replace her brother's that she had destroyed.
If an adult wants to take a chance, that's one thing. We need laws to protect the kids, though.

I don't believe the government should impose it's ideas on the amican people, this is just another way of takeing freedom from the people you are SUPPOSED to working for and enforcing your own ideals on them, Such as telling privet citizens that they have to wear a seatbelt or where you can smoke. This IS WRONG and should not be forced on your empoyers and WE THE PEOPLE ARE YOUR EMPLOYER

Its my choise. we live in america not russia. no helmetlaw.

It is my head and it should be my choice whether to wear a helmet or not. Personally I believe there are to many blind spots when you wear one.I have been riding for 33 years and feel I have the right to make my own choice because I am an experienced rider.

If you never rode a motorcycle than mind your own dam business helmets cause a terrible blind spot puts pressure on your neck and shoulders especially on the highway and blocks sound to stop you from emergency vehicals or other dangers if you want to wear one go a head but im an adult and will make my own decisions.

Let's be fair about this. If you examine the number of Head Injuries and count of Motorcycles to the number and count of cars, SUV's and Pickup Trucks, you will find that drivers and passengers in car's, SUV's and Pickup Trucks would require helmets more than Motorcycle riders. It should be each individual Motorcycle riders choice whether to wear a helmet or not. It should not be the choice of people who do not enjoy the experience of riding a Motorcycle. This is just another case of the Government treating the people like children and forcing their opinions and beliefs on the people instead of letting the people decide for themselves.

I feel we are adults riding on motorcycles so we should make our own choice. Get real if a semi runs over you what is a helmet going to do? Lets put a helmet under the tire of a semi and see what happens. It is like seatbelts I feel it is a 50/50 chance. Let us decide for ourself.

Legislating personal safety is never a good idea. Let motorcyclists worry about their own well being. You worry about yours. The supreme court said as much back in the '60s when Illinois had it's first helmet law and forced it's repeal.

Also, Illinois is not one of the 4 states that does not have a helmet law as I have seen posted on many sites, it is one of 30 states that does not have a Mandatory Unlimited helmet law. 60% of the states do not have a helmet law for operators over 18. Check it out.

If you really think a helmet will help you if a semi runs over your skull (previous post) go ahead and give it a try and let us know how that worked out for you.

It's your right to wear a helmet or not. KEEP IT THAT WAY!!!!!

Katie, you are kind of arguing against yourself here...

Wearing a helmet while riding a bicycle should be a law and in many places in my state, it is. But the problem is the police don't enforce it whikch in my opinion makes the law worthless. As for the arguement that safety equipment should be optional to adults, insurance rates are based partly on the insurance companys having to pay out for injuries. If we can minimize injuries, the rates stay down. As for the children drowning because the seat belts could not be unlatched under water, how injured would those children be if they were not belted in when the car suddenly stopped when it hit the water? The fact is, they would have been very lucky to have survived that long.

this is a no brainer. of caorse it should be a law. in every state. just like wearing a seat belt. anything we can do to protect ourselves from injury or harm should be done. helmets come in all price ranges, and colors and styles. so it's another way to express yourself, and protect yourself at the same time. this could also keep insurance rates down. and in todays economy, every penny i can hold on to is important. keep up the good work judge pirro.

I am tired of everytime something bad happens we make a new law to try to cover it so it can't happen again. This is sappost to be a free country. Not a country controlled by law makers. We are adults and we all know the statistics out there. We know the chances we are takeing everytime we get in the car, or on the motercycle, or a bycicle. It should be our choice if we where helmets or seatbelts. I understand makeing children where belts or helmets. I also think that helps to teach them how to behave in the car, but, once you are an adult it should be your choice. On the other hand we had an incident last winter where a mother and her four children went into some water and she couldn't get two of the children out of there belts. She had to let them drown. Great save there those seat belts. All i am saying is you don't fool me with your statistics. You just don't report the times when it would have been better not to have the belts on. Life happens and sometimes its not pretty, but you can't control it. So stop trying to controll the people.

i disagree

I agree that anyone on a bycycle or a motorcycle should wear a helmet at all times. I lost my cousin in San Angelo Texas due to an accident that killed my cousin. People do not realize how much the helmet protect you.

i think everyone should wear a helmet.i had a cousin die when she was on the back of a motorcycle and crashed and a semi ran over her skull.wearing a helmet should be common sense to everyone and it will most definately cut the death rate down on motorcycle riders. donna

Helmets are for pansies.

If it is such an obvious necessity, why should it need to be law? On the other hand, if you believe (like I do), that I am better able to determine my apparel needs than some pompous TV judge, then it would be obvious that this would be an assinine law. This is America, last time I checked. Worry about yourself, leave me the hell alone.

I believe this law should be passed everywhere. I lost my best friend, he was hit by a car riding his bike. He was in fact wearing his helmet..he was in a coma for two days....It is imperative that this law get passed! Even in a helmet things can go wrong..

I believe that all operators of bycycle and especially morotcycles should be required to hear a helmet in all states.

I think everyone should wear a helmet. Cause i had a friend die from not wearin a helmet that got hit by a car. And i also think that they should wear helmets on motorcycles everywhere in the U.S. I ride a motorcycle and i personally wear a helmet in every state i ride.

I agree that the state of Illinois requires that all cyclists should wear helmets when riding a bicycle or a motorcycle. South Carolina just made that law effective this past year!