Bingo. Too many people think risk is defined by the probability of outcome. It's also the consequences of outcome.
Two reasons why farangs might not wear helmets. They believe it makes their tool look smaller than it actually is. Other reason is they believe the never-cleaned state of rental helmets is a more serious hazard to their health than not wearing one.
Homer wrote:Other reason is they believe the never-cleaned state of rental helmets is a more serious hazard to their health than not wearing one.
Absolutely no excuse. A new helmet costs peanuts compared with what they've paid to get here. Probably a lot less than a night out in Hua Hin, and an awful lot less than the hospital bill they are likely to encounter. Absolutely no point thinking the insurance will pay, because unless they're stupid, they won't.
As python said, there people leave their brains in a bucket at the airport.
I don't wish them any harm, but I've little sympathy either.
Homer wrote:Other reason is they believe the never-cleaned state of rental helmets is a more serious hazard to their health than not wearing one.
Absolutely no excuse. A new helmet costs peanuts compared with what they've paid to get here. Probably a lot less than a night out in Hua Hin, and an awful lot less than the hospital bill they are likely to encounter. Absolutely no point thinking the insurance will pay, because unless they're stupid, they won't.
As python said, there people leave their brains in a bucket at the airport.
I don't wish them any harm, but I've little sympathy either.
If the cleanliness of the helmet is of concern buy a headsock! Perhaps a trip to the mortuary to view a few autopsies on a motorcycle fatals may be persuasive. Don't think it would be good for the tourist industry though.
'Diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to hell in such a way they ask for directions'. -Winston Churchill-
If not just the fact that it could save your life, I would have thought the sheer number of police road blocks in Hua Hin would have been financial incentive to wear one!
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
A lot of the 'helmets' here are just like the toys I bought for my kids. There are no standards. I got a free helmet with a scooter I bought, but I wouldn't feel good letting my dog wear it much less me. ( I brought one from US)
"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day." -Frank Sinatra
buksida wrote:If not just the fact that it could save your life, I would have thought the sheer number of police road blocks in Hua Hin would have been financial incentive to wear one!
Not being cynical, but I have friends who come here every year, and see it as part of the fun of their holiday avoiding police stops - the fines are so petty, they aren't going to stop anybody.
Very few come here from North America and the % of Americans is even less. This is Scandi, Europa, and UK country.
They ride without helmets while in Thailand because they can do so AND get away with it as there is little enforcement or fines if they do encounter the police.
I did say it's a thought, not a fact. According to stats there are 25,000 Americans living in BKK, one third of the number of Europeans.
I may be wrong but I'm not an idiot. You have a very sharp tongue. Must be a sign of your superiority!!
In the end it is up to the individual. Hua Hin has extremely poor law enforcement. , far worse than BKK, Pattaya or anywhere else I have been in thailand.
The question could as well have been- why dont people comply with the law
"Live everyday as if it were your last because someday you're going to be right." Muhammad Ali
I being an American and always wear a high quality helmet when I ride my motorcycles... Be it USA or Thailand... I even use full riding gear, jacket, pants, boots, gloves... it is all I will have between me and whatever havens... yes when not moving it is hot on a hot day, don't really mind it though, we do have summer mesh gear... Just works for us!!! I like my brain the way it is... I had a very good friend of mine take his small bike down his driveway to checkout a minor repair he just completed, went to turn around, hit gravel, dumped the bike, hit his head on the driveway and died right there.. 5MPH at the most... Sad fact you head weighs a lot when subjected to G-force, your neck muscles can not hold it up off the ground, you will hit you head... Question is do you have a good helmet fastened on and protecting your "melon"???? Too late when the shit hits the fan to do anything about it then... Ok off my soapbox....
My son had a Thai helmet = quality unknown. He had a small accident, and banged his head - thankfully the helmet took the punishment. I made him buy a new helmet the next day.
I dropped a bike on gravel going about 40MPH. The helmet saved my head. Wish I would have had other gear on but I came out pretty well considering. I can still remember what the helmet looked like afterwards and seeing what my head would have gone through. I should have kept it to show people why they should wear one.
"Religion is What Keeps the Poor from Murdering the Rich" -- Napoleon Bonaparte
The basic answer to the question raised is because they have a choice. You could also ask why cyclists don't wear helmets or drivers not wear seatbelts. I do find it amusing when you see any motorcyclist riding along wearing a helmet, shorts and little else. As has been said law enforcement here is lax and fines, for foreigners on foreign wages, cheap. How many people wear a seatbelt because their car beeps at them if they don't? If you rode without a helmet in most Western countries how far would you get before you were stopped and would you be able to proceed without a helmet? Perhaps another answer to the question would be "When in Rome do as the Romans do" and follow the example set by most law enforcement officers and the general public. Ignorance is bliss. I wear a helmet most of the time being fully aware of the risk if I do not. Many like it here because we do not have the nanny state looking over our shoulder and can make our own decisions be they rational, sensible, inconsiderate, ignorant or otherwise.
