NC and helmets

[coach]

I saw on the news last night some comments about North Carolina changing the requirement for Federally regulated helmet laws........Do I need to wear a DOT helmet when crossing over into NC? I've been able to get by with a light weight. Any NC folks here experience problems with the old beanies?

 

[barhopper]

Buy the DOT stickers. No worries then.

 

[woodbutcher]

seems like the DOT stickers have to be under the clearcoat. ???

 

[barhopper]

Probably, but at least from far away, it looks good and you wont get pulled over. My legal helmet has the DOT painted on it, no sticker.

 

[Oscar Maldonado]

seems like the DOT stickers have to be under the clearcoat. ???

Not all are like that. I have 7 buckets and they all have stickers. Stickers or painted on really doesn't matter to the cop issuing the ticket, inside your bucket it has a label with the MFG date and some other BS, if they want to snap it off in your ass real good that's what they are going to look for. If there is no label then it's not DOT that's what a state trooper told me.

 

[tommyboy]

The dot sticker means nothing the troopers around here are pulling you asking to see your helment if it doesnt have enough padding (whatever that means)you get a ticket.In other words no more novilty helments in NC or at least around where i live.

 

[barhopper]

The dot sticker means nothing the troopers around here are pulling you asking to see your helment if it doesnt have enough padding (whatever that means)you get a ticket.In other words no more novilty helments in NC or at least around where i live.

Can they pull you over just for that? I can't believe they can. Our law enforcement, or should I say lawmakers, are out of control. Lawmakers make these laws just because they need something to do, make it look like they made this important desicion for all of us. Bullshit. To few are making desicions for to many.

 

[barhopper]

By the way, did I mention I hate lawmakers? Overpaid public assholes. Rant over.

 

[Oscar Maldonado]

Can they pull you over just for that?

The said part is that actually can. They do what they want when they want.

 

[barhopper]

At some point, we must all stand up and say Government is way to damn big and make a change. They are all overpaid, retire with the same pay till they die, and get benefits. Ever seen a poor retired government worker, policeman, fireman, city employee, judge,counselman, mayor, governor? There aren't any. Government is crooked as many of the big unions out there. I can go on forever here, but I must stop. This is a bike site. Well, till at least Gov. figures a way to tax everyone that visits these sites and I start to get charged for visiting sites.

 

[chili08k9]

what they look for

Hey guys, I have a friend on the force here in NC, he told us that the old law just said that you had to wear a motorcycle helmet. Which meant that people could wear it on your arm or belt (and they did) and be legal.. Now the law reads that it has to be a DOT helmet and it has to be worn on the head and must be fastened under the chin. He said that they will be looking for any helmet not fastened under the chin but the BIG DRAWING ATTENTION ITEM IS THAT IT HAS TWO STRAPS ON EACH SIDE OF THE HELMET. Then they look for the DOT and if they pull you they will ask to see the sewed in label inside and more than 1/2 inch of liner..:down: :argue: (just what he told us one eve) :flag: :flag: :flag:

 

[pisssed]

Printed on News site.....
The helmet laws for motorcycle riders will change in North Carolina on January 1. The purpose of the new law is to clarify what types of helmets riders can wear. The law also makes clear that riders must use a strap to secure the helmet.

There is a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 218 that motorcycle helmets must meet to be within the law. That standard requires helmets to have a firm inner liner of polystyrene foam that is about one-inch thick.


Riders can look for the "DOT" symbol on helmets, which the state says all compliant motorcycle helmets carry.

WOW WHAT A LOAD OF HORSE SHIT!!!! READ MORE??
THE MORE LAWS PASSED THE LESS RIGHTS WE HAVE!!!!!!!

 

[kirk927]

Helmet laws in NC do suck for riding around the rally areas, but NC car drivers are idiots and helmets do save lives.:iagree: A buddy of mine wrecked in front of me a few years ago and if he wasn't wearing a true DOT helmet, he would have died that day. Cracked the helmet, but not his gourd. A new law that just passed for NC is that you can run a red light after sitting for 10 min and ensuring that no traffic is coming. You can then proceed through the intersection and not be ticketed. COOL!!!!!!:2thumbs:

 

[barhopper]

Helmet laws in NC do suck for riding around the rally areas, but NC car drivers are idiots and helmets do save lives.:iagree: A buddy of mine wrecked in front of me a few years ago and if he wasn't wearing a true DOT helmet, he would have died that day. Cracked the helmet, but not his gourd. A new law that just passed for NC is that you can run a red light after sitting for 10 min and ensuring that no traffic is coming. You can then proceed through the intersection and not be ticketed. COOL!!!!!!:2thumbs:

Is someone sitting there with a stop watch? Cool law, but it will be a he said she said to how long the the bike was at the stop light.

 

[pisssed]

Helmet laws in NC do suck for riding around the rally areas, but NC car drivers are idiots and helmets do save lives.:iagree: A buddy of mine wrecked in front of me a few years ago and if he wasn't wearing a true DOT helmet, he would have died that day. Cracked the helmet, but not his gourd. A new law that just passed for NC is that you can run a red light after sitting for 10 min and ensuring that no traffic is coming. You can then proceed through the intersection and not be ticketed. COOL!!!!!!:2thumbs:

3 mins! and officer i WAS COUNTING LOL!!!

North Carolina Adopts "Safe Red Light" Law

by Steve
Saturday, December 01, 2007

the law!!!!!

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:



SECTION 1. G.S. 20‑158 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:

"§ 20‑158. Vehicle control signs and signals.

…

(e) Defense. – It shall be a defense to a violation of sub-subdivision (b)(2)a. of this section if the operator of a motorcycle, as defined in G.S. 20‑4.01(27)d., shows all of the following:

(1) The operator brought the motorcycle to a complete stop at the intersection or stop bar where a steady red light was being emitted in the direction of the operator.

(2) The intersection is controlled by a vehicle actuated traffic signal using an inductive loop to activate the traffic signal.

(3) No other vehicle that was entitled to have the right-of-way under applicable law was sitting at, traveling through, or approaching the intersection.

(4) No pedestrians were attempting to cross at or near the intersection.

(5) The motorcycle operator who received the citation waited a minimum of three minutes at the intersection or stop bar where the steady red light was being emitted in the direction of the operator before entering the intersection."



SECTION 2. This act becomes effective December 1, 2007, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 12th day of July, 2007.


Effective today (Dec 1), motorcycle riders in North Carolina will be able to proceed through a red light, if they have waited for at least three minutes, and if it's safe to do so.

The new law is intended to deal with some traffic lights that have trouble detecting motorcycles. This is basically the same law I've been asking for here on BNO, for California.

According to the Burlington Times

 

[Cephus]

Hey guys, I have a friend on the force here in NC, he told us that the old law just said that you had to wear a motorcycle helmet. Which meant that people could wear it on your arm or belt (and they did) and be legal.. Now the law reads that it has to be a DOT helmet and it has to be worn on the head and must be fastened under the chin. He said that they will be looking for any helmet not fastened under the chin but the BIG DRAWING ATTENTION ITEM IS THAT IT HAS TWO STRAPS ON EACH SIDE OF THE HELMET. Then they look for the DOT and if they pull you they will ask to see the sewed in label inside and more than 1/2 inch of liner..:down: :argue: (just what he told us one eve) :flag: :flag: :flag:

The Officer can ask to see the inside of your helmet, but if you let him is another. Just being stopped because the Officer wants to check your helmet is unlawful. You need a reason to stop someone. In NY any exhaust other than factory is against the Vehicle and Traffic law(which can be reason for stop). Any search of your vehicle or person has to be with consent. If you don't have a DOT helmet, but have the sticker, DON'T let them inspect your helmet:zz2cents:

 

[JamesofGA]

If you're caught with an illegal helmet do they ticket you and let you go... or impound your bike or what...?

I'm heading to n.c. this weekend and i could care less what they say. I'm wearing my non-dot helmet... the same one i wrecked with 5 mos ago and barely scratched.

It all depends on the severity off the crash and the luck of the draw.

I know a guy who broke his neck (killing him) after rear ending a car at 10mph on his bike.

Then i wrecked at 60 flying through the air and very freshly remember hitting my head twice on the pavement.

 

[scubaman15]

We have to ride through NC to get to SC dah I wonder if I should worry???

 

[Xodus]

The Officer can ask to see the inside of your helmet, but if you let him is another. Just being stopped because the Officer wants to check your helmet is unlawful. You need a reason to stop someone. In NY any exhaust other than factory is against the Vehicle and Traffic law(which can be reason for stop). Any search of your vehicle or person has to be with consent. If you don't have a DOT helmet, but have the sticker, DON'T let them inspect your helmet:zz2cents:

sure, but if say you refuse to show that your helmet complies then you get a ticket for sure

so how does that help?


it varies state to state - in California, you can't be stopped solely for not wearing a seatbelt ( i believe ) but if you get stopped for another reason then they can tack the seatbelt charge on to it... as always, there's a lot of bad/wrong advice on traffic laws on the internet

the problem with helmet laws is really the problem of healthcare nowadays - who pays for the medical bills of someone who rides w/o a helmet, crashes, but survives with massive brain injuries and no health insurance? I agree anyone should decide if they want to wear a helmet or not, but I also think that as part of that choice -

no helmet + massive/longterm health costs + no health insurance = you chose to let the MD's let you die ...

save the public resources that would be spent on (you) for kids w/o health insurance

i for one am sick of paying for other peoples decisions and fully support personal responsibility - a lost concept in the country it seems

blame the lawmakers/lawyers - tying everyone up in knots

 

[Cephus]

Xodus, what I was saying is if your helmet has a DOT sticker on the helmet, the Officer can't ask you to remove so he can inspect the inside to make sure you have the appropriate padding. The Officer has to take the sticker at face value. You can inspect anything which is in "plain view" meaning anything you can see. To ask a biker to take their helmet off so you can verify the sticker with the tag on the inside, you need consent to do so.