Cyclists Who Wear Helmets 'Wasting Their Time'

[Skubarra]

The thing is, there is a lot of statistical evidence that shows that when helmet usage increases (usually due to promotion of helmet use, or laws requiring helmet use,) the number of head injuries increases, while at the same time, the number of cyclists decrease. While the reasons to explain why head injuries increase, or cycling rates drop, are still only speculation and highly debatable, it does not detract from what the evidence is directly telling us.

 

The accusation that wearing helmets make people more risk seeking and thus more prone to injury could be used against just about every piece of safety equipment in every sport/activity we participate in so it's a bit unfair that you pick on cycling helmets with that one. Using the same line of reasoning you would drive more carefully if your car doesn't have a safety belt but does that mean we should remove all safety features from our cars to make the roads more safe?

 

Shouldn't the answer be to educate people of the dangers that helmets do not protect them from rather than discouraging people to wear them.

 

On the stats that less people cycle if forced to wear helmets, yes that is unfortunate, but behavior do change over time, most people my age didn't grow up cycling with helmets, for kids growing up now it will be second nature. The idea that people will live rather live unhealthy lives & die than wear helmets, I think you went one to far with that one but V12Man refuted it much more eloquently than I can.

[BarHugger]

So again it seems that everyone must agree to disagree on this topic.....the question still remains what is the purpose of wearing a cycling helmet? It is not the ultimate protection, but it is at least better than nothing at all. In a similar trend, what will be the purpose of wearing cycling gloves? Looking at other sports.......what will be the purpose of field hockey players wearing a full face mask during penalty corners, or rugby players wearing mouth guards? What is the purpose of a life vest while going flat out on a wetbike? Why do some parents strap their young children in specific safety seats, while others have them standing on the front seat with no protection while driving. Why use safety goggles when using an angle grinder, it does not contribute to you doing a better job or being perceived as a professional. Might the answer be in an individual's own approach to preparing for the unexpected and to mitigate the after effects of such an event. The use of protective gear should be made mandatory in situations that can result in a loss of life.

 

PS: it has been stated that you can prove and disprove anything with stats.....it is just a matter of how you look at the numbers (ie individuals with a high frequency of biryhday celebrations have an increased mortality probability)

Edited June 17, 2014 by BarHugger

[GaryvdM]

Gary - I am starting to think you can't read - READ CAREFULLY please...... I SAID "IF you believe....

 

Ok, I owe you an apology. I did read misread you, and I apologize for my ad hominem attack of reading skills. I was having a **** day. I always try keep my discussions civil and objective, but I let slip here.

 

I would like to come back to you on some points, and back up mine with data, but I think it best I do it tomorrow. Like I said, having a **** day...

 

Edit: Aggh the hub is censoring my language. To put in to other words, I'm having a fecal matter day...

Edited June 17, 2014 by GaryvdM

[DJR]

.....................

Edit: Aggh the hub is censoring my language. To put in to other words, I'm having a fecal matter day...

 

:D You do have a sense of humour, you'll survive the Hub just fine.

[DJpak]

I fell few weeks ago.

I even didnt know my head hit the road

but I only found it,When I got home

 

Will you wear a helmet?

 

I dont know other guys answers but

But I can say that yes I definitely will

[DJR]

I fell few weeks ago.

I even didnt know my head hit the road

but I only found it,When I got home

 

Will you wear a helmet?

 

I dont know other guys answers but

But I can say that yes I definitely will

 

If you have the invoice for the helmet, take it to the shop where you bought it and explain what happened. They will give you a form to fill in and you will get 75% (I think) off the new Bell helmet that you buy. Bell has a crash replacement policy for exactly this. They will send the helmet in to the Bell agents to be destroyed, because it shouldn't be used any more when it cracks like that, which is precisely what it is designed to do.

[DJpak]

 

 

If you have the invoice for the helmet, take it to the shop where you bought it and explain what happened. They will give you a form to fill in and you will get 75% (I think) off the new Bell helmet that you buy. Bell has a crash replacement policy for exactly this. They will send the helmet in to the Bell agents to be destroyed, because it shouldn't be used any more when it cracks like that, which is precisely what it is designed to do.

 

Thanks. But It was also insured by Cyclesure

They sorted it out for me!!! Haha

[bclark]

Watching "Riding the dales" on Sky1, I came across ...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu4QzAIayTU

Edited July 5, 2014 by bclark

[KENDA]

Not going to read through this entire thread.....

 

But....

 

I had a reasonably hard bail a while back. Hard enough to knock my wind out. I thought my time had come to make a turn at the hospital. Lucky within 5-10 min of moaning I could get up and finish my ride. Got the car and noticed my helmet was broken in 3 places and I didn't even have a headache.

 

Helmets make a huge difference. FACT!

Edited July 5, 2014 by KENDA

[Rushdee]

Road works caused me to fall into the path of oncoming/approaching traffic once. A truck approached and the driver slammed on the brakes. As luck would have it, I was on the ground with my head directly in the path of the front wheel of the truck. Watched the wheel skid toward my head. Instinct told me to turn my head away from the danger and so that the wheel of the truck would hit the rear of my head and not my face. The wheel of the truck struck my helmet just at the moment that the wheel/truck was about to come to a complete stop. Helmet cracked in a few places. Head was perfectly fine thank goodness. So of course I really don’t see the need to wear a helmet these days.

Edited July 5, 2014 by Stressed Eric