Cyclists Who Wear Helmets 'Wasting Their Time'

[GoLefty!!]

Interesting read: http://news.sky.com/story/1272768/cyclists-who-wear-helmets-wasting-their-time

 

He makes very good points. Current helmets designs leave very little protection to provide protection in severe blows. There is too much concession to fashion than real safety. Still wearing one is better than nothing and even though its suboptimal, most helmets will still safe your life.

[Off_da_brakes]

What an irresponsible thing to say. I've had two bad crashes and in both instances helmets were damged. How would the energy (that damaged each helmet) have been dissipated if I was not wearing a helmet?? Through my head of course.... I'm not a doctor, but simple logic dictates that there is some benefit to wearing a helmet.

[DJR]

Because he's neuro-surgeon it doesn't mean he knows squat about cycling or helmets.

 

Specialists tend to become myopic without realising it and because the know absolutely everything about their fields, they mistakenly start to believe that they know everything about everything.

[V12man]

Interesting read:

http://news.sky.com/...ting-their-time

 

If you believe this, then 2 things are true:

 

1 - You are an idiot

2 - You are an IDIOT....

[BeegMig]

He will probably tell you that the guy who wore his safetybelt and the other one who didn't,

both ended up in the morgue.

So it does't make sense to wear safetybelts

[GoLefty!!]

If you believe this, then 2 things are true: 1 - You are an idiot 2 - You are an IDIOT....

 

 

Perhaps read the article a few times before resorting to name calling.

 

There has been ongoing debate even in Australia (where helmet on cyclists heads is mandatory) around the actual effectiveness of the helmet in many accidents.

The questions is not "Does the helmet prevnt an injury" because that answer is it reduces the severity.

The question "what is the effectiveness of the helmet?"

 

Does it help cyclists obey rules of the road?

Does it help city planners and civil engineers plan intersections, junctions and bus stops better?

Does it allow for better road drainage?

Does it change behaviours of motorists?

 

Look into the research conducted into these areas and you'll see that in the UK and in Australia, drivers have displayed more aggressive behaviour toward cyclists wearing helmets. Legislated use of a helmet is a band aid to distract for more pressing inefficiencies in a infrastructural planning and management.

 

 

I wear a helmet all the time when riding my bikes. It doesn't stop some stupid kugal trying to run me over with her Range Rover while chatting on the cell phone and doing her nails whilst attempting to direct the 2.3tonne SUV.

[Capricorn]

I wonder what the department of labour and industrial safety would say in response to that guys assertions on helmets and head safety.his conclusions extend well into any situation that involves helmets and protection against potential head injuries..

[iteachcoffee]

Ok. Time to apply thought and reason in this debate.

 

To all of you with helmet stories, the collective noun for anecdote is not statistics.

 

Helmets, as a fact, are very beneficial for bicycle riders under the age of sixteen. Well documented, evidence based, reasoning.

 

If you are in a head injury, wearing a helmet as an individual MAY help often.

 

As a society however, it turns out that helmet wear and particularly mandated helmet wear causes more and more severe injuries.

 

Helmet laws cause fewer people to ride, and then less often. Fewer riders on the road is the single biggest negative contributor to bike safety.

 

For some unknown reason, cars pass much closer to helmeted riders.

 

A few more facts that matter:

 

Helmet design specs are doltish. Crown of head at speeds below 20km/h. That isn't how we hurt our heads.

 

Sport riding does demand good helmets, particularly mountain biking. But the helmets (mostly) aren't designed our needs, but around those specs and dumb marketing.

 

In conclusion, helmet choice NEEDS to be personal and not mandatory. Stop worrying about others and choose for yourself (unless they are kids)

 

see these references:

 

http://www.badscience.net/2013/12/bicycle-helmets-and-the-law-a-perfect-teaching-case-for-epidemiology/

 

British Journal of Medicine:

 

http://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f3817?ijkey=I5vHBog6FhaaLzX&keytype=ref

 

The TED Talk video:

 

my 2 cents

Edited June 1, 2014 by iteachcoffee

[Capricorn]

Golefty; what you conveying sounds very much like helmets are the cause for driver aggression, so remove helmet instead of finding another way of reducing driver aggression that in reality, can exist irrespective whether a cyclist is present or not? that's a work around to the real problem.

 

coffee guy: i think your 2c deserves 2c change. Correlation doesn't mean causation. Here's quite a few examples.

 

 

 

Edited June 1, 2014 by Capricorn

[Guest Zeitgeist]

Interesting read:

http://news.sky.com/...ting-their-time

Instead of all the rubishing of the article, maybe its time to consider different designs and/or materials to improve the effectiveness of current helmut technology?

[No Hare]

1) This morning I headbutted my nephew, he swore at me.

2) This morning I headbutted my niece while wearing my cycle helmet, she laughed her head off (pun not intended).

 

Situation 1 cause pain and promote bad manners

Situation 2 result in humor and good personal interaction

 

I am pro helmut, case closed.

Edited June 1, 2014 by No Hare

[Guest Zeitgeist]

Ok. Time to apply thought and reason in this debate.

 

To all of you with helmet stories, the collective noun for anecdote is not statistics.

 

Helmets, as a fact, are very beneficial for bicycle riders under the age of sixteen. Well documented, evidence based, reasoning.

 

If you are in a head injury, wearing a helmet as an individual MAY help often.

 

As a society however, it turns out that helmet wear and particularly mandated helmet wear causes more and more severe injuries.

 

Helmet laws cause fewer people to ride, and then less often. Fewer riders on the road is the single biggest negative contributor to bike safety.

 

For some unknown reason, cars pass much closer to helmeted riders.

 

A few more facts that matter:

 

Helmet design specs are doltish. Crown of head at speeds below 20km/h. That isn't how we hurt our heads.

 

Sport riding does demand good helmets, particularly mountain biking. But the helmets (mostly) aren't designed our needs, but around those specs and dumb marketing.

 

In conclusion, helmet choice NEEDS to be personal and not mandatory. Stop worrying about others and choose for yourself (unless they are kids)

 

see these references:

 

http://www.badscienc...r-epidemiology/

 

British Journal of Medicine:

 

http://www.bmj.com/c...amp;keytype=ref

 

The TED Talk video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07o-TASvIxY

 

my 2 cents

great response by iteachcoffee

[Guest Zeitgeist]

Agree, I am that guy who refuse to ride with my sister in law's little ones if they don't weaR helmets, and it usually ends in tears and the parents being mad at me. They also don't believe in buckling up for short trips, but they know the rules in my car, so he reprimanded his dad the other day, "oom Chris ry nie as ons nie vas is nie"

It is there for a reason, just wear it.

I always wondered who "that guy" was - really great to know. I can sleep now

[WIPEOUT 1000]

Clearly wearing a bicycle helmet, like a safety belt, will not prevent an accident, nor will it guarantee that you'll walk away unharmed from an accident should it occur.

 

However, to say that you should not where a helmet because research indicate that some drivers may become more aggressive or that wearing a helmet does not resolve cyclists disregard for road rules, etc. is irrational.

 

Having survived 2 helmet shattering crashes, both at speeds in excess of 40km/h, I have enough anecdotal information to keep on wearing one.

[V12man]

Perhaps read the article a few times before resorting to name calling.

 

 

First - I have only, and will only call people who believe it's better not to wear a helmet an idiot - usually I add the caveat - "Stay OUT of my ER". Perhaps I should have highlighted the word "IF"...

 

I have read it, and many other similarly veined articles - all can be criticized for the kind of "science" applied.

 

Fact of the matter is:

 

IF you wear a properly fastened helmet, and are involved in an accident where there is some kind of concussive force applied to the skull/helmet, then your chances of surviving the incident are greatly improved, and the helmet (while admittedly designs and materials can probably be improved) in more cases than not will reduce the injury received.

 

And that works for me professionally, and for you and your family, when they don't have to manage an invalid..

[TALUS]

The 2 points being made that1) drivers are more aggresive towards cyclists wearing helmets Who believes that in this country? It was done in Europa for commuters. Change laws or enforce them but to leave out the ONLY protection you have is silly. 2) The helmets must be stronger : even motorcycle helmets dont protect against all injuries.

 

It remains to prove that the current accepted protocol of wearing helmets makes your outcomes worse. All I can think of is that it messes up your hair when using a helmet, if that is important to you then we should not be having this debate.