Why Do I See So Many Cyclist Without Helmets?

[IceCreamMan]

That really is a pathetic argument. It is not disputable that a helmet confers protection over and above your bare noggin. That's the end of the argument. The rest is misguided noise about free choice. Just because it's a law, doen't mean you have to follow it; you just take your chances with the consequences.

Doesn't matter how safely you ride or what your skill level is; the real world is unpredictable. If you're going 80km/h downhill and you crash, I agree it's quite unlikely a helmet is going to allow you to escape unscathed. However, it's all those other minor incidents that could potentially result in serious injury without a helmet that you're guarding against, or not, as the case may be.

show me the stats that absolutely irrefutably prove that helmets save lives or serious injury and I will believe you.

 

Sadly, you may battle to find this and may in some cases find contradictory stats...strange that.

[Goodbadugly]

On the original question:

I am sorry but I am not going to loose sleep over other peoples daftness.

[Mamil]

IT's not an either or thing - if I have a helmet now I'm invincible. It would take a special kind of idiot to think that a helmet means he can crash with impunity.

 

It's a combination of risk and protective factors and the helmet is perhaps the biggest protective factor there is. 

 

We're just butting heads here - but it's fine - I'm wearing a helmet so I'll come off best I think 

 

 

 

 

I have no interest in the helmet industry nor in the tobacco industry.

the examples you raise have long since been finalized...smoking does cause cancer, seatbelts and airbags do save lives etc.

Climate changes, until Al Gore returns his Nobel and starts using public transport I aint buying it

but we digress.

Too often what we think intuitively to be right is actually incorrect. Because we put a flimsy piece of plastic on our heads we suddenly think we invincible and its this invincibility that kills us...not failure to wear a helmet.

[Mamil]

Let's conduct a few experiments involving hard objects and heads with and without protection. Who's volunteering to be in the control group?

 

 

show me the stats that absolutely irrefutably prove that helmets save lives or serious injury and I will believe you.

Sadly, you may battle to find this and may in some cases find contradictory stats...strange that.

[IceCreamMan]

Let's conduct a few experiments involving hard objects and heads with and without protection. Who's volunteering to be in the control group?

Wear your helmet, we start with a baseball bat to the kneecap... I bat first.

[Patchelicious]

Wear your helmet, we start with a baseball bat to the kneecap... I bat first.

Yup, because helmets were designed to protect knees... No wonder you think they are useless.

[Jurgens Smit]

show me the stats that absolutely irrefutably prove that helmets save lives or serious injury and I will believe you.

 

Sadly, you may battle to find this and may in some cases find contradictory stats...strange that.

Show us the studies that prove that helmets don't save lives and I will believe you. Sadly, you may battle to find this and may in some cases find contradictory stats.

 

The whole point of wearing your helmet is for that 0.1% chance that you may survive. Sure if a car hits you from behind at speed odds are you'd be dead, but you might not be and a helmet sure as hell won't do any harm.

 

So why not take a chance, wear your helmet and stop reasoning like a dwis?

[carbon29er]

Those who wear helmets wear helmets. Those who don't don't.

 

The issue is with all the guys who think they have the right to challenge those that don't.

 

Like the dick who posts photos of guys riding in the yellow line on the M5. Or jumping a T-Juntion red.

 

Worry about yourself. Not others, What they do does not affect you. And I don't need some halfwit telling me I jumped a red light because it's red on his side but not mine.

[carbon29er]

Show us the studies that prove that helmets don't save lives and I will believe you. Sadly, you may battle to find this and may in some cases find contradictory stats.

 

The whole point of wearing your helmet is for that 0.1% chance that you may survive. Sure if a car hits you from behind at speed odds are you'd be dead, but you might not be and a helmet sure as hell won't do any harm.

 

So why not take a chance, wear your helmet and stop reasoning like a dwis?

And that gives you the right to lecture me if we pass each other riding?

[IceCreamMan]

Yup, because helmets were designed to protect knees... No wonder you think they are useless.

You missed my point, albeit it was very subtle.

 

I don't recall ever saying they are useless, in fact if I reread my posts I actually state that in some cases they are of benefit.

 

What I don't subscribe to is the blind faith hysteria that people seem to have when someone cycles without a helmet.... the "stone him" brigade.

 

If someone wants to ride without a helmet, let them. in this day and age of enlightenment surely people should have more latitude in their decision making. hell, if they wanna have promiscuous sex without a condom let them. now why is there no law against that i wonder, i bet far more die due to it.

[Jurgens Smit]

And that gives you the right to lecture me if we pass each other riding?

I don't lecture, I'm not a parent or a teacher.

 

But I will speak to you to make sure you are aware of the (potential) dangers involved.

If you decide to carry on and something happens to you conscience will be clear.

[devocean]

I wear a helmet for 99% of my time on the bike and it's really saved me a couple of times. Still, I don't want somebody dictating to me what risks I'm allowed to take when it doesn't concern them. If I want to cruise down to the beach in my flip flops and cap, I don't feel like it's anyone's business and likewise for me to dictate to somebody else what risks they are allowed to take.

[geoffois]

The logic of asking to prove efficacy in a CURRENT controlled trial is flawed. Where would one get ethical clearance.

Secondly the cause of death in vehicle and non-vehicle related accidents is varied. If my thorax is sufficiently compromised, I will die regardless of whether I am wearing a helmet.

The primary role of a helmet is to mitigate external force applied to the head. If I fall off my bike at even relatively low speed, without a helmet I may still suffer an injury. Whether this is superficial, a fracture, a subdural or intracerebral bleed or diffuse axonal injury. The force applied can not always be linearly related to degree of injury sustained. If I am wearing a helmet, the extent of my injury would likely be reduced or favourably modified.

Lastly, let me ask you if any "intervention of unlawful activity" can be proven to reduce or modify the unlawful activity at that point or as a whole? But I can certainly say that if I was being robbed, I would EXPECT someone to intervene if they had the opportunity. Likewise if I speed, I EXPECT to be caught and, if I receive a fine, it is a clear consequence of my actions. If I don't wear a helmet I should EXPECT a reprimand/reminder/fine and accept such as a consequence of an unlawful act.

Final note, would you be able to critically analyse any research into modification of mortality or morbidity with regards to helmet wearing? In an unbiased scientific way, of course...

 

 

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[Edition 507]

I saw a whole bunch of sweaty cyclists today without helmets. Oh Boy was I about to give them a piece of my mind....then I realized they were at Fournos drinking coffee

[HowardSteele]

I wear a Helmet 100% of the time...over 20 years of mntbiking

yes it's hot and uncomfortable at times and  yes the chin strap gets seriously annoying.

So over the years I"ve fallen on my head a couple of times damaging 2 helmets(requiring replacement) and walked away with face bruises but no head trauma.

 

My wife tripped 6 months back hitting her head on a door sill...It has opened our eyes to TBI..

She has still not recovered fully and still not able to be at work full time.

we all have the right to choose what we can and cannot do.... but do you really want to burden your dependents with  your recovery time because a helmet doesn't look cool.

Edited January 5, 2017 by HowardSteele

[lechatnoir]

I've needed a helmet twice in my time cycling. First time I wasn't wearing one, but the emergency room staff were kind and understanding, and the stitches in my head weren't so bad which was nice. The other time I wore one and I had to buy a new helmet after, so I had that going for me which was also nice.