Controversial cycling safety statement

[Caerus]

I wonder if all the people moaning about wearing a helmet actually put sunscreen on when they ride(have you seen the figures for skin cancer), have a light on when they ride at night or in the morning, or have a bell on their bikes for riding on the roads and also the compulsery reflectors on, the ones that jump traffic lights and ride two/three abreast, the ones that take over a road while riding in a bunch together?

 

Funny also when you supply actual statistics of injuries, peoples arguments that it is such a necessity to ride with a helmet all the time suddenly dont have much more to say

 

Seems to me there are a lot of people on very high horses.

[bikemonster]

There's an awful lot of sanctimonious hand-wringing going on here.

 

It seems to me that cutting risky behaviour is more important than than wearing a crash hat in reducing our risk when we cycle.

 

Yesterday morning I saw two cyclists riding along the N7 between Bosmansdam Rd and the refinery at around 8:00 am, direction Malmesbury. Traffic was coming past them at 120km/h. But hey, there were both wearing the helmets so they were being perfectly safe. At issue here is not whether riding on the N7 was legal - it was a dumbass thing to do.

 

On this morning's Durbanville fun ride, an experience cyclist who really ought to know better (and well known on the Hub) indulged in a spot of wily-waving and jinked right from the bunch I was in, almost being taken out by a passing VW Microbus. But it's OK, he was wearing a helmet.

 

On any weekeday morning, on the N1 along Paarden Eiland you will see cyclists riding along (wearing helmets) in an 80 zone, where there is zero yellow line. Numbnuts!

 

That said, I am in favour of wearing helmets, and I usually wear mine. But if I nip down to get a DVD of a summer's evening or take a ride around my neighbourhood, I don't always wear one. If it's even remotely gloomy though, I do make sure I have a light on my bike.

 

(But not a bell.)

[Caerus]

There's an awful lot of sanctimonious hand-wringing going on here.

It seems to me that cutting risky behaviour is more important than than wearing a crash hat in reducing our risk when we cycle.

 

Yesterday morning I saw two cyclists riding along the N7 between Bosmansdam Rd and the refinery at around 8:00 am, direction Malmesbury. Traffic was coming past them at 120km/h. But hey, there were both wearing the helmets so they were being perfectly safe. At issue here is not whether riding on the N7 was legal - it was a dumbass thing to do.

 

On this morning's Durbanville fun ride, an experience cyclist who really ought to know better (and well known on the Hub) indulged in a spot of wily-waving and jinked right from the bunch I was in, almost being taken out by a passing VW Microbus. But it's OK, he was wearing a helmet.

 

On any weekeday morning, on the N1 along Paarden Eiland you will see cyclists riding along (wearing helmets) in an 80 zone, where there is zero yellow line. Numbnuts!

 

That said, I am in favour of wearing helmets, and I usually wear mine. But if I nip down to get a DVD of a summer's evening or take a ride around my neighbourhood, I don't always wear one. If it's even remotely gloomy though, I do make sure I have a light on my bike.

 

(But not a bell.)

 

Well said. Thats what I can't seem to get? Like Ive maintained all along - I wear a helmet, just not all the time. If im nipping down the shop, or along the Durban beachfront I wont. If Im hill training in my quite cul - de- sac, I wont wear one. Everyone knows me, and its got a boomed guarded hut, so no one can just drive along willy nilly.

.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I dont point fingers, if you want to nip down to the shop with no helmet" thats fine by me, all I am saying is accidents happen even when nipping down to the shop.

 

Heres an example - my wife is presently representing a couple who's 19 year old son was turned into a quadraplegic just nipping down to his mate three blocks away in his car, a truck side swiped him less than 3kms from his front door, he lost control of the car and rolled down an embankment, he wasnt wearing a seat belt (hey he was just nipping down to his chum)he fell out of the car and the car rolled over him.

 

His family have morgaged their house three times to pay for equipment to get him into the bath, into the car, a special chair to prevent sores a special bed so he can be turned four times a day and of course legal bills, hospital bills and bills for special dieticians, home nurses, doctor call outs etc.

 

They will work until they die to pay the bills, no retirement in a nice leafy suburb for them, the only good thing about it is the doctors say he probably wont live past 30.

[Mojoman]

I dont point fingers, if you want to nip down to the shop with no helmet" thats fine by me, all I am saying is accidents happen even when nipping down to the shop.

 

Heres an example - my wife is presently representing a couple who's 19 year old son was turned into a quadraplegic just nipping down to his mate three blocks away in his car, a truck side swiped him less than 3kms from his front door, he lost control of the car and rolled down an embankment, he wasnt wearing a seat belt (hey he was just nipping down to his chum)he fell out of the car and the car rolled over him.

 

His family have morgaged their house three times to pay for equipment to get him into the bath, into the car, a special chair to prevent sores a special bed so he can be turned four times a day and of course legal bills, hospital bills and bills for special dieticians, home nurses, doctor call outs etc.

 

They will work until they die to pay the bills, no retirement in a nice leafy suburb for them, the only good thing about it is the doctors say he probably wont live past 30.

A perfect case of why you should try and look after yourself, sometimes its not you who suffers the most in the end...

[MXkid77]

I live by one simple rule.

 

Dress for the crash, not the ride!

[chris_w_65]

[chris_w_65]

[chris_w_65]

[scotty]

I dont point fingers, if you want to nip down to the shop with no helmet" thats fine by me, all I am saying is accidents happen even when nipping down to the shop.

 

Heres an example - my wife is presently representing a couple who's 19 year old son was turned into a quadraplegic just nipping down to his mate three blocks away in his car, a truck side swiped him less than 3kms from his front door, he lost control of the car and rolled down an embankment, he wasnt wearing a seat belt (hey he was just nipping down to his chum)he fell out of the car and the car rolled over him.

 

His family have morgaged their house three times to pay for equipment to get him into the bath, into the car, a special chair to prevent sores a special bed so he can be turned four times a day and of course legal bills, hospital bills and bills for special dieticians, home nurses, doctor call outs etc.

 

They will work until they die to pay the bills, no retirement in a nice leafy suburb for them, the only good thing about it is the doctors say he probably wont live past 30.

Cant argue with this.

[andrewc]