A week without a helmet.

[ufkacbln]

I'm assuming that wasn't a serious post. "Wear a helmet so it won't hurt when you hit a small child" must surely be a pisstake

Er, please explain ... I understood his point, but I don't understand yours!

The whole post needs a thread of its own to explain why it is so totally wrong on so many levels

 

[Smokin Joe]

Many comments about helmets focus on the risk of being hit by a vehicle, many of them challenge their adoption on the grounds of why should the 'victim' have to take special steps, surely the onus should be on the 'aggressor', meaning motorist. But this misses the point that many of the potential accidents in which a helmet could offer protection have nothing to do with vehicles. To name but a few, unexpected actions from pedestrians, small children, dogs, (increasingly) deer, and not least other cyclists, also risks from potholes, mechanical failures, even a simple puncture at a bad time going into a corner. If cars and lorries and buses didn't exist it would still be good sense to wear a helmet.

I refer you back to the picture I uploaded in post #21. Those riders had just the sort of accidents you describe yet they went through their entire careers without being killed or turned into vegetables, as did all but such a small handful of riders for well over a century that the number would be a statistical zero. It makes the argument you put forward a good one for never riding a bike at all if even the tiniest risk is stupid to take.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

I refer you back to the picture I uploaded in post #21. Those riders had just the sort of accidents you describe yet they went through their entire careers without being killed or turned into vegetables, as did all but such a small handful of riders for well over a century that the number would be a statistical zero. It makes the argument you put forward a good one for never riding a bike at all if even the tiniest risk is stupid to take.

I rode for about 20 years without a helmet too, chaingangs, time trials, and clubruns. Also many road races where head protection was by a highly dubious arrangement of padded leather straps. Like the pro's in the picture I survived numerous crashes too. But in those days you didn't have any choice. Now that there are a multitude of comfortable and effective helmets available it's silly not to use them.

 

[Brandane]

Oh well, this thread has survived about 2 days longer than expected in "General Cycling".
Anyone fancy a sweepstake on the time that the inevitable will happen?
My money is on 9.24pm tonight .

 

[Dave Davenport]

I must admit that I do not find that deer are an increasing hazard here in Portsmouth

Perhaps I should wear one of these and see if I can attract a few on to my commute:

I always don full military grade body armour and helmet if I have to cycle through Portsmouth.

 

[Dan B]

I'm assuming that wasn't a serious post. "Wear a helmet so it won't hurt when you hit a small child" must surely be a pisstake

Er, please explain ... I understood his point, but I don't understand yours!

Would the better advice in this kind of situation not be "slow down so that you can avoid hitting small children" rather than "wear a helmet so it doesn't matter if you do"? I mean, they don't put bull bars on ice cream vans do they?

 

[Smokin Joe]

I rode for about 20 years without a helmet too, chaingangs, time trials, and clubruns. Also many road races where head protection was by a highly dubious arrangement of padded leather straps. Like the pro's in the picture I survived numerous crashes too. But in those days you didn't have any choice. Now that there are a multitude of comfortable and effective helmets available it's silly not to use them.

I must be very silly then. I don't wear one in my car either, despite the good example set by the motorsport authorities who won't let you drive without one.

 

[bpsmith]

I must be very silly then. I don't wear one in my car either, despite the good example set by the motorsport authorities who won't let you drive without one.

Have you removed your seat belts, air bags, roof and doors also?

 

[Smokin Joe]

Have you removed your seat belts, air bags, roof and doors also?

Read up on the stats, many serious injuries and deaths in cars involve head impacts. If you're in a hard enough collision the head is still very much at risk and it is often the roof and the doors that deliver the fatal blow.

 

[Mugshot]

Careful now!

 

[User6179]

The whole post needs a thread of its own to explain why it is so totally wrong on so many levels

go on ,treat yourself

 

[User6179]

Oh well, this thread has survived about 2 days longer than expected in "General Cycling".
Anyone fancy a sweepstake on the time that the inevitable will happen?
My money is on 9.24pm tonight .

Wont make 7pm

 

[Mugshot]

Wont make 7pm

I reckon I could get it done by 15:30 if I made the effort

 

[Piemaster]

I reckon I could get it done by 15:30 if I made the effort

Or 15:20 if you make no effort!

 

[ColinJ]

Would the better advice in this kind of situation not be "slow down so that you can avoid hitting small children" rather than "wear a helmet so it doesn't matter if you do"?

No. The OP didn't say that it didn't matter if children were hit. He also didn't say that helmet-wearing would guarantee no injury to the cyclist. He simply said that there are times when things happen that you have no control over.

There are situations where small children, big children [***], small adults[***], big adults[***], dogs[***], cats[***], squirrels[***], wheel-jamming bin bags blown by the wind[***], debris falling off skip wagons[***] etc. suddenly appear immediately in front of you through no fault of your own and you cannot avoid hitting them, other than by never going at more than walking pace and even then collisions can be inevitable.

[***] I have experienced all of those. A rabbit, squirrel, or yes - even a small child can be out in the road before you know it. It can't always be anticipated.

A friend of mine was once driving slowly through a village in Wales when a small child suddenly ran out between 2 parked vans in front of him and he hit her. She got to her feet and ran back into the house from which she had just emerged, pursued by my traumatised friend. It was a hot summer day and her parents had left their front door open to let a cooling breeze into their house, one of those whose front door opens straight onto the pavement. They had turned their backs for a second, and that was it - she was gone! Fortunately she sustained no more than cuts and bruises. The point is my friend is a careful driver, was driving well under the speed limit, but still could not stop in time. It was not his fault.

Yes, ride carefully. Yes, anticipate that children seen running on pavements may suddenly run out, but there are times when you might be caught out by one that you could not see, such as in the example I gave above.

I think it is insulting to suggest that somebody discussing wearing a helmet is more worried about their own head than about hurting children!