Be prepared for an accident

[classic33]

I still say, no matter what kind of an accident, it is best to be wearing helmet. If not, lawyers will make you partly to blame.

Or you can do what I did, point out that there's no legal requirement to wear one in the UK at present. (Personal choice, long may it stay that way.)
When they disagree, ask them to point out the relevant law. A simple process called standing your ground.
T-boned by a drunk driver, who drove out of a junction into me. His arguments were broken one by one.


When the local council insisted one had to be worn on their sites, for my safety. I pointed out that:-
1) They'd have to have a similar requirement for everyone on site.
2) If a loaded skip, their bone of contention, fell off a lorry, I could be hurt. An empty one would hurt as well, but they disagreed. Again I asked for a similar request to be made for everyone else on site.
3) I was riding a quadricycle, not a bicycle, so fell outside of their rules on type of vehicle allowed on site.

 

[classic33]

I still say, no matter what kind of an accident, it is best to be wearing helmet. If not, lawyers will make you partly to blame.

Five months ago to the day, 24th September 2024, I cracked my skull in two places. Split the head in three places. Still don't know what I actually hit/made contact with to cause the damage.
This in the house, leaving the kitchen looking like a TV murder scene. They estimated a pint of blood lost due to what they could see on me.

This is due to epilepsy, and a seizure on the night. I approach the helmet question from an odd angle, having done more damage to the skull due to epilepsy than I have cycling.
And to give a comparison of no damage, not even a cut, I've face-planted into a solid marble floor, from a standing position. Straight forward log fall from what I was told later.

 

[ianrauk]

Prepare for an accident, how cheery!

I prepare to enjoy my ride

Don't think I've ever prepared for an accident in all my years of riding.

 

[berty bassett]

While enjoying balancing on two wheels trying to avoid potholes, pedestrians , dogs, vehicles ,trees etc In fact all things that could make me lose balance and fall off bike , I choose to wear a cycle helmet to give me a bit of protection to my head , no matter how slight
I was knocked off bike and helmet took most the impact , splitting it and I was took to hospital with concussion , now I believe that the helmet took part of the impact and lessened my injury even if it was just a bit of plastic and polystyrene between my head and the car. The counter argument of ‘ prove it ‘ is ridiculous and can only mean do the exact same accident scenario but without the helmet and see what happens that I doubt anyone would ever willingly do , surely any kind of protection how ever slight is better than none

 

[matticus]

I thought I'd have a quick look to see if in practice the situation was much different in the USA:
In South Carolina, not wearing a bicycle helmet significantly increases the risk of sustaining a serious brain injury if involved in an accident.

 

[I like Skol]

The counter argument of ‘ prove it ‘ is ridiculous and can only mean do the exact same accident scenario but without the helmet and see what happens that I doubt anyone would ever willingly do , surely any kind of protection how ever slight is better than none

I suffered a serious, high speed rta (I estimate my usual speed at the point of collision to be around 20+mph in the conditions on the night of the event) due to driver negligence. My injuries included a fractured skull and broken neck due to my subsequent impact with the ground. In later discussion with the spinal specialist it became clear that my neck injuries were purely a result of the side impact to the head passed down to the neck vertebrae. Given this info I posed the question 'what if I had been wearing a helmet that was approx 1" thick thereby forcing my head another few degrees further?'

He refused to comment!

I'm no expert, but given the injury mechanics and extrapolating the specialists reluctance to comment, I surmise I could have sustained INCREASED damage had I been wearing a helmet? Potentially, I could have suffered life changing paralysis if wearing a helmet?

I've searched long and hard for proof that wearing a helmet statistically reduces the risk of suffering life changing injuries and I just can't find it. If I find that proof in an unbiased study, I will gladly wear a helmet when cycling. Until that day I continue to ride without a helmet.

My compensation was paid without prejudice of the fact I was not wearing a helmet.

To the OP I am quoting. What if a helmet offers no protection?

 

[classic33]

As of February 2025, the states that have a helmet usage law (whilst cycling).

State Required to wear helmet
Alabama 15 and younger
Alaska no law
Arizona no law
Arkansas no law
California 17 and younger
Colorado no law
Connecticut 15 and younger
Delaware 17 and younger
District of Columbia 15 and younger
Florida 15 and younger
Georgia 15 and younger
Hawaii 15 and younger
Idaho no law
Illinois no law
Indiana no law
Iowa no law
Kansas no law
Kentucky no law
Louisiana 11 and younger
Maine 15 and younger
Maryland 15 and younger
Massachusetts 16 and younger
Michigan no law
Minnesota no law
Mississippi no law
Missouri no law
Montana no law
Nebraska no law
Nevada no law
New Hampshire 15 and younger
New Jersey 16 and younger
New Mexico 17 and younger
New York 13 and younger
North Carolina 15 and younger
North Dakota no law
Ohio no law
Oklahoma no law
Oregon 15 and younger
Pennsylvania 11 and younger
Rhode Island 15 and younger
South Carolina no law
South Dakota no law
Tennessee 15 and younger
Texas no law
Utah no law
Vermont no law
Virginia no law
Washington no law
West Virginia 14 and younger
Wisconsin no law
Wyoming no law

There's non for any adult, only minors.

 

[berty bassett]

I suffered a serious, high speed rta (I estimate my usual speed at the point of collision to be around 20+mph in the conditions on the night of the event) due to driver negligence. My injuries included a fractured skull and broken neck due to my subsequent impact with the ground. In later discussion with the spinal specialist it became clear that my neck injuries were purely a result of the side impact to the head passed down to the neck vertebrae. Given this info I posed the question 'what if I had been wearing a helmet that was approx 1" thick thereby forcing my head another few degrees further?'

He refused to comment!

I'm no expert, but given the injury mechanics and extrapolating the specialists reluctance to comment, I surmise I could have sustained INCREASED damage had I been wearing a helmet? Potentially, I could have suffered life changing paralysis if wearing a helmet?

I've searched long and hard for proof that wearing a helmet statistically reduces the risk of suffering life changing injuries and I just can't find it. If I find that proof in an unbiased study, I will gladly wear a helmet when cycling. Until that day I continue to ride without a helmet.

My compensation was paid without prejudice of the fact I was not wearing a helmet.

To the OP I am quoting. What if a helmet offers no protection?

everyone seems to think that the helmet would make no difference at all and the inch of protection would just disappear on impact and until you try the same accident with a helmet then no one will know , unless you are prepared to try the same accident but with a helmet I stand by my comment , only difference is you had your accident without a lid and I had mine with one , I hope I dont have one without a lid and I hope you dont choose to have one with a helmet , its impossible to know for certain if helmets offer protection but even if it just offers protection while sliding down the road dragging your head then in my eyes it helps - its not law ( unless racing )in this country and totally up to the individual so whatever floats your boat and makes you feel safest and keep you riding

 

[I like Skol]

everyone seems to think that the helmet would make no difference at all and the inch of protection would just disappear on impact and until you try the same accident with a helmet then no one will know , unless you are prepared to try the same accident but with a helmet I stand by my comment , only difference is you had your accident without a lid and I had mine with one , I hope I dont have one without a lid and I hope you dont choose to have one with a helmet , its impossible to know for certain if helmets offer protection but even if it just offers protection while sliding down the road dragging your head then in my eyes it helps - its not law ( unless racing )in this country and totally up to the individual so whatever floats your boat and makes you feel safest and keep you riding

You are missing my point, perhaps I can make it clearer?

I am not saying that a helmet makes no difference, clearly it will. But sometimes that difference may be beneficial, other times detrimental and in some cases it will have zero effect on the outcome. There is no substantiated statistical evidence that cycle helmets have any effect on the number of serious or life changing injuries suffered by the users in collisions or accidents. If there was, it would be out there and if it did confirm an 'overall' reduction I would wear a helmet, I'm not stupid!

Nothing to do with feeling safe or 'whatever floats my boat' (what does that even mean?), just cold, hard facts, without the emotional twaddle.

 

[Profpointy]

everyone seems to think that the helmet would make no difference at all and the inch of protection would just disappear on impact and until you try the same accident with a helmet then no one will know , unless you are prepared to try the same accident but with a helmet I stand by my comment , only difference is you had your accident without a lid and I had mine with one , I hope I dont have one without a lid and I hope you dont choose to have one with a helmet , its impossible to know for certain if helmets offer protection but even if it just offers protection while sliding down the road dragging your head then in my eyes it helps - its not law ( unless racing )in this country and totally up to the individual so whatever floats your boat and makes you feel safest and keep you riding

I had an accident in which I somersaulted over a car landing on my shoulder. Apart from being winded and the spectacular bruise which gradually covered most of my chest I got away with it. Thinking about the geometry of the impact given how I landed, my head must have missed the ground by about the thickness of a helmet. If I had been wearing a helmet
(a) I would have had a quite hard bash on the head and / or wrenched my neck, maybe injured, maybe not
(b) would likely been convinced the helmet had significantly protected my head, "saved my life" even

I don't think I'm being silly or making a specious. point here but I would quite reasonably have made that conclusion

Now that said, this isn't in any way an argument that helmets don't give protection on occasion but it does show how things could quite easily be misleading , and in a real scenario that I've experienced

Anyhow, I stopped wearing one due to the numbers from Australia and Ontario which seemed to indicate no safety gain pre- and post helmet compulsion. Presumably they sometimes help and sometimes make things worse?

 

[matticus]

even if it just offers protection while sliding down the road dragging your head then in my eyes it helps

We don't know, but I can't see that you can rule out your helmet giving your neck more strain in that situation, and your brain being more rattled around. (but it WILL reduce abrasions, which even I think is a benefit!)

 

[icowden]

There is no substantiated statistical evidence that cycle helmets have any effect on the number of serious or life changing injuries suffered by the users in collisions or accidents. If there was, it would be out there and if it did confirm an 'overall' reduction I would wear a helmet, I'm not stupid!

And yet if you look at medical research, doctors always seem to think that helmets reduce head and facial injuries even if helmets are only styrofoam and plastic.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7025438/

 

[Andy in Germany]

And yet if you look at medical research, doctors always seem to think that helmets reduce head and facial injuries even if helmets are only styrofoam and plastic.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7025438/

And doctors are never wrong:

 

[matticus]

And yet if you look at medical research, doctors always seem to think that helmets reduce head and facial injuries

Not the same as "serious or life-changing" is it? I'm happy to confirm they will reduce cuts-n-bruises; but the manufacturuers own research shows no reduction in concussions.

Your money, your choice. But please oppose compulsion. x

 

[raleighnut]

I had an accident in which I somersaulted over a car landing on my shoulder. Apart from being winded and the spectacular bruise which gradually covered most of my chest I got away with it. Thinking about the geometry of the impact given how I landed, my head must have missed the ground by about the thickness of a helmet. If I had been wearing a helmet
(a) I would have had a quite hard bash on the head and / or wrenched my neck, maybe injured, maybe not
(b) would likely been convinced the helmet had significantly protected my head, "saved my life" even

I don't think I'm being silly or making a specious. point here but I would quite reasonably have made that conclusion

Now that said, this isn't in any way an argument that helmets don't give protection on occasion but it does show how things could quite easily be misleading , and in a real scenario that I've experienced

Anyhow, I stopped wearing one due to the numbers from Australia and Ontario which seemed to indicate no safety gain pre- and post helmet compulsion. Presumably they sometimes help and sometimes make things worse?

I had a similar accident (somersault) but landed on the back of my head/neck, if there had been something protruding behind my head (edge of a helmet say) I'd probably be typing this with a stick in my mouth.