Benefits of wearing a helmet

[ferret fur]

So just how do so many pedestrians get injured or killed by motor vehicles?

Either they are very young
or they are very old
or they are pissed
or they fail to look before they step into the road.

This in essense is why I think the pedestrian thing is a massive red herring when it comes to deciding whether or not I personally wear a helmet. There are a small number of people killed by cars mounting the pavement, but in general to get hit by a car you have to be in the road with it at the same time. On a bike I have little choice about this. I can mitigate some of the factors which cause accidents but I am also very much relying on other people not to drive badly. As a pedestrian all I need to do is pay attention to what I am doing. If I follow the Green Cross Code I have very little to fear from cars. Therefore no matter what the relative risk rates of cycling and walking (& I have major doubts about the stats) The best way I can reduce risk when walking is to look before I cross the road, the benefit from wearing a helmet in these circumstances is negligible. As a cyclist I cannot reduce the risk factors by the same extent, therefore the benefit from the protection of a helmet in the event of an unavoidable (by me) accident is worthwhile.

 

[dondare]

I think the helmet thing is a massive red herring when it comes to road safety.

It's only in towns that pedestrians always have the opportunity to make their whole journey on the pavement, out in the sticks most roads don't have them. Would you wear a helmet to walk the two miles from Little Wurzleford to Great Longmow, or even the half mile down to the village shop or pub?

I believe that the number of pedestrians killed by motor-vehicles driving on the pavement, verge or other pedestrian areas is 40 - 60 a year, about half the number of cyclists killed on the roiad. Not such a small number.

 

[dondare]

I don't wear a helmet because I don't want to. Sorted.

However, I think it's very hypocritical for Lee to rattle on about a helmet saving lives in this post, yet praise the riding in this one. Sensible cycling will do a lot more for your survival rate than a helmet will.

Lee is not saying that the riders in the Alleycat are either safe or sensible, just that riding like that takes an appreciable amount of skill.

 

[taxing]

LOL not at all, good forward thinking and planning.

Me thinks you are trying to take sound forward thinking and riding and turn it on it's head.

That's what Lee said on that post in reply to someone questioning their riding because it relied upon the evasive action of others, 'good forward thinking and planning' and 'sound forward thinking and riding' would imply safe and sensible riding to me.

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

So just how do so many pedestrians get injured or killed by motor vehicles?

No idea but riding on the road, with cars is different to walking on the pavement where cars tend not to drive,
I therefore personally think that my presence on the road doing speeds in excess of 20 mph, increases my chances of having an accident and therefore hitting my head.

I am 41 years old and never been hit by a car as a pedestrian.

I have been cycling to work for 1 year now and have already been hit by a car and knocked off.

I therefore feel that my chances of having a serious accident while on a bike mixing with motor traffic is greatly increased.

As I value my head, its the only one I have got, its makes sense to me to protect it, as it controls most of the functions of my body, and if it can avoid me having to eat my sunday dinner through a straw I would take that any day.

 

[dondare]

That's what Lee said on that post in reply to someone questioning their riding because it relied upon the evasive action of others, 'good forward thinking and planning' and 'sound forward thinking and riding' would imply safe and sensible riding to me.

To me they imply good road skills.

A safe environment or activity requires neither skill nor protective headgear to survive it.
A hazardous environment or activity requires skill and/or protective headgear to survive.

In the context of the Alleycat the riders needed to be skillful. In the context of everyday cycling on ordinary roads I am saying that protective headgear should not be necessary.

 

[dondare]

No idea but riding on the road, with cars is different to walking on the pavement where cars tend not to drive,
I therefore personally think that my presence on the road doing speeds in excess of 20 mph, increases my chances of having an accident and therefore hitting my head.

I am 41 years old and never been hit by a car as a pedestrian.

I have been cycling to work for 1 year now and have already been hit by a car and knocked off.

I therefore feel that my chances of having a serious accident while on a bike mixing with motor traffic is greatly increased.

As I value my head, its the only one I have got, its makes sense to me to protect it, as it controls most of the functions of my body, and if it can avoid me having to eat my sunday dinner through a straw I would take that any day.

I am 52 years old and have been cycling in London for 30 years. In that time I've been knocked off twice by pedestrians running into the road and once caught out by a left hook. I've been tipped off by a trailer pulled by a van and come off once after hitting oil on a roundabout and once when cycling off road. I've had one mysterious accident possibly caused by something on the road getting wedged between the wheel and fork crown which sent me over the handlebars.
I've had gashed elbows, bruised hips and even a deflated lung but never concusion. It could still happen but my experience is that cycling accidents are no more likely and no more serious than accidents not related to cycling.

 

[Mark_J]

I never used to wear a helmet but my wife has a friend who works with people who have sustained head injuries as a result of RTA's etc and she gave me a very convincing explanation as to why I ought to wear one. Basically there are a set of bones at the front of the skull that have sharp edges to them that can cause damage to the brain should there be a blow to the head.

Also, my wife loves me and doesn't want me to get hurt.

 

[numbnuts]

There use to be an advert in MTB UK a few years back saying
"you think you look stupid wearing a helmet"
"you would look worse being spoon fed by a nurse after an accident"

 

[Tinuts]

I am 52 years old and have been cycling in London for 30 years.

My age, cycling experience and accident rate are extremely similar to yours. As I've mentioned before, it was my first accident in London (soon after I arrived here) that persuaded me of the benefits of wearing a helmet. Out of my subsequent accidents two have resulted in helmets being damaged beyond repair/further use. For that I'm thankful (as it saved my head!) and, to me at least, justifies my continued use of head protection.

It also gives me somewhere to mount the camera and lights.

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

I am 52 years old and have been cycling in London for 30 years. In that time I've been knocked off twice by pedestrians running into the road and once caught out by a left hook. I've been tipped off by a trailer pulled by a van and come off once after hitting oil on a roundabout and once when cycling off road. I've had one mysterious accident possibly caused by something on the road getting wedged between the wheel and fork crown which sent me over the handlebars.
I've had gashed elbows, bruised hips and even a deflated lung but never concusion. It could still happen but my experience is that cycling accidents are no more likely and no more serious than accidents not related to cycling.

Fair enough, I have been driving for 20 years now and have never hit another car, but I still wear seat belt.

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

I never used to wear a helmet but my wife has a friend who works with people who have sustained head injuries as a result of RTA's etc and she gave me a very convincing explanation as to why I ought to wear one. Basically there are a set of bones at the front of the skull that have sharp edges to them that can cause damage to the brain should there be a blow to the head.

Also, my wife loves me and doesn't want me to get hurt.

This is a good enough reason to invest in a few quid and wear one.
Simplez

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

There use to be an advert in MTB UK a few years back saying
"you think you look stupid wearing a helmet"
"you would look worse being spoon fed by a nurse after an accident"

My sentiments exactly

 

[BentMikey]

Do you really think a Magic Foam Hat is going to save your life? Stop some cuts and bruises, sure, but it's a bit of a stretch to think it'll do more.

 

[Alembicbassman]

My Car has ABS - never needed it

My car has seatbelts - never needed them

My car has several airbags - never needed them

I wear a £20 helmet - never needed it

However, if something does happen when driving or cycling I rather have all of the above than nothing at all.