Can somebody summarise helmet-gate for me please?

[JoeyB]

Very simple....

A mate of mine was out shopping a few days ago and fell over. A shopping trolley pulled out on him whilst he was travelling at circa 3mph. He was wearing a lid and suffered a hit to the head. He suffered a head injury and I think was knocked out for a while. He has no uncertainty that the lid saved his life, or at the very least saved him from a nastier injury.

I struggle to understand how an anti-helmet argument could stand up against the example above...and this is coming from someone who doesn't wear one!

Is this unequivocal proof for pedestrian helmets?

I'm struggling to see what this has to do with the price of fish? Unless you're talking about REALLY fast walking peds?

 

[screenman]

A lot of non helmet wearers do wear gloves to protect their hands should they come off of their bikes.

 

[JoeyB]

I think you have to clarify if you are discussing helmet wearing for sport cyclists or real utility cyclists. Sports people in general tend to put less emphasis on safety and more on performance resulting in them being involved in more crashes and suffering more injuries. Personally, I seldom reach 15mph, and 30 is way beyond the pale for me.

You say "I just want the facts ideally, without the emotion, Is that even possible lol?" yet relate a rather unfortunate tale regarding your friend to us.
Well no, there are no facts, it's a matter for each individual to evaluate the pros and cons.

The reason for the post is that to me, it seems to make sense to wear a helmet when out cycling on the roads, just because the chances of a high speed impact are greatly increased. I don't wear one because I'm probably stupid. However, my theory is purely based on my own assumption, it is not backed up by any evidence, it just seems to make sense to me.

However, I'm an open minded person and I'm interested to see what the argument against helmets is all about. It wasn't until I joined this forum that I realised there was such a contrast in opinion!

My mate having his off just sparked me to finally post something.

 

[JoeyB]

What has speed to do with it?

Do the chances of damage / injury not increase the faster an object is traveling at the point of impact?

No good for high speed though

What are you calling high speed?

 

[w00hoo_kent]

I'll have a go, having waded in to the debate somewhat reluctantly a week to two ago. In no particular order...

For -
They must do some good because they are an extra barrier.
I know someone who said their life was saved by one once. (Possibly the poster)
Why take the chance not to.
They wouldn't exist if they weren't of some use.

Against -
The more people who wear them the more likely it'll be that they are compulsory which makes cycling harder
There is no evidence that they save lives
They don't do anything at a lot of speeds
You wouldn't wear a helmet to do other stuff during which you might hit your head.
They cause injuries because they can catch on things and move your head about.
They aren't nice to wear.

The thing to remember is that mostly the choice is based on a Faith and the arguments powered by that, very few, if any, people in the debate are going to change their mind because of the discussion. Make your choice and be happy with it, as long as people aren't ostracised because of their choice it's fine (although choosing not to ever will count you out of some organised events).

 

[JoeyB]

The design limits for British/EU standards compliant helmets is 12 mph - for US Standard compliant helmets it's 14 mph. 12 mph is the equivalent of falling over from standing still.

Well bugger me! I stand corrected.

 

[JoeyB]

On the other hand, my wife was hit by a car once (as a ped) at around 30mph, her head took a big impact on the bonnet. She was out of hospital the same evening with a big watery lump on her head. So you could say the bonnet saved her life lol

 

[ianrauk]

On the other hand, my wife was hit by a car once (as a ped) at around 30mph, her head took a big impact on the bonnet. She was out of hospital the same evening with a big watery lump on her head. So you could say the bonnet saved her life lol

If she WAS wearing a helmet, it WOULD have saved her life.


On a serious note, glad to hear she wasn't badly injured.

 

[Mugshot]

As has been said already, it's entirely personal. Or at least it should be, as @ianrauk has said there are no anti-helmet threads and I'm not sure that many are actually anti-helmet. However, as has been shown by a poster above there are some who are vehemently pro-helmet and will happily tell you that you are a particularly stupid individual if you don't wear one and deserve everything you may, or may not, get.
It needs a slightly different way of thinking about things, on the surface the evidence is clear, a helmet is designed to protect the head therefore the wearing of a helmet must be a good thing. It's not until you dig down a little deeper than the "a helmet saved my life" anecdotes that you find it's an awful lot more complicated.
For me some of the best data comes from the areas where helmet wearing is compulsary, Australia for example. Here you have real world data on the effectiveness of helmets, it's worth reading what the results have been.
In the end though it's up to you and that's exactly as it should be.

 

[JoeyB]

I post you a link to all sorts of knowledge but it only counts when User tells you?

He gave me the headlines. I haven't got to that link yet.

 

[Venod]

Some good reading here.

http://www.ctc.org.uk/campaigning/views-and-briefings/cycle-helmets

 

[Markymark]

My summary of both sides as I see it:

People who don't wear helmets are not interested in their own safety
People who wear helmets are not interested in the evidence

I hope that clears things up!

 

[JoeyB]

My summary of both sides as I see it:

People who don't wear helmets are not interested in their own safety
People who wear helmets are not interested in the evidence

I hope that clears things up!

Pretty much the sum of it!

 

[Markymark]

On the assumption that you are being serious, what makes you think that?

It is my summary of what people who wear helmets think of people that don't. The post works best if you quote all of it as you missed the part that says "People who wear helmets are not interested in the evidence" which is my summary of what people who don't wear helmets think of people that do.

 

[brand]

That last sentence is a bit mean, to say the least. Regardless of wether you liked the person or not.
Questions:
Hit in 2005, by a car coming out of a junction. I ended up being carried on the bonnet, having made contact with the bonnet with my head.
Informed later at the hospital that the helmet actually increased the injury. Does that mean they're unsafe?
Currently recovering from a base of skull injury, that occurred in the house. Part & parcel of everyday life for me. But should they(helmets) be worn all the time and which hellmet will protect against a base of skull injury?

Yeah it was a bit mean I have removed it.