Has your helmet saved your life poll

[lay]

Totally - more jerks exists in motor vehicles than anywhere. I prefer a cycle anytime, much free'er. It's a beautiful activity. My view is that windscreens shouldn't exist - as the majority don't understand speed and get very complacent with the separation that a vehicle provides from outside. And that brings danger to cyclists and pedestrians.

 

[lay]

And thus a cyclist needs to defend themselves against such danger!

 

[Edwardoka]

Totally - more jerks exists in motor vehicles than anywhere. I prefer a cycle anytime, much free'er. It's a beautiful activity. My view is that windscreens shouldn't exist - as the majority don't understand speed and get very complacent with the separation that a vehicle provides from outside. And that brings danger to cyclists and pedestrians.

Well we found something we can agree on.

If cycle helmets are for the safety of cyclists then it logically follows that there should be driver/passenger helmets (because serious head trauma happens inside cars all the time), as well as walking down the street helmets and climbing the stairs helmets.

My argument is that a polystyrene lid on your napper isn't likely to make a jot of difference if someone in a lorry runs over your head or a car swerves into you at 40mph, although if you do have a crash, get up, brush yourself off and see that your helmet is smashed your instinct will be "phew, that could have been bad", but there's still a reasonable chance that you wouldn't have hit your head in the first place (as your head is a bigger target with a lid on)

 

[Edwardoka]

And so you put your faith in a helmet rated for what level of impact?

Last I heard it was a vertical drop with a linear impact velocity of ~12mph, parabolic trajectories aren't tested for reasons.

 

[morrisman]

No personal insults just opinion that stands the test of time in regards to safety !

I can ride my bike as fast as a motor vehicle, yet legally not wear a helmet - thats very wrong. Speed equals danger and thus the law requires you to wear a helmet.

In the future cycling will warrant a helmet, if you dont have the inteligence to wear one in the 1st place - thats a safe marker for all, as we can all see here; stupidity is well in evidence.

Does not compute

You've got to be pretty brave (and stupid) not to wear a helmet nowadays.

No you just need a different viewpoint from the available evidence.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Given the title of the thread -"Has your helmet saved your life poll", my question is: how would I know?

GC

 

[Profpointy]

I've used and worn a helmet since year dot in my cycling 'emporiums' lol from a THICK lidded polystyrene job to an ultra light version.

I own 3 - getting a replacement for the Limar i cracked for £50...

I KNOW THEY WORK - due to the fact i've crashed twice and crawled off the road instead of being scooped off the tarmac - thats over a period of 25yrs.

You are a fool to not wear a helmet.

I think you are !"£$%^& *$%^head to not wear one.

OK, so given they don't seem to have helped post-compulsion in Australia, or Ontario, what is going on ?
They may have helped you in a given spill, but overall, in the above places, wearing rates have gone up from 10% to 90% or whatever it is, but no corresponding improvement in killed / serious injury.

So if, as seems to be the case, increased wearing hasn't on average helped overall, why are non-wearers fools ?

Am I missing something?

 

[TheDoctor]

I just love the notion that if you're hit by a car or lorry then 100g of polystyrene will save your bacon!
If helmets make cycling safer, then places with helmet compulsion would be safer places to ride - we'd see this in the statistics.
Except we don't.
If anything, compulsion seems to make cycling more dangerous.
Still, I doubt we'll convince the OP. We certainly haven't every other time this has cropped up...

 

[format]

Yes, what difference does that make. Whats a car got to do with cycling. Nothing.

"Australian government study showed that 25% of all car fatalities could be avoided if the motorists had worn helmets - despite seatbelts and airbags. That's over 250,000 lives saved every year globally, and 10,000 in the US alone"

Can I assume you'll be wearing a helmet in the car from now on, too?

 

[lay]

Well we found something we can agree on.

If cycle helmets are for the safety of cyclists then it logically follows that there should be driver/passenger helmets (because serious head trauma happens inside cars all the time), as well as walking down the street helmets and climbing the stairs helmets.

My argument is that a polystyrene lid on your napper isn't likely to make a jot of difference if someone in a lorry runs over your head or a car swerves into you at 40mph, although if you do have a crash, get up, brush yourself off and see that your helmet is smashed your instinct will be "phew, that could have been bad", but there's still a reasonable chance that you wouldn't have hit your head in the first place (as your head is a bigger target with a lid on)

An accident doesn't care about argument it just damages you.

 

[lay]

OK, so given they don't seem to have helped post-compulsion in Australia, or Ontario, what is going on ?
They may have helped you in a given spill, but overall, in the above places, wearing rates have gone up from 10% to 90% or whatever it is, but no corresponding improvement in killed / serious injury.

So if, as seems to be the case, increased wearing hasn't on average helped overall, why are non-wearers fools ?

Am I missing something?

Let's put it this way;

A warning on a cigarette packet doesn't stop a smoker.

Discussing this matter isn't going to help those that do not use a helmet from damage.

I sincerely hope those that don't want to wear a helmet, do not hit their head on a hard surface.

I truly hope !

For your sake..

If you do have a head fatality injury, should the local hospital know that you aren't really bothered about safety and thus not come and save you life? or just waste their time on you so you can be put in the morgue for collection by a funeral director?

Awaiting a smart arse answer !

 

[lay]

"Australian government study showed that 25% of all car fatalities could be avoided if the motorists had worn helmets - despite seatbelts and airbags. That's over 250,000 lives saved every year globally, and 10,000 in the US alone"

Can I assume you'll be wearing a helmet in the car from now on, too?

No, but I'll use seatbelt.

I very rarely use a car.

 

[Profpointy]

Let's put it this way;

A warning on a cigarette packet doesn't stop a smoker.

Discussing this matter isn't going to help those that do not use a helmet from damage.

I sincerely hope those that don't want to wear a helmet, do not hit their head on a hard surface.

I truly hope !

For your sake..

If you do have a head fatality injury, should the local hospital know that you aren't really bothered about safety and thus not come and save you life? or just waste their time on you so you can be put in the morgue for collection by a funeral director?

Awaiting a smart arse answer !

No smart arse answer, just a repeat of the question " if helmets are a good thing as you assert, why don't they work in Australia and Ontario". ?


Just try and think about what you are saying and what others are saying.
You have stated that everyone influenced by the evidence are fools.
Presumably if we just listen to you instead we are not fools.

I used to think like you, but I was influenced by evidence and changed my view.

I am very bothered about safety.
Twatish comments about morgues (you missed out "drinking through a straw" are both lazy and dishonest, quite apart from being offensive.

 

[theclaud]

Awaiting a smart arse answer !

You can have one when you pose a smart arse question.

 

[bianchi1]

Why does everyone say that the helmet law in Australia has made cycling more dangerous?

The new evidence does not seem to support this assertion.

http://www.beezodogsplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Corrected_Proof.pdf

Please don't shoot the messenger...just putting it out there!