Lesson learned NEVER ride without your helmet !

[si_c]

so if a standing (log) fall results in a head impact of around 12mph, and the standard 'cycling' helmet is tested to impacts of around 12mph, is it not more suited to being marketed as a pedestrian helmet? (perish the thought! who'd fall for that?!)

That's kind of the whole point. Why wear something for cycling when you wouldn't consider it for walking when the injury risk I'd the same.

 

[DaveReading]

That's kind of the whole point. Why wear something for cycling when you wouldn't consider it for walking when the injury risk I'd the same.

Do you have any stats to support that assertion about risk?

 

[matticus]

Bear in mind that even if you fall off your bike at 30 mph, the vertical component of your velocity when you hit the ground (which is the bit that matters) will still only be about 12 mph.

I think that's a gross simplification of real world accidents. It assumes a perfectly flat piece of ground (so no kerbs, potholes, debris), as well as the assumption that the you don't hit anything above ground level first (vehicles, trees, signage etc).

I doubt you'd find a cyclist who was reasonably happy to fall onto tarmac at 40mph, believing it would definitely be no worse than a 13mph crash.

 

[si_c]

Do you have any stats to support that assertion about risk?

If the impact is the same from cycling or walking then the risk of concussion or TBI is the same by inference.

 

[fossyant]

I think that's a gross simplification of real world accidents. It assumes a perfectly flat piece of ground (so no kerbs, potholes, debris), as well as the assumption that the you don't hit anything above ground level first (vehicles, trees, signage etc).

I doubt you'd find a cyclist who was reasonably happy to fall onto tarmac at 40mph, believing it would definitely be no worse than a 13mph crash.

Burns your ass a bit at 20 mph, so not trying 40

 

[fossyant]

Burns your ass a bit at 20 mph, so not trying 40

Ruined a new set of club shorts too.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Do you have any stats to support that assertion about risk?

Just go to the DFT summaries and you’ll find the pedestrian head injury risk is slightly higher than that for head injuries whilst cycling.

 

[DaveReading]

If the impact is the same from cycling or walking then the risk of concussion or TBI is the same by inference.

Yes, but for a measure of the overall risk you have to include not just the severity of injury, but the likelihood of it occurring.

 

[si_c]

Yes, but for a measure of the overall risk you have to include not just the severity of injury, but the likelihood of it occurring.

Yes, but it's not possible to calculate either. Nobody reports falling over and not banging their head.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

If you are going to talk about head injuries you need to discuss the 99% that are not due to cycling. This is US but sure similar can be found for UK. Tackle the 99% before you look at less than 1%.

“The total number of head injury fatalities in the US is around 75,000 per year. (Estimates vary, up to 115,000). The total number of bicycling fatalities, from all injuries, is only about 800. The number of cyclists killed annually due to head injury is a maximum of 600, probably much less. That's not merely low; That's less than 1%!”

 

[Ming the Merciless]

There are, very roughly, about 15 million miles of cycling between bike fatalities.

 

[matticus]

Yes, but for a measure of the overall risk you have to include not just the severity of injury, but the likelihood of it occurring.

But isn't that built into the figures:

Just go to the DFT summaries and you’ll find the pedestrian head injury risk is slightly higher than that for head injuries whilst cycling.

 

[simongt]

This discussion is invariably scattered with statisitics which 'prove' the for or against wearing of bash hats. It's still a personal choice, so on the basis of possibility, should we be wearing cut proof gloves every time we need to cut up a carrot or whatever at home though - ?
Just in case - !

 

[Dale 1956]

On Wednesday we decided to go for a short ride on our mountain bikes along part of the Suffolk costal path.. as we were preparing we discussed wearing or not wearing helmets.. we always wear them when road riding.. but it's a grassy trail with no traffic so no real hazards but we decided that it would be prudent to wear.. the day you don't is the day you wish you had..I had hit a pot hole, partly hidden by grass , probably a rabbit hole. I went over the handlebars and did a face first landing on the gravel path ! Face in a right old state.. nose and chin grazed and bleeding and arm swelling by the minute.. I got some water and cloth to help with the pain and wipe the blood away. My other half cycle home to get the car and went to the Hospital , X-ray a shows wrist broken in two places .. so plaster for 6 weeks.. no more cycling for awhile.

Lesson learned, NEVER ride without your helmet. even when going slow and on a grassy trail or cycle path and you think it will be safe without.. don't tempt fate.

Back in 2015 I was hit on the road and I was almost home and got hit if it was not for my Burn Helmet I would not be here today!Some people around here don't like the Burns they say you look like a dork with them on well dork or not it save my life and I got three kinds of Burns helmets here now I will not ride unless I have one of them on.And part of my upper back was broken but I am alive and still ride my new Surly Disc Trucker I built it my self too.