Reasons not to wear helmets

[Red Light]

On the conjecture that wearing something on your head is better than nothing I am going to ride today with a rabbits foot tied to my head

Why not go for the whole rabbit and you can tie its ears together under you chin to hold it in place.

 

[david k]

Do you carry a lucky rabbits foot with you David?

If not, why not?

Because it offers no protection

 

[david k]

I wonder how many people there are with a St Christopher's Medal believing it will save them from a fatal traffic accident?

People do not wear helmets under the belief it will save them from an accident, but protect in the case of one

 

[twobiker]

I wear my hat to cover up the fact that i am losing my hair, a full head of hair is great, a bald head is to, but a half head is style suicide.

 

[ianrauk]

I wear my hat to cover up the fact that i am losing my hair, a full head of hair is great, a bald head is to, but a half head is style suicide.

One of the very things a Buff was invented for... to be worn Pirate Stylee of course

 

[twobiker]

I have a Bandana , look like Willie Nelson.

 

[ufkacbln]

People do not wear helmets under the belief it will save them from an accident, but protect in the case of one

Which is why the single agenda groups such as the BHIT and ill informed pro-compulsion lobby are so dangerous.

This is the only area where the concentration is on dealing with the consequences rather than prevention.

The message is "Wear a helmet or die" and everything else is irrelevant - you can ride as dangerously as you like on a badly maintained bicycle so long as you wear a helmet

In some areas (Norwich is an example) compulsion is even more detrimental.

Uptake of the training that could prevent accidents and save lives by doing so has decreased after they made helmets compulsory on the course and excluded many of the children who would benefit most!

 

[the snail]

i like to wear one because if it gives me 1% extra chance if i crash then it has to be worth it how much is your life worth.

As I understand it, you're more likely to suffer a head injury when walking, etc, so presumably by your logic you wear a helmet all the time, not just on the bike? I mean, it would be daft to take the helmet off when you get off the bike and walk when the benefit of the helmet would be greatest, Shirley?

 

[ufkacbln]

As DavidK points out, the helmet is only effective when the impact occurs, and you can only prevent injury when this happens

This is why we should consider helmets for other groups........... as we can prevent more head injuries if pedestrians and car drivers were to wear them.

Unless of course the agenda is in fact nothing to do with preventing head injuries, but more about avoiding responsibility and making cyclists as a group uniquely responsible for alleviating injuries that you cause!

 

[adam23]

As I understand it, you're more likely to suffer a head injury when walking, etc, so presumably by your logic you wear a helmet all the time, not just on the bike? I mean, it would be daft to take the helmet off when you get off the bike and walk when the benefit of the helmet would be greatest, Shirley?


thats a quite a funny reply to my comment.

do you who dont wear helmets wear seatbelts? i had a friend who died because of his as the force ruptured an artery in his heart.

 

[david k]

As I understand it, you're more likely to suffer a head injury when walking, etc, so presumably by your logic you wear a helmet all the time, not just on the bike? I mean, it would be daft to take the helmet off when you get off the bike and walk when the benefit of the helmet would be greatest, Shirley?

we discussed this some time ago. It was agreed with redlight that the risk of head injury while walking is so minute the wearing of a helmet was not worth it. So your logic is flawed, read over old posts to see why.

try offering something new instead of bringing up old objections that were proved flawed before

 

[twobiker]

I think wearing a cycle helmet when walking without a bike would be safer as it would deflect the things that people would throw at you as they shout W**k**.

 

[david k]

I think wearing a cycle helmet when walking without a bike would be safer as it would deflect the things that people would throw at you as they shout W**k**.

Do you get that often?

 

[ufkacbln]

we discussed this some time ago. It was agreed with redlight that the risk of head injury while walking is so minute the wearing of a helmet was not worth it. So your logic is flawed, read over old posts to see why.

try offering something new instead of bringing up old objections that were proved flawed before

Yep - the BMJ is absolutely flawed, these medics are simply all liars and charlatans!

The inherent risks of road cycling are trivial.3 Of at least 3.5 million regular cyclists in Britain, only about 10 a year are killed in rider only accidents. This compares with about 350 people younger than 75 killed each year falling down steps or tripping.4 Six times as many pedestrians as cyclists are killed by motor traffic, yet travel surveys show annual mileage walked is only five times that cycled; a mile of walking must be more “dangerous” than a mile of cycling. In both cases, of course, the activity itself is harmless—but it's in the way. Although a mile of driving is ten times safer than a mile of cycling, a mile of urban driving is ten times more likely to kill a pedestrian than such a mile cycled.

Wardlaw BMJ 2000

The point you made earlier is the important one depending on whether the agenda is really about preventing head injuries.

A helmet can only work when the accident occurs. Cyclist head injuries are less than 1% of those requiring hospital admission. If we are really looking at preventing head injury why not accept the concept and ensure helmets are worn each time an injury occurs.

Otherwise you are clearly implying that if a pedestrian and a cyclist suffer the same impact, the same injury and the same consequences then the outcome is acceptable in the latter, but not in the former

That needs some explaining

 

[ufkacbln]

DavidK has a history of "agreeing not to discuss further" when it becomes uncomfortable

These discussions should flow, and if that means repeating, clarifying a point etc

Trying to exclude points or areas is really rather silly, and an attempt to avoid rather than inform