Stopped wearing a helmet?

[Psamathe]

When I resumed cycling 10+ years ago I resumed wearing a helmet but was never a true convert so it lessened a bit.

It was Brittany Ferries than completed the wearing on 80% of rides to never. My contrary nature took exception to their "must wear a helmet" and "mustn't ride off". So Portsmouth to Caen, disembarking and my helmet was bungie'd to clear view on my rear rack (as I rode off the ferry) and remained tied to rear rack for rest of the 2 month tour, then put away once back home.

It's so out of fate now probably not even classed as a "helmet" any more.

Ian

 

[Vantage]

I think alot of clubs (especially those affiliated with BC) require the use of a helmet for insurance purposes. If a member gets injured and tries to get compensation through the club, the insurance company may say no helmet no cover which then the club might need to cough up through it's own funds.

 

[FishFright]

Helmets aren't required where I live. Almost the only ones I see wearing them are the ones wearing peacock Lycra and staring angrily at their front wheel as they ride.

Arkansas also repealed its motorcycle helmet law some years ago. Net change in head injuries: zero.

Arkansas and Texas data show unambiguously that helmet use dropped substantially after they repealed their universal helmet use laws. Fatalities have increased in both states. There is also good evidence that serious head injuries increased.

Evaluation of Motorcycle Helmet Law Repeal - ROSA P

Bureau of Transportation Statistics (.gov)

 

[FishFright]

Also Arkansas 22 Oct 2024 — The proportion of motorcycle fatalities that were not wearing a helmet increased from 47.0% (47/100) before the repeal to 78.2% (104/133) after

 

[Vantage]

Motorcycle helmets are built substantially better than cycle helmets though.

 

[mjr]

Also Arkansas 22 Oct 2024 — The proportion of motorcycle fatalities that were not wearing a helmet increased from 47.0% (47/100) before the repeal to 78.2% (104/133) after

Err, that's not surprising, is it? If you stop legally requiring everyone to do something, some of them will stop doing it. That doesn't necessarily mean that a reduction in helmet use increased fatalities. You'd need to show more data to support that sort of causal claim, probably over several years before and after so that distributions can be calculated/estimated to test for significance.

 

[mjr]

Without starting a new helmet thread this one looks fine. My question is what U.K cycling clubs let you ride with no helmet?

All Cycling UK clubs ought to, in line with their campaigning position against forced helmet laws. Nothing in the last ride handbook I saw requires helmet use, but reportedly some of their ride leaders are zealots, but when they've been mentioned to Cycling UK, people have been asked to let HQ know so they can do something... and then it usually disappears from public view so I don't know what happened next.

Of course, British Cycling ought to allow people to choose on non-competitive road rides, in line with their Policy Advisor saying things like "I manufacture the things. In an incident with a car they will have almost no effect." but he doesn't direct the organisation, and BC HQ seems reluctant to encourage constituent clubs to allow freedom of choice.

 

[Milzy]

All Cycling UK clubs ought to, in line with their campaigning position against forced helmet laws. Nothing in the last ride handbook I saw requires helmet use, but reportedly some of their ride leaders are zealots, but when they've been mentioned to Cycling UK, people have been asked to let HQ know so they can do something... and then it usually disappears from public view so I don't know what happened next.

Of course, British Cycling ought to allow people to choose on non-competitive road rides, in line with their Policy Advisor saying things like "I manufacture the things. In an incident with a car they will have almost no effect." but he doesn't direct the organisation, and BC HQ seems reluctant to encourage constituent clubs to allow freedom of choice.

Good answer, I think clubs should let us decide for our selves.

 

[si_c]

Err, that's not surprising, is it? If you stop legally requiring everyone to do something, some of them will stop doing it. That doesn't necessarily mean that a reduction in helmet use increased fatalities. You'd need to show more data to support that sort of causal claim, probably over several years before and after so that distributions can be calculated/estimated to test for significance.

At the very least you'd need the number of motorcyle fatalities before and after to assess whether there was an increase in fatalities, rather than the same number of fatalities, as well as the prevalance of wearing of helmets. Ideally you'd need the number of miles ridden with and without a helmet to get some normalised value of fatalities per x miles with and without. That way you can state with confidence the effectiveness or not of the law.

My understanding is that for motorcycles the evidence is fairly well settled - helmets do in fact save lives and reduce head injuries - whereas for bicycles there is far less evidence and no proper population studies have been done. What there is is some evidence that in countries with mandatory helmet use laws, fatalities and serious head injuries are unchanged with far fewer people chosing to ride a bike.

 

[raleighnut]

At the very least you'd need the number of motorcyle fatalities before and after to assess whether there was an increase in fatalities, rather than the same number of fatalities, as well as the prevalance of wearing of helmets. Ideally you'd need the number of miles ridden with and without a helmet to get some normalised value of fatalities per x miles with and without. That way you can state with confidence the effectiveness or not of the law.

My understanding is that for motorcycles the evidence is fairly well settled - helmets do in fact save lives and reduce head injuries - whereas for bicycles there is far less evidence and no proper population studies have been done. What there is is some evidence that in countries with mandatory helmet use laws, fatalities and serious head injuries are unchanged with far fewer people chosing to ride a bike.

I've got an old mate who rode motorbikes before compulsion and he mostly wore a helmet mainly to keep his goggles on at speed but back then 'de-limit' signs meant just that and bikes like his 500 Velocette and 650 Triumph would easily crack the ton (once you'd got them started)
The 650 Triumph didn't last long before him and his older brother bought a 'Kneeler' outfit frame and rode that on the streets with Ian driving and my mate Graham as passenger. I remember seeing them on it as a kid and thinking Wow as that thundered through the village