The CycleChat Helmet Debate Thread

[Wobblers]

Please point out anywhere a claim is made that a helmet will prevent a facial injury. You know full well the parts of the head a helmet may provide some protection for. Some of us choose to wear extra protection for that part of our heads. Why is that so difficult for you to understand.

Your supply of red herrings is seemingly endless.

Your face is most definitely part of your head! And it is more than possible to get severe brain injury from facial impacts. This is in addition to such injuries causing obstruction of the airways (not an uncommon cause of death in facial injuries). Far from being a red herring, why would you not want to protect your face if you're already going to the extent of wearing a helmet (which covers the strongest part of the skull)?

Why do you see cranial protection as required and facial protection as a "red herring"?

 

[MontyVeda]

Well no one goes out cycling with the intent of landing on their heads,I'll grant you that.
But it does happen,with no way of preventing it.

bollocks!

The three times i came off my bike in recent years, i managed to prevent it from happening again. some just buy a helmet and carry on as usual, but me... nope, i had a good thunk about it.

 

[Big Andy]

The red herring is asking what part of something not designed to prevent facial injury prevented facial injury.

 

[Wobblers]

How about this one ?

"helmeted bicyclists in our study were 72% less likely to sustain traumatic brain injury, compared with un-helmeted bicyclists, in the event of a crash. Helmeted bicyclists were also less likely to sustain the most severe intracranial haemorrhagic lesions. In addition, our data show that helmeted bicyclists had a lower likelihood of loss of consciousness and a lower likelihood of requiring hospital admission".

A quotation without attribution is meaningless. Where is it from?

 

[Wobblers]

The red herring is asking what part of something not designed to prevent facial injury prevented facial injury.

So you don't think facial injury is a risk? Why not?

 

[MontyVeda]

The red herring is asking what part of something not designed to prevent facial injury prevented facial injury.

I think Adrian was responding to this...

... judging by the facial injury he received when the side of his face also hit the deck I don't doubt that his helmet did help him. ...

 

[MarquisMatsugae]

We're talking at cross purposes. You say such incidents do happen, which I do not deny. Many of the rest of us say that relevant incidents happen very very rarely - are you comfortable agreeing with that?

Yes I am.
TBH,I think this thread should be locked as both sides of the argument have been regurgitated over 350 pages(almost).
And the same people will put up the same arugments over and over........and over.

 

[Roxy641]

No because in my humble opinion the risk is much smaller when walking than cycling. Just my personal opinion and choice. I am more than happy for others to conclude differently

Depends. When it is icy the risk of falling over while walking (no matter how careful we are) is much greater than when no ice is around. Yet, I never see anyone suggesting that we wear a helmet while walking (not even, like I say when there is ice about). Why is that?

 

[Roxy641]

"....HERE's a link to the full report

Just thought I'd point this bit out;

Conflict of interest.
Peter Halldin is the CTO at the helmet company MITS AB, Sweden.

Having a vested interest in the report that suits his views. I believe they call that "Confirmation bias"

Thanks for pointing this out Mugshot.

 

[Big Andy]

So you don't think facial injury is a risk? Why not?

I never said that

 

[ufkacbln]

Actually @mjr the second one has just posted on FB his cracked and dented helmet and told everyone to make sure they wear their helmet when cycling, judging by the facial injury he received when the side of his face also hit the deck I don't doubt that his helmet did help him.
Incedentaly, another case where the head has come into contact with the Tarmac just like @Big Andy, something which is incredibly rare according to many on here!

.. and yet another case where facial protection would have been beneficial.

How can we possibly not wear full face helmets?

 

[screenman]

When I came off my bike on black ice my head did hit the road, but my woolly hat saved my life, as I have said many times previously.

Maybe not quite your life, possible some painful abrasions though.

 

[Justinslow]

.

something that seems to happen to helmet wearers all the more often.

I've had three, maybe four offs since 1985. I've been cycling pretty much daily since 2000 (that's well over 5000 journeys in the last 16 years). None of the three or four offs resulted in me hitting my head on the ground.... so as far as i'm concerned, falling off my bike is rare, hitting my head is almost* unheard of.

*last time i fell of my bike and hit my head was 1985.

Both accidents were on cycle paths too, not the road!

 

[Mugshot]

When I came off my bike on black ice my head did hit the road, but my woolly hat saved my life, as I have said many times previously.

I don't know how long ago this was but I hope if the opportunity was there you posted about it on Facebook, or at the very least were in the local paper making a plea for more woolly hats, preferably with a picture of yourself looking very serious holding up the hat to the camera.

 

[Mugshot]

Both accidents were on cycle paths too, not the road!

What happened?