The CycleChat Helmet Debate Thread

[Dan B]

[QUOTE 3939945, member: 45"]I was pleasantly surprised when I read this thread this morning, as it seems that we've moved on a bit and are now actually considering that it's not about blanket activities.[/QUOTE]
This was two days ago, on page 24. Oh well

 

[Justinslow]

So you are now arguing that you can prevent accidents, despite claiming that you can't prevent accidents

You really need to make up your mind

It would be foolish to not wear the trousers just like it would be foolish to not wear the helmet.......

 

[Justinslow]

So having shown that it is possible for pedestrians to reach the speeds you are claiming the rules have changed again to sustaining that speed for long distances. Tragically once again you are disproving your own theory in your desperation




As you say accidents can happen at any point, so if both pedestrian and cyclist are at the same speed at that point, surely even you must admit that both should wear a helmet at that point (or not)

No because I still don't believe the pedestrian is at a similar risk level because of all the things I listed some time ago,

I just see cycling in a light which opens up the possibilities for accidents - busy roads, idiot drivers, mechanical mishaps (punctures, brakes, drive train etc) slippery conditions, animals running out, children running out, car drivers opening their doors in your path, manhole covers, pot holes etc etc all exacerbated by speed. Most of which will happen when cycling but not whilst walking on the pavement

 

[Martyb32]

I always wear a helmet and I'm glad I do because this happened to me in April this year.

 

[totallyfixed]

Flogging a dead horse springs to mind. You can provide all the hard evidence you like but it is a waste of time if they refuse to accept the facts. I applaud those stalwarts on here that keep on keeping on. Mostly you are preaching to the converted. Whenever I post videos of a whole nation riding without helmets including school children The pro helmet folk never answer, how could they? It flies in the face of everything they believe.
One of my favourite pictures I took last year in the Netherlands. This is how it should be

 

[classic33]

Israel followed Australias lead on MHL, repealing it in 2011 on the basis of research done.

And does anyone know why and what the research they used was?

 

[ufkacbln]

I always wear a helmet and I'm glad I do because this happened to me in April this year.

It is never nice to have an injury, but inthis case following the advice of teh British Dental Association would have been beneficial with a full face helmet?

 

[ufkacbln]

Lets go back to basics....

There is a bike with badly adjusted brakes that gets involved in an accident because it cannot stop
There is a second bike with well adjusted brakes that can stop and thus does not have the accident


Which is the more sensible approach

Riding a well adjusted bike or mitigating the effect of poor adjustment by wearing a helmet

 

[ufkacbln]

Going back to the weak arguments about pedestrians not needing to wear helmets and the even weaker "anyone who doesn't is a fool" argument

On my commute I pass under a railway bridge. It is a main pedestrian route and used by both ccylists and pedestrians
Water seeps down this and the ground below is wet forming ice in cold weather

THe average speed of cyclists is slow because of this obvious hazard

I have dealt with both cyclists and pedestrians who have slipped and fallen, including head injuries

Why is a cyclist who suffers a head inury here a "fool" for not wearng a helmet, but the pededtrian isn't?

 

[Justinslow]

So those pedestrians who end up in A&E with head injuries, what of them? Do you think they are imaginary?

It's just another aspect of life completely unrelated to cycling, what about head injuries to kids playing in a park if you want to keep using that analogy, un related and a separate subject with a different set of hazards.
[QUOTE 3941346, member: 45"]I spent 4 years working on a neuro unit. Head injuries tended to be workplace accidents, road accidents, drunks, soldiers. A few accidents at home. I never saw anyone acquire a head injury from walking down the road with no other factors. In my time I met two cyclists with life-changing head injuries[/QUOTE]

 

[ufkacbln]

It's just another aspect of life completely unrelated to cycling, what about head injuries to kids playing in a park if you want to keep using that analogy, un related and a separate subject with a different set of hazards.

We are moving on apace

No longer is the argument the unsustainable pedestrians don't do 30 mph, pedestrians aren't at risk etc.... we are now falling back to the usual reserve position position of "it isn't cycling", so lets refuse to discuss at all

Shame that you have again contradicted yourself and again disallowed your own posts about PPE and chainsaws, both of which are ust another aspect of life completely unrelated to cycling

 

[Justinslow]

We are moving on apace

No longer is the argument the unsustainable pedestrians don't do 30 mph, pedestrians aren't at risk etc.... we are now falling back to the usual reserve position position of "it isn't cycling", so lets refuse to discuss at all

Shame that you have again contradicted yourself and again disallowed your own posts about PPE and chainsaws, both of which are ust another aspect of life completely unrelated to cycling

How's that so? I use PPE with my chainsaw, I use it for many other things aswell, I use a bike helmet when I'm flying along through the woods on my mtb and use a bike helmet when I'm on my road bike.
I don't use PPE when I'm walking down the street because it doesn't have the risk associated with it. Despite your "occasional" Good Samaritan work regarding ice, good for you by the way for helping.

So far from what I'm seeing some of you refuse to wear a helmet when cycling because you've never had a beneficial result from it and then take it further by saying stuff like "I've never cut myself while chain sawing so why should I wear safety trousers"?

 

[Justinslow]

I always wear a helmet and I'm glad I do because this happened to me in April this year.

That looks grim, hope your doing ok now and that the helmet was of some use in preventing further much worse injuries.

 

[theclaud]

Lets go back to basics....

Please God no.

 

[Justinslow]

Please God no.

No lets- if you fall from a bike a helmet may prevent a head injury.
That's pretty basic isn't it?