The CycleChat Helmet Debate Thread

[shouldbeinbed]

Non wearer - Hand on heart I do not ever remember hitting my head (and no I don't think that is due to memory loss because I hit my head) Various broken bones and skinned flesh but not once can I recall an occasion when I've hit my head.
To pick up on a point you made in a couple of posts I don't seem to fall off very often either, I'm not suggesting higher skill levels or less risk taking or that I'm not as clumsy, but when I read posts about how many times people have hit their heads (sometimes in relatively short time frames) it does occur to me that I haven't even fallen off that many times whilst cycling never mind suffered a head injury as a consequence.

I could have written the same, I do wonder about risk overconfidence. I have a polystyrene lid = I can push the boundaries of my competence and leave the aftermath to my 'safety' device.

And irrespective of whether a helmet did/could have made a scrap of difference or not in the eventual outcome, it is lauded the panacea of all ills.

it is in a similar vein to those with helmet cams that seem to lead far more eventful and contentious riding lives than those of us without (but thats a whole other topic).

 

[MontyVeda]

Yes, agreed.
Others have commented that point on Twitter, only for JB to reply along the lines of "Well I was wearing it and I'm OK, therefore it must have saved me"

one can't beat common sense... i bet even his wise old granny agrees.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

it is in a similar vein to those with helmet cams that seem to lead far more eventful and contentious riding lives than those of us without (but thats a whole other topic).

I've a little theory...
Some of us are thin-skinned.
Some of us live and ride in places where driving standards are poor.
Some of us don't like being bullied or abused when riding, just because we are riding.
Some of us end up with eventful and contentious riding lives whether we want them or not.


Some of us then decide to get cammed up.

 

[martint235]

I started wearing a cam to calm myself down rather than to film traffic. The logic was that rather than kicking off, laying my bike on the road in front of a car and going to shout at the driver's window I'd think "It's recorded. I'll review it at home, if it still looks bad I'll send it to Roadsafe". It kind of worked, it's been a while since I bothered getting off my bike to confront a driver. Anyway straying OT

 

[shouldbeinbed]

I've a little theory...
Some of us are thin-skinned. I think this and your 3rd point are heavily linked.
Some of us live and ride in places where driving standards are poor. Who doesn't - North East manchester and the city centre - it ain't no picnic, neither was Newcastle in the 80's
Some of us don't like being bullied or abused when riding, just because we are riding. who does? and TBH I experience just as many ignorant pull ins, smidsy's, cretins who think the dotted white give way line on a side street is where their backside needs to stop not the front bumper etc, when I am in my car or on a bus as when I am on my bikes.

I don't get that riled on my bike because unlike some, I don't think they're picking on me just because I'm on 2 wheels, I think they're picking on me because they're slug brained dicks who are unfit to hold a driving licence full stop, irrespective of who and what vehicle type they are in proximity with.
Some of us end up with eventful and contentious riding lives whether we want them or not. getting to grips with a generally lowered expectation of my fellow road user, riding accordingly and not portraying myself in terms of bike = victim saves me a lot of 2 wheeled angst...........


Some of us then decide to get cammed up..........and the cost of a camera.

anyhow, we're off topic a tad.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

Why are people so sensitive about helmets?
It's not a legal requirement, so don't wear one if you don't think it matters.

Post on a local FB page yesterday critiscised people for not wearing one, poster was surprised to learn it wasn't legally required as so many people wear them.

I reckon every time she'd seen someone on a bike without one she'd subconciously thought 'look at them, breaking the highway code, having no regard for their own safety...'. If you are already minded to dislike someone because they're 'breaking the law' or have no 'regard for their own safety' I think you're far less likely to drive responsibly around them. And, as we see so often - because one 'cyclist' does X, ALL cyclists do X...

 

[ianrauk]

I started wearing a cam to calm myself down rather than to film traffic. The logic was that rather than kicking off, laying my bike on the road in front of a car and going to shout at the driver's window I'd think "It's recorded. I'll review it at home, if it still looks bad I'll send it to Roadsafe". It kind of worked, it's been a while since I bothered getting off my bike to confront a driver. Anyway straying OT

Do you still use it?

 

[martint235]

Do you still use it?

Nah it's in a cupboard somewhere

 

[SavageHoutkop]

For instance, how many cyclists have been treated in hospital for injuries that did not involve a head injury [or only minor one] and the cyclist was not wearing a helmet? Fairly sure these are not recorded, which begs the question, why not?

I went to A&E to have my elbow checked out post my collision with a left-hooking van and they asked if I'd been wearing a helmet at 'check in' - I didn't hit my head, but not sure anyone asked me whether I had or not.

 

[totallyfixed]

Easy to see how reporting incidents are wrongly transcribed at source, what follows are lies, damn lies.........

 

[totallyfixed]

Perhaps "inaccurately recorded" is a better way of putting it.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

Well, yes. I'm probably in the 'was wearing a helmet which prevented head injury' box for anyone interrogating statistics - I was wearing a helmet that day, fat lot of good it did.
Should have been wearing elbow protection.

 

[ClichéGuevara]

I edited my previous reply as it was possibly in poor taste.

Out of curiosity, does any of the rational behind the decision to withdraw head guards from amateur boxing, or consideration of banning under 10's from heading footballs in America fit into the discussion?

 

[totallyfixed]

Which ever way you cut it, if head injuries as a result of falling off a bike [whether this is wearing a helmet or not, who really knows] are in the minority proportionally compared with other types of activity, why the hell are helmets not prescribed for those activities?
Call me cynical, but selling helmets is big business, to promote cycling as dangerous reaps big rewards for those who make them. I will bet the person who came up with the original idea never once contemplated that helmets might possibly cause more accidents or in certain situations actually increase the chances of a more serious injury.
Just because something is mainstream does not make it right, a lot of money has been invested in helmets, a pity the same amount of thought and real world testing did not also go into it.

 

[Poacher]

I had that last time I came of my bike. I needed stitches in my elbow and got the start of a complimentary lecture as well.

I'm prepared to bet it wasn't particularly complimentary!