The incidence of bike helmet wearing in central London

[swansonj]

You might be a pathological liar for all we know.

Are you suggesting that pylon wasn't in that grid square after all?

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

This won't add any rigour to the data but I've been spending far more time than is healthy driving around SE London recently. I've noticed that there are far more of the solid type helmets around than I'd expected to see. Very few helmetless - today, for example I only saw 3 between Deptford - Welling - Tulse Hill. One was our own @martint235 in shorts and a rather fetching red rain jacket. (It's a personal bit of stalking). And more women on road bikes (and a fair few on hybrids) than I'd expected to see too. My route is a bit too hilly for sit-up-and-beg bikes, also it's outside the Boris Bike zone.

 

[ianrauk]

I've noticed that there are far more of the solid type helmets around than I'd expected to see.

Also noticed this recently whilst on my commute.

 

[Wobblers]

This won't add any rigour to the data but I've been spending far more time than is healthy driving around SE London recently. I've noticed that there are far more of the solid type helmets around than I'd expected to see. Very few helmetless - today, for example I only saw 3 between Deptford - Welling - Tulse Hill. One was our own @martint235 in shorts and a rather fetching red rain jacket. (It's a personal bit of stalking). And more women on road bikes (and a fair few on hybrids) than I'd expected to see too. My route is a bit too hilly for sit-up-and-beg bikes, also it's outside the Boris Bike zone.

Surely you could find a better target to stalk?

 

[slowmotion]

A bit OT, but there has been an amazing increase in the number of under-sixes wearing helmets when on their little scooters on the pavement over the last year . That worries me.

 

[ianrauk]

[QUOTE 2996205, member: 9609"]what an astonishing amount of cyclists - 3 a minute. Doubt you would see three all day in my local town centre.[/QUOTE]


There are junctions in London where in the rush hour you will see 40 or 50 cyclists waiting.

 

[martint235]

[QUOTE 2996052, member: 30090"]Style over substance, like riding fixed but not being able to trackstand.

I'll keep an eye out when I'm next in the City, take point at a junction and start counting.[/QUOTE]
I sense a touch of "bee in bonnet" over this one

 

[Fab Foodie]

This won't add any rigour to the data but I've been spending far more time than is healthy driving around SE London recently. I've noticed that there are far more of the solid type helmets around than I'd expected to see.

@Mice and @Hotlips both exhibited differing forms of these on the FNRttC Burham. @Mice version was quite an interesting design.

 

[Cycleops]

Maybe partly down to the Schumacher effect? Not that it did him much good but maybe makes people think about the issue more.

 

[ianrauk]

[QUOTE 2996590, member: 9609"]Very impressive but difficult to imagine - there must be a feeling of empowerment, cyclists making the road space their own.
.[/QUOTE]


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAWvd3Jqtvw

 

[slowmotion]

Isn't that the one group where there are some useful data to support wearing a helmet?

I honestly don't know the statistics but I know that childrens' skulls are supposed to be more vulnerable that adult ones.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Isn't that the one group where there are some useful data to support wearing a helmet?

I'd agree, they're much more likely to have the kind of incidents where a helmet is designed to offer some protection.

 

[slowmotion]

Why is it worrying that they're wearing helmets then?

It's irrational on my part, but I don't regard kids' use of scooters to be hazardous activity requiring head protection. I wear a helmet on my bike, but not when I ski. Perceptions of risk are highly subjective.

 

[ufkacbln]

[QUOTE 2995899, member: 259"]"You know you're a cyclist when..."[/QUOTE]

BRITAIN’S oldest papergirl is celebrating 35 years of delivering the news.

Beryl Walker, 88, cycles 13km (eight miles) a day on her round and has distributed 1million papers since taking over the job from her grandson. ‘I’ll give it up when it gives me up,’ said Mrs Walker, from Gloucester.

From the Metro yesterday

 

[swansonj]

Why is it worrying that they're wearing helmets then?

It's just worth reminding ourselves now and again, amid all the unverifiable "a helmet saved my life" claims, that there are instances, which I understand are pretty well established and unambiguous, where a helmet has caused a child's death - by getting stuck in e.g. a half-open car window and the straps strangle the child.