Helmet wearer ?

[Crackle]

I would say it's an almost impossible question to answer as each and every accident will be different.

I think we all wish to see some kind of NCAP testing of helmets, that would give us some better answers I suspect.

Oh and Scook, Risk Compensation is something we all do, everyday but it's not something you consciously make a decision about, it's just about adjusting subconsciously to continuous input from the environment around you. You may not compensate for wearing a helmet but others do on your behalf.

Also if you wear one all the time, leave it off one day. Does that slippy bend still feel the same sans helmet. I'd look hard at you if you told me it made no difference.

And just for the record, I do wear a helmet and I have fractured my skull in a bike accident but like most, I'm against compulsion and realistic about what a helmet will protect me from, or not.

 

[stoatsngroats]

This is one of the points i'm thinking about. It makes sense to wear one, but based on what ?
I'm 50...been riding for 40 plus years, and never fallen off....../.......
Personally, i find a helmet hot and uncomfortable. I find the wind in my hair refreshing and cooling. Ive benefitted from ridden thousands and thousands of incident free, refreshing, cool miles. So why wear a helmet ?

I'm not knocking them BTW. I'm not knocking anyone who chooses to wear...just interested in anyone elses thoughts.

You've made lots of sense here, and been fair and reasonable - I'm responding to the 'interested in anyone elses thought...!

I've ridden for a good few years, (on & off - no pun intended!), but choose to wear one all the time. I feel it gives some comfort to myself and my family, that if something bad should happen, I've made an effort to diminsh what could happen.....it's the 'comdon' thing...better to wear, than take the risk.....

 

[Mortiroloboy]

I ticked 'yes I wear one all the time' but actually I only wear it when cycling, is that what you meant?

I had a fall last October and as well as cracking my elbow, denting my pride I also whacked my bonce hard on the tarmacadam road, had I not been wearing my Catlike Kompact Pro, which sustained a substantial crack, my resulting head injuries which consisted mainly of a cut to my cheek when my specs were forced into my face, would have been more severe, I suspect. As it was I felt rather dizzy and also suffered whiplash. BTW it was my own fault, too close to the wheel in front, carrying panniers extra weight and distribution flipped me over as I touched the rear wheel of the lad in front, brakes were less effective over the available distance, due to the laden weight of the Panniers YHA week-end in New Forest, crashed in Burley, very pictureskew place to have an off I s'pose LOL!!

 

[Mortiroloboy]

You've made lots of sense here, and been fair and reasonable - I'm responding to the 'interested in anyone elses thought...!

I've ridden for a good few years, (on & off - no pun intended!), but choose to wear one all the time. I feel it gives some comfort to myself and my family, that if something bad should happen, I've made an effort to diminsh what could happen.....it's the 'comdon' thing...better to wear, than take the risk.....

I don't think I'd ever feel the need to wear a condom whilst cycling.

 

[Bodhbh]

Always about town/commuting, I sometimes take it off touring if the weather is good and don't want a sweaty, claustrophobic helmet on.

I know it's not good logic, you either think they're useful and wear one or you don't. I suppose I can jusfiy it by saying you're generally not motoring about fully loaded, but no that doesn't really wash.

Had 1 spill already where the helmet took the brunt, going over the bars after someone pulled out a side road on me. I was going at 25mph it being a slight downhill, but the impact was much slower with breaking etc, so I don't think the 12mph argument washes (tho perhaps the compensatory behaviour one does).

Got a receeding hairline so it hides the slaphead, no probs lookswise wearing them.

 

[ajb]

Always, cant preach to the children then go out without one myself, + I feel safer with it on.
Never rode my motorbike without one + a full set of leathers.

Not gonna wear leathers on the bike though.

Alan.

 

[scook94]

I think we all wish to see some kind of NCAP testing of helmets, that would give us some better answers I suspect.

Oh and Scook, Risk Compensation is something we all do, everyday but it's not something you consciously make a decision about, it's just about adjusting subconsciously to continuous input from the environment around you. You may not compensate for wearing a helmet but others do on your behalf.

Also if you wear one all the time, leave it off one day. Does that slippy bend still feel the same sans helmet. I'd look hard at you if you told me it made no difference.

And just for the record, I do wear a helmet and I have fractured my skull in a bike accident but like most, I'm against compulsion and realistic about what a helmet will protect me from, or not.

Being a born again newb on a bike the slippy bend still gives me the willies, which is why I'm never off the brakes!

I was a born again skateboarder a few years ago, and I was given the advice (which I took, I hasten to add) not to wear a helmet or pads (for the reasons you give) until I was far more capable rider. So I know where you are coming from here.

I know, as I'm sure the enlightened masses here know, that you're not invulnerable wearing a helmet. I don't wear one to feel invulnerable. I wear it for the times I've mentioned previously: ambling into a ditch while my attention is else where; or falling sideways on a steep hill because I can't unclip in time to put my foot down...

All I'm saying is there will be times where a helmet will help, even if it's only to avoid a cut, graze or bruise I may otherwise have incurred. These are the reasons I wear one, not to avoid brain damage while colliding head on with a vehicle while bombing down a hill as fast as I can manage.

I'm totally pro-choice, if people don't want to wear one, fine. I choose to.

 

[Bromptonaut]

Never. Might if I could find one that was out of my peripheral vision, free of wind noise and didn't have a strap I feel compelled to fidget all the time. Oh and not having to take my glasses off to don or remove it and no risk of leaving it on the train would be nice as well.

Recognise that very occasionally it might lessen injury or even save my life but I'd rather enjoy the rides unencumbered. Had one head banging off, Hampstead c1982, doubt a helmet would have reduced the neck wrench/concussion I suffeered for a week afterwards.

 

[John the Monkey]

I wear one.

I don't really mind whether other people do or not.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Yes wear one 95% of the time.

But I do hate it in summer when I take it off when I stop for a rest, then when I put it back on as it all wet and cold not nice.

Also I like to go out for the odd ride when it is sunny without one so that I can get the sun tan on the rest of my head matching my face. Looks a bit odd 2 tone sun tan.

 

[HJ]

Personally I'd like to see helmets being made compulsory, like they are in some other European countries.

Ah the voice of pure ignorance, which European countries do you have in mind? Maybe Spain, which has on to the highest rate of fatality per Km cycled of any European country...

Compare that Denmark or the Netherlands which have the lowest rates
of fatality per Km cycled and also the lowest rate of helmet wearing.

What does that prove? Attitudes to cyclists in the US are not going to be the same as in the Netherlands. You're comparing apples and oranges surely?

Under what circumstances will NOT wearing a helmet save you from injury that you would have incurred wearing one? Enlighten a newb, please.

It is reasonable to compare the safety of cyclists in different place with difference laws this is a way of collecting evident rather than relying on anecdote. There is an increasing body of evident to show that cycle helmets make no significant difference to the rate of head injury per per Km cycled, but after the introduction of helmet laws there is a significant increase in the rate of cycle fatality per Km cycled.

In Australia research has been carried out on a health benefit model that puts a price on helmet laws. If a helmet law was introduced in to the UK is would cost £274 million per year, would you be happy to pay the extra tax??

Then add in the research which show that cyclists who wear helmets are more likely to be knocked down by passing vehicles.

If you do choose to wear a helmet or insist that you children wear one, then make sure that it fits or you increase the risk of injury. Also insure that you replace it ever 3 years, as the polystyrene liner (the bit that is supposed to absorb the impact) hardens over time.

Personally I choose not to, I know the risk, it is very low and there are better things I could do with the money, like buying some more lights...

 

[4F]

Personally I'd like to see helmets being made compulsory, like they are in some other European countries.

If you wish to wear a helmet fine, it is your choice just as it is my choice not to. I assume there must me hundreds / thousands of deaths a year caused by head injuries in countries such as Denmark and Holland who have a far higher cycle rate than the UK due to non helmet wearing, oh hang on a minute

 

[HJ]

I never used to wear one, then started wearing it, and now I'm scared not to wear. Almost seems like tempting fate - the one time I don't wear it, I will come off or something like that. So, looks like I'm stuck with it - although they totally mess my hair up!

There is big money in fear, the helmet industry is worth millions of pounds a year...

 

[HeartAttack]

Personally I couldn't give a flying F whether you like or agree with me, thats the beauty of open forums in a country that allows differing views.

But I do remember many years ago the same crap arguments about seat belts being made compulsory, and maybe I should have sued the government at the time for the broken ribs I sustained when I was hit head on by a drunk driver, the ribs were broken by the seat belt not the collision directly. Or what about the car manufacturer who fitted air bags that caused surface burns to my neck when it went off? Though at least I'm still here, I'd rather take a small additional injury over being buried.

As for helmets not working at over 12mph maybe we should ask the likes of Thor Hushovd how he felt after smacking down on his head in the lead out to the line at the Tour of Flanders, helmet broke but he's still riding, but maybe he was doing less than 12mph. Or maybe the UCI and the rest have it all wrong and its all about fashion statements, cause lets face it racers never hit the deck.

 

[gbb]

I guess i'm stuck with two main thoughts...

Having spent 40 relatively incident free years on a bike, historically my brain tells me i dont really need a helmet. I may pay the price for that one day But if you start worrying about the myriad of potential accidents you can have anywhere, anytime...you would'nt even get out of bed.

Having (in the past) waded through various articles regarding the negative and positive impacts of wearing a helmet...you realise everyone has a vested interest. A pro wearing group will disregard anything that doesnt suit their arguement...and the same goes for the anti wearing brigade.

Its all bollix

I'm acutey aware sometimes, that even though i consider myself a sensible, normal guy, that even i can't make a sensible choice. So i used to wear when my rides would take me to places where i may only see 20 cars in three hours....yet i didnt wear when i was commuting, and there were hundreds of cars Where's the sense in that one ?