The CycleChat Helmet Debate Thread

[ianrauk]

Check this out for some sanctimonious hyperbole.
http://www.wokinghampaper.com/cyclist-in-road-crash-my-helmet-saved-my-life/

Now Mr Luff is keen to get the message out there that bike helmets save lives.

“For me, it’s second nature to wear as much safety equipment as I can,” he said.

So why wasn't he wearing arm and knee pads, full protective body armour and a mouth/teeth guard.? Pillock.

 

[ianrauk]

Oh my word... I have just read the first reply to the article. Absolutely brilliant. Well done Richard, who ever you are.

 

[benb]

 

[benb]

That site took me to some "your phone is infected, do not close this window" page.

Weird, seems like a totally normal link to me. Maybe they've got a popup or something.

 

[Justinslow]

Check this out for some sanctimonious hyperbole.
http://www.wokinghampaper.com/cyclist-in-road-crash-my-helmet-saved-my-life/

Putting aside the credulous rubbish about how the helmet definitely saved his life and he would have been killed instantly without it, it beggars belief that he "wants to spread the word about how important bike helmets are" yet has absolutely nothing to say about drivers looking where the hell they're going and not driving into the back of other road users.

Every time one of these "helmet saved my life" stories comes out, they excuse the bad driving that led to the collision in the first place.

An interesting article. Just another anecdotal story one of many on here.
How can any of you know that it did not save his life?
I'm not saying it did or it didn't, but simply rubbishing the claims is absurd.
Here's a good bit from the article.

Local charity Headway Thames Valley works with people who have brain injuries and also want to encourage cyclists to always ride with a helmet.

Jamie Higgins, spokesperson for the charity, said: “Cycling is such a great way to keep fit and also a good mode of transport. At Headway Thames Valley, we promote safe cycling, while supporting calls to make it safer for people of all ages to get on their bikes.

“Brain injury can happen at any moment – all it takes is just one fall and you will regret it for the rest of your life.

“At Headway Thames Valley we often use the statement, ‘Use your head – use a helmet’


Another picture showing the damage to Chris Luff’s bike

“Sustaining a life changing brain injury as the result of a cycling accident is not uncommon. Indeed, several of our clients at Headway Thames Valley have been referred to the charity following such an accident. In some cases, the client has been wearing a helmet and the consequences of their accident could have been much more severe, whilst other clients haven’t been wearing helmets and perhaps wouldn’t have ever needed our support if they were.”

 

[snorri]

Local charity Headway Thames Valley

I can't believe someone who has been on this thread for as long as you would quote Headway as an authority on anything remotely connected with cycle helmets, unless mischief making?

 

[benb]

How can any of you know that it did not save his life?
I'm not saying it did or it didn't, but simply rubbishing the claims is absurd

Do you understand how the burden of proof works? The person is claiming the helmet saved his life, therefore it's on him to defend that claim with evidence.

No one is saying it definitely didn't, just that the claims it definitely did are absurd.

Also bear in mind that any protective effect of a helmet diminishes rapidly with energy increases, so in all likelihood the helmet did nothing (they are only rated for collisions of 12MPH or so). Note that as far as we can tell from the photos the helmet is split and not compressed.

 

[Mugshot]

Did Giro ever get back to @CaadX ?

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Headway:

Brain injury can happen at any moment – all it takes is just one fall and you will regret it for the rest of your life.

Then why are they advocating helmets only for cyclists and not for pedestrians or drivers or passengers or scooterists or skaters or ... ?

GC

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Just another anecdotal story one of many on here

Anyone for a bit of ginger cake?

GC

 

[Justinslow]

Anyone for a bit of ginger cake?

View attachment 129541

GC

Exactly, or a cigarette case preventing a bullet entering ones chest, so it's completely conceivable that a cycle helmet saved his life, no?
I would like to know how anybody could ever produce evidence that a cycle helmet did save a life, because even if it was complete fluke they must have done somewhere.
What kind of evidence would you like to see or read?

 

[martint235]

Exactly, or a cigarette case preventing a bullet entering ones chest, so it's completely conceivable that a cycle helmet saved his life, no?
I would like to know how anybody could ever produce evidence that a cycle helmet did save a life, because even if it was complete fluke they must have done somewhere.
What kind of evidence would you like to see or read?

If you were to market a cigarette case as a life saver, you'd shoot it 100 or maybe 1000 times and then publish how it performed at stopping a bullet. You'd probably have to issue a caveat about it protecting only the area directly behind unless you were going to manufacture person sized cigarette cases.

So for helmets, how about some testing and related evidence to show how it would perform in an accident whereby a cyclist is sideswiped or t-boned by a car travelling at 15mph or 20 mph (I'm not suggesting that in these scenarios a head injury would be the worst of your issues but it's somewhere to start).

Hang on I'm getting a distinct sense of deja vu about testing and evidence.

 

[growingvegetables]

What kind of evidence would you like to see or read?

Simples - evidence that is scientifically valid and statistically sound.

Would it change my mind about wearing one? Probably not. Cycling is safe.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

What kind of evidence would you like to see or read?

Substantiated.

GC

 

[ufkacbln]

An interesting article. Just another anecdotal story one of many on here.
How can any of you know that it did not save his life?
I'm not saying it did or it didn't, but simply rubbishing the claims is absurd.
Here's a good bit from the article.

Local charity Headway Thames Valley works with people who have brain injuries and also want to encourage cyclists to always ride with a helmet.

Jamie Higgins, spokesperson for the charity, said: “Cycling is such a great way to keep fit and also a good mode of transport. At Headway Thames Valley, we promote safe cycling, while supporting calls to make it safer for people of all ages to get on their bikes.

“Brain injury can happen at any moment – all it takes is just one fall and you will regret it for the rest of your life.

“At Headway Thames Valley we often use the statement, ‘Use your head – use a helmet’


Another picture showing the damage to Chris Luff’s bike

“Sustaining a life changing brain injury as the result of a cycling accident is not uncommon. Indeed, several of our clients at Headway Thames Valley have been referred to the charity following such an accident. In some cases, the client has been wearing a helmet and the consequences of their accident could have been much more severe, whilst other clients haven’t been wearing helmets and perhaps wouldn’t have ever needed our support if they were.”

Headway are a joke with an agenda

That last sentence alone shows the problem as theoretically it applies to every single one of their referrals, yet they don't seem to care about non-cyclists, or preventing head injuries in other groups