A question for helmet wearers

[jefmcg]

From another thread:

Most helmet wearers would like to see them made compulsory.

I've never heard this before, and I don't believe it is true. So, an non-scientific survey. Please, only vote if you wear a helmet regularly though not necessarily for every ride.

For the record, I often wear a helmet, I learned to ride under compulsory helmet laws and do not believe they should be compulsory.

There's a whole other thread to discuss compulsion, this thread is to see if the attitude of helmet wearers skews as the above quote suggests.

 

[I like Skol]

Not an answer to your question but maybe a relevant point.

A colleague in my office walked in wearing this the other day;

He isn't (wasn't) a cyclist in the slightest but without consulting any of the regular cyclists in the office he has sold his car and bought a secondhand bike to ride the 3 mile trip to and from work. Luckily he seems to have bagged a good bike, but what made him think he needed to wear a helmet? Is the public perception so deeply ingrained that they cannot possibly imagine doing something as risky as riding a bike without one?

 

[sight-pin]

It's just the same old story really. When i used to ride motorbikes i never wore a helmet as it wasn't compulsory back then, would i wear one now if i was riding motorbikes? Too right i would. It will become compulsory at some time in the future for cyclist without doubt. I'm a helmet user but don't think it should be mandatory.

 

[numbnuts]

Where the “I couldn't care a …. on what others do option”

 

[I like Skol]

It's just the same old story really. When i used to ride motorbikes i never wore a helmet as it wasn't compulsory back then, would i wear one now if i was riding motorbikes? Too right i would. It will become compulsory at some time in the future for cyclist without doubt. I'm a helmet user but don't think it should be mandatory.

Totally different scenarios! Motorbikes are usually capable of speeds in excess of 100mph, with obvious consequences if it goes wrong. Most cyclists are rather pleased with themselves if they get close to 30mph.
Anyway, this is going off-topic from the OP and as I don't wear a helmet unless it is to satisfy entry conditions of an event I really want to do then I can't comment on the OPs question any further.

 

[Spinney]

Mod note:
As pointed out above, some posts here are already off topic.
If you are not a helmet wearer, then the poll is not for you and there is no need to comment in this thread.

 

[sight-pin]

Totally different scenarios! Motorbikes are usually capable of speeds in excess of 100mph, with obvious consequences if it goes wrong. Most cyclists are rather pleased with themselves if they get close to 30mph.
Anyway, this is going off-topic from the OP and as I don't wear a helmet unless it is to satisfy entry conditions of an event I really want to do then I can't comment on the OPs question any further.

They was capable of well over 100 mph back then as well.

 

[jefmcg]

Mod note:
As pointed out above, some posts here are already off topic.
If you are not a helmet wearer, then the poll is not for you and there is no need to comment in this thread.

I don't mind the off topic posts, as they keep my thread alive , but it's really all been done to death in the linked to thread.

 

[Daddy Pig]

I think it should be left for the individual to decide, I would use one however I have smashed a helmets few in my time. The result would have been not being here today, but at least for adults it's their own risk and responsibility. As a father, I would insist on my children using them. I could see it being made compulsory for say the under 16s.

 

[tonyg52]

I wear a helmet, what other people do doesn't concern me.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

I'm a regular helmet wearer and I'm entirely pro-choice, as are the other members of the group that I ride with. I wouldn't ever want to compel others to wear, in fact I'd oppose any push to make helmets compulsory.

I was also surprised at Smokin Joe's assertion on the other thread, it doesn't ring true for me.

 

[Fonze]

I wear a helmet.
I never used to and was riding my mtb up a slope and fell , I got a nice lump the size of a golf ball and a decent sized cut.
I'm naturally clumsy and so decided I would wear one.
I personally believe it should be a choice thing but I'm not keen seeing young kids without one, it's just my opinion.

 

[jefmcg]

Isn't your poll likely to get a somewhat skewed response? I think that if you were to ask the same questions in another forum or amongst the general public you'd get a very different response.

Yes, sure, but I'm not bothering a lot of strangers with that question.

90% is pretty strong. If it really was more than 50% amongst the general helmet-wearing cyclist community, I'd expect more than 10% here. Of course any self-selected online survey is going to get skewed results. Yes, I am looking at you, Halfods.

I didn't make the original claim. If I was trying to prove it, I would work a little harder. I was just curious to see if it seemed to be true. I had a pretty good result from a similar survey about "offs" a few months ago. It's more for @Smokin Joe to prove it rather than for me to disprove it. I'm guessing he's not interested enough to do it, so I conducted this low-energy survey.

 

[jefmcg]

I'd expect more than 10% here.

And it moved from 10 to 17% while this post was awaiting moderation

It's just interesting, to me at least, not proof I will take to social media.

 

[Brandane]

It worries me slightly that so far, 12.8% of voters are in favour of helmet compulsion. That's over 1 voter in 8, on a supposedly sensible cycling forum. What hope have we got?