Detention Lines: I will wear a helmet.

[Wolf04]

Handsome Joe, hope your recovery is speedy but your logic appears flawed. From your description the accident was your fault (as no one else was involved ). Instead of addressing the reasons for the accident which would appear to be skills based you plan for the next accident. Your planning however is also flawed instead of wearing body armour which may have limited your injuries you opt for a helmet. Helmets have been discussed many times on this forum and as far as I remember there is no clear evidence either way. Only opinions and anecdotal observations. Risk compensation has also been discussed frequently, if you perceive cycling to be dangerous then is a piece of expanded polystyrene going to change that. Sorry if this sounds harsh but do the research and then make your decision. By all means wear a helmet but please don't depend on it to protect you from anything other than the most minor of accidents.

 

[snapper_37]

Helmets have been discussed many times on this forum and as far as I remember there is no clear evidence either way. Only opinions and anecdotal observations.

Exactly.

It is personal choice. I wear one as I've split 2 and feel kind of glad that it was the helmet (however flimsy) and not my head that took the blows. Not an opinion, an actual injury (missed).

Hope you are ok Handsome and keep wearing the helmet if you think it makes you safer - because that's what matters.

 

[Wolf04]

Exactly.

It is personal choice. I wear one as I've split 2 and feel kind of glad that it was the helmet (however flimsy) and not my head that took the blows. Not an opinion, an actual injury (missed).

Hope you are ok Handsome and keep wearing the helmet if you think it makes you safer - because that's what matters.

Err I think that comes under anecdotal observation. If you had done it say 10,000 times with the same results then it would be evidence! I've done the research and estimated my risks and I'm happy to live (or die) with the consequences.

 

[BADGER.BRAD]

A guy I went to school with ( a good few years ago) had an accident on a rope swing, he had a bang to the head and as far as I am aware has never walked again. Makes you think a bit ! I must admit until recently I rode a motorbike and have had various mates killed or injured , I just took it as part of the game so to speak but since having a little one have thought a lot differently about safety. I wouldn't wish to leave my little one without a dad or have a dad that was of no us to him.

I always now wear a helmet as accidents have a habit of happening at the worst possible time.

 

[Maz]

If you want to wear a helmet, wear it. If you don't want to wear one, then dont. It could help you in the event of an accident, but depending on how you fall, it may not.

In the bike-offs I've had thus far, wearing a helmet was of no consequence, but I still wear one - just in case it reduces any future injury.

 

[Riding in Circles]

I rarely wear a helmet, I was just thinking back and trike riding not withstanding, I have never once hit my head coming off, at the same time I have had a friend die of head injuries coming off a bicycle, hence my mixed feelings on the issue.

 

[snapper_37]

Err I think that comes under anecdotal observation. If you had done it say 10,000 times with the same results then it would be evidence! I've done the research and estimated my risks and I'm happy to live (or die) with the consequences.

What's with the Err? It wasn't evidence for anything, it was personal experience. I lost it on ice and I ended up with a split helmet, cracked ribs, split knee cap etc. Luckily some horse riders were around and got me 999.

Estimate your risks as much as you like, it's a personal choice, so don't be so bolshy with someone who would rather wear a helmet than take a crack in the skull.

No one is saying that a helmet saves your life from *every* accident, but in my case(s) it bloody has so I will continue to wear one.

 

[dudi]

I think that's called a "Huff"

Instead of storming off in a sulk - answer the points raised?

That's not a huff. it's raising a pointless argument to subtley compare to yours. possibly not a good pointless argument, but never mind. neither was the SUV thing.

but to answer your points, 1.5" clearence wouldnt have made a blind bit of difference in this case.
Car drivers are in a cage, and the forces involvedin the majority of 'public' car accidents are not severe enough to warant a crash helmet. and the hindrence that wearing one would give to the every day driver outweighs their protection. however if you look at the motor racing scene, you will find that neck supports and crash helmets are compulsory.

I am not going to try and enforce helmet wearing on anyone, as I have said. I am totally pro choice. but I resent being told that my choice of wearing a helmet is foolish and ill thought out.

As far as I am concerned, if you want to wear a lid, wear one. if you don't then don't wear one. it's personal choice. but trying to tell someone that the decision they have made to adopt some form of protective clothing is a foolish choice is irresponsible in my opinion.

 

[Wolf04]

What's with the Err? It wasn't evidence for anything, it was personal experience. I lost it on ice and I ended up with a split helmet, cracked ribs, split knee cap etc. Luckily some horse riders were around and got me 999.

Estimate your risks as much as you like, it's a personal choice, so don't be so bolshy with someone who would rather wear a helmet than take a crack in the skull.

No one is saying that a helmet saves your life from *every* accident, but in my case(s) it bloody has so I will continue to wear one.

Apology if you consider my comments as Bolshy however you quoted my comment re: anecdotal observation then use anecdotal observation. To the best of my knowledge I have never told anyone not to wear or indeed wear a helmet.
So by all means please your bloody self but lets try and keep it civilised.

 

[BentMikey]

No-one on here can make a definitive claim that a helmet saved their life.

 

[dudi]

No-one on here can make a definitive claim that a helmet saved their life.

you're right there mikey.
but it's not all just about saving lives. it's also about reducing injuries. even small ones.

In my own experience of my recent crash, if I didn't have my lid on, i would have had a bruised bonce. going by my shoulder and elbows anyway. obviously i can't prove it, as i'm not going to jump off my bike without a hat on purpose... ;-)

for that alone I am glad I was wearing one.

 

[BentMikey]

I don't think there's much argument that helmets can't save you from small scrapes and road rash, it's the more serious injuries that are a problem.

Just remember folks, helmets are a red herring from a safety point of view. Whether they do or don't work is largely irrelevant, as is their effect on cyclist safety. If you want to live and you want to avoid crashes, spend your efforts elsewhere, and you'll get many orders of magnitude more effect than you would from a helmet.

 

[dudi]

I'm not sure that many helmet wearers would presume that they will be saved from more serious injuries than bumps, bruises and cuts by their helmet. after all, they're only a lightweight bit of foam.

It's like wearing gloves. it's going to help reduce abrasion, but it's not going to stop your hand getting broken.

I for one dont wear my helmet to stop my scull being crushed. I wear it to avoid banging my head directly into things.

I'd rather nut the pavement with a helmet on that without.

 

[Mr Phoebus]

"If your head comes away from your neck, it's over!"

 

[Crackle]

I'm not sure that many helmet wearers would presume that they will be saved from more serious injuries than bumps, bruises and cuts by their helmet. after all, they're only a lightweight bit of foam.

It's like wearing gloves. it's going to help reduce abrasion, but it's not going to stop your hand getting broken.

I for one dont wear my helmet to stop my scull being crushed. I wear it to avoid banging my head directly into things.

I'd rather nut the pavement with a helmet on that without.

The BS test is very specific, involving an impact shape like a kerbstone hitting the helmet at a certain force which roughly co-incides with a 12-15mph impact.

If you then want to know what kind of force will give you a head injury you need to look at motorcycle studies or studies on head injuries and the forces involved. You won't find this information purely for cycle helmet studies. In addition there's a fair amount of debate about what happens to a helmet once it's been smashed past the design force i.e. will it absorb some of the force or will it have no effect beyond a certain threshold.

You won't find definitive answers to the helmet question but you might possibly be shocked at how easy it is to reach forces which give you head injuries. Head injuries are not like skinning your knuckles, the effects are far more insidious and the best course of action is to try and avoid them, even breaking bones elsewhere is preferrable, that's personally speaking.

You also want to ignore statisitcs from other types of head injury. You're looking at a specific risk for a specific activity. Comparing casualty stats or mountaineering stats to cycling is irrelevant.