Do Cycle Helmets Pose Any Safety Risks?

[ufkacbln]

Cunobelin, we've agreed on the fundamental point (personal choice is king) from a long time back and I don't think that anyone has ever suggested that they are a panacea or should be compulsory.

Because a helmet might help in some of the accidents which I might have, I usually wear one.

Which there is no problem with, it is the stated pro-compulsion agenda of others that I have a problem with

Those who are quite happy to expect us to believe that all the evidence means we should make helmets compulsory, yet refuses to recognise the validity of the same organisations and medical journals when they don't fit a pro-compulsion agenda. The fact that helmets have limits is anathema, and giving the information for an informed choice is deemed "anti-helmet" and therefore time to sing LALALALA and place their fingers in the ears!

Rank hypocrisy

 

[GrasB]

I'm afraid I can't make any promises there - my daughter will definitely be forced to wear one until she's old enough to make up her own mind (I'm guessing around 50ish ) As for you lot: it's your choice and I'm not going to preach to you about my reasons Just as long as it's a mutual agreement

I've got to be honest: I wasn't expecting this thread after, what I throught, was a simple-enough question But it's my fault for not doing any research before asking

Safe cycling everyone

I was more talking about people who are legally responsible for their own welfare. Your child is your responsibility & it's up to you to do what you see fit, however I'd hate for you to tell me I must wear a helmet & tell me my child must wear one as well for those are my decisions to be made not yours.

 

[NigC]

I was more talking about people who are legally responsible for their own welfare. Your child is your responsibility & it's up to you to do what you see fit, however I'd hate for you to tell me I must wear a helmet & tell me my child must wear one as well for those are my decisions to be made not yours.

No worries - I'm not the sort of person to tell others what they must do. I might give my opinion if I think you've not heard it before, but otherwise I'll keep quiet

For what it's worth: I'm against compulsory helmet wearing for much the same reason - I don't want to be told what I should and shouldn't do, even if I agree with it I'd still like the option to change my mind

 

[Norm]

Those who are quite happy to expect us to believe that all the evidence means we should make helmets compulsory, yet refuses to recognise the validity of the same organisations and medical journals when they don't fit a pro-compulsion agenda.

I haven't looked too hard, I must admit, but I don't remember anyone calling for them to be compulsory or saying that they are a solution for everything.

 

[ufkacbln]

Mark Robson has stated he is pro compulsion on previous threads.

 

[Norm]

OK, I'll give you that, but that was only a few weeks ago. Your position seems too entrenched for it to have only been developed over a few weeks, you seem too emotional about it.

Sorry, I'm just being nosey. You come across as being strongly anti-helmet, although I think you sometimes wear one yourself. As I think most here agree with the idea of making your own decision without influence of peer pressure and myths, I was just wondering why you (appear to me to) take such a strong position.

 

[Mark_Robson]

What I actually said was that I am pro choice for adults but would be in favour of compulsion for young children. That is my opinion and I stick by it. Saying that I don't lobby for it and I don't try to preach to people that I know or see.

 

[summerdays]

What I actually said was that I am pro choice for adults but would be in favour of compulsion for young children. That is my opinion and I stick by it. Saying that I don't lobby for it and I don't try to preach to people that I know or see.

I can understand why you would want children to wear them (thinner skulls/more tumble accidents) ... but children often see them as seriously un-cool. You would either prevent some children from cycling or they would cycle with them on their handlebars to be ready to quickly put them on - which may cause more accidents.

And the area's with the lowest take up would be the same areas where wearing seat belts and kids would play out on the street at night time. Most kids wear helmets so badly adjusted that they probably wouldn't do any good.

 

[ufkacbln]

OK, I'll give you that, but that was only a few weeks ago. Your position seems too entrenched for it to have only been developed over a few weeks, you seem too emotional about it.

Sorry, I'm just being nosey. You come across as being strongly anti-helmet, although I think you sometimes wear one yourself. As I think most here agree with the idea of making your own decision without influence of peer pressure and myths, I was just wondering why you (appear to me to) take such a strong position.

Find a post where I an anti-helmet. Anti-compulsion definitely!

I have stood firm on the ground that helmet standards are too weak and need to be stronger (Snell B90 as opposed to EN1078). I have stated and satnd by the evidence that some designs may actually cause injury and this needs to be addressed (rounder smoother safer campaign) as does the fact hat some of the designs may cause the helmet to be ejected in a crash and are therefore compromised.

Equally I feel that we need to look at why compulsion is so desirable in cyclists when it is one of the safer activities when you look at head injuries...the reasons behind why so many organisations that would benefit from victim-blaming to reduce their culpability... SMIDSYed - but the injuries are your fault because you didn't protect yourself from their negligence.

The problem is that we are not allowed to question the Holy Grail that is the cycle helmet or and it is far easier to claim that the posts are rabidly anti-helmet and therefore none of the science, evidence etc is valid.


Pointing out that helmets have flaws, that many of the pro-compulsion arguments don't hold water and that you need to make an informed decision is not and never has been anti-helmet.

 

[ufkacbln]

Again a reason why the Thudguard is so brilliant to illustrate flaws in the pro-compulsion argument

Both have evidence they save children from head injuries
Both have unequivocal support from Cinicians, health care professionals, safety organisations etc
Both have used emotive claims

Yet we are supposed to believe all this when it applies to cycle helmets and make them compulsory, but ignore all the same evidence when we suggest children should wear Thudguards!

You are allowed to make the choice based on the evidence in the latter case, but not allowed to weigh up the same level of evidence in cycle helmets and make the same choice... Hardly a consistent standpoint

 

[Mark_Robson]

I can understand why you would want children to wear them (thinner skulls/more tumble accidents) ... but children often see them as seriously un-cool. You would either prevent some children from cycling or they would cycle with them on their handlebars to be ready to quickly put them on - which may cause more accidents.

And the area's with the lowest take up would be the same areas where wearing seat belts and kids would play out on the street at night time. Most kids wear helmets so badly adjusted that they probably wouldn't do any good.

+1 I live quite close to one of those estates and even to this day as a parent I still see things that shock me.
I agree with you entirely getting kids to wear helmets but it is doable. There's a lot of ways of introducing helmet wearing from an early age, ie only sell children's bikes with helmets, media campaigns etc. If every kid wore a helmet then there wouldn't be any stigma because it would be the norm. Wouldn't it be helpful to portray helmets as cool and effective rather than a hindrance?
Obviously that kind of mindset change wouldn't happen over night but it is doable. Really it's not the kids that need educating, its the parents.
I wonder how many no helmet parents on this site insist on their kids wearing a helmet? I know that I did until I realised that life was too short not to wear one.

 

[summerdays]

How come its failed with seat belts then... you won't get 100% uptake and its those areas where the uptake would be the lowest that you get the most unsupervised playing (not saying that's all bad).

I don't know if you can test out the helmets as worn by your children's friends ... but have a look a school ... often helmet too small/too large, straps not properly tightened, or not done up at all.

We can't go down the compulsion route for anyone.

 

[Mark_Robson]

How come its failed with seat belts then... you won't get 100% uptake and its those areas where the uptake would be the lowest that you get the most unsupervised playing (not saying that's all bad).

I don't know if you can test out the helmets as worn by your children's friends ... but have a look a school ... often helmet too small/too large, straps not properly tightened, or not done up at all.

We can't go down the compulsion route for anyone.

It failed with seat belts because the parents aren't responsible enough to enforce the law or don't that their child's safety warrants the price of a booster cushion. People like that know the risks but choose to ignore them and I'm afraid that the only way to deal with them is through the courts.
And I agree with your point about badly fitting helmets as I see it all the time but once again that's down to education. As for compulsion for children, it will probably never happen but that's not to say that it wouldn't be beneficial.

 

[BentMikey]

Of course it wouldn't be beneficial.

 

[ufkacbln]

Compulsory Thudguards would be equally (or even more)beneficial