Do you think Bicycle helmets should be required by law?

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raleighnut

Legendary Member
Don't think so they'd vibrate off with that tractor engine underneath
This upsets Harley owners somewhat,

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Welsh wheels

Lycra king
Location
South Wales
This is just my opinion but I think there should be a law on bike helmets:

1. Since bicycles are considered veichles and have the same rights and rules as other road users. It's the law for motorbikes/mopeds to wear helmets. So if we have to the same rights shouldn't cyclists also have to just like motorbikes/moped drivers.
2. If it was the law. There would be less deaths as most cyclists that die in accidents aren't wearing helmets and die from a brain injury.
3. Some countries it is the law so why not in all countries to make it fair?

I always wear my helmet!

what do you guys think?
Just to warn you, many members have strong views on this topic :smile:
 

GrahamS

Well-Known Member
Nah, shouldn't be compulsory. We can all do our own risk assessments.

Always wear mine for my 22 mile commute or if out for a long ride, on Friday it certainly saved my noggin when I hit the deck leaving me with ringing ears.

Never one for my 10 minute ride to the train station when I commute by train, not even this morning.
 
Nah, shouldn't be compulsory. We can all do our own risk assessments.

Always wear mine for my 22 mile commute or if out for a long ride, on Friday it certainly saved my noggin when I hit the deck leaving me with ringing ears.

Never one for my 10 minute ride to the train station when I commute by train, not even this morning.
You're really fortunate the drivers recognise when you are wearing one and only knock you off accordingly.
 

GrahamS

Well-Known Member
You're really fortunate the drivers recognise when you are wearing one and only knock you off accordingly.

One is a long ride on fast busy roads with many junctions, one is a quick bimble with on quiet roads where nobody is likely to get to 30mph. Very different risk levels. Very silly comment.
 

GrahamS

Well-Known Member
[QUOTE 4961463, member: 43827"]Yeahbut if you hadn't had the helmet on your head would have magically stopped 1 cm from the floor, so it was the helmet that caused the ringing ears, not prevented worse injury.[/QUOTE]

I have no idea what your point is.
 
One is a long ride on fast busy roads with many junctions, one is a quick bimble with on quiet roads where nobody is likely to get to 30mph. Very different risk levels. Very silly comment.
Ah you assume that busy roads are more likely to have collisions. And than faster speed collisions are more likely to be helped by a helmet.
 
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benb

Evidence based cyclist
Location
Epsom
Sorry. I didn't know there was a thread already about this but bear I my mind opinions are opinions. It's just about opinions.

Opinions are fine as far as they go, but when formulating legislation it's better to look at the evidence.
And the evidence is clear that cycle helmets do not significantly improve your chances of suffering a serious head injury.
The reason why that is so is probably, in my opinion, because:
The risk of falling off at all when cycling is low.
Therefore the risk of falling off an hitting your head is even smaller.
Therefore the risk of falling off in such a way that a helmet would materially affect the outcome is vanishingly small. Remember that they are only tested to quite low impact speeds, so most impacts will either be so high as to render the helmet useless, or so low that one would not have suffered a serious head injury even without one.

There are probably some situations where they are beneficial, but as above, those situations are so unlikely that they are not statistically detectable.

Finally, there are plenty of activities we do where the risk of head injury is broadly similar, yet no one suggests wearing a helmet for it, because it is an overreaction to the risks involved.
 

GrahamS

Well-Known Member
Ah you assume that busy roads are more likely to have collisions. And than faster speed collisions are more likely to be helped by a helmet.

A journey mixing it with 100's of cars does seem to have a higher risk of collision than a journey mixing it with 0-5 cars yes.
 
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