Including the Thudguard?
Helmet or no helmet??
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Including the Thudguard?
It comes down to the original statement made early in the thread, it's your choice and peoples opposing views are equally valid. I'm probably one of the few people on here who has fractured his skull coming off a bike, as a result of that experience I now wear a helmet. I don't know if it will help if there's a next time but it might and I was sufficiently hurt enough and suffered enough to know I want to minimize that potential pain if I can. I think what irritates people about the whole helmet debate is the element of blame and irresponsibility creeping into it, as if not wearing one is irresponsible when the evidence just isn't there to back that up and even if it was, who cares, it's my risk. As we've both decided to wear a helmet the argument is largely moot, sit back, pull out the popcorn and award the usual proponents in these debates marks out of 10 for irrelevant risk comparisons and emotively blackmailing statements
battered
Guru
It did to me. I was hit by a Toyota Starlet at a combined speed of 40mph (source: Police witness, I can't remember). I hit it head first, having flown over the bonnet. The police on the scene said I would be dead were it not for the helmet. I sustained a fractured skull, broken arm, broken other hand, broken shoulder, and broken nose/cheeks/teeth/jaw. Oh and a smashed helmet which found its way into a hospital bin. The car had a dented bonnet and a broken front screen, bits of which the A&E doc had to pick out of my scalp.
A few points in answer to others: "My instinctive reaction would save my head". I suspect my broken arms are the result of putting my arms out, this probably reduced the impact *a bit*. Did it save my head? Evidently not.
No helmet can protect against all possible accidents. If you have to land on your head though, then you are more likely to escape injury if you have some form of protection.
If you are going to hit a car on a bike then you will naturally go over the bars and fly head first, therefore there is a distict possibility that you will hit something this way.
I can't envisage an accident where a helmet would make things worse, or not easily at least. I can envisage plenty where itwould help.
I don't think my behaviour chanes significantly in a helmet. No "risk compensation" factors threfore apply, or are significant *to me*.
So, in terms of risk analysis *for me*, I don't think the use of a helmet makes things worse in any situations I can envisage. Sure it could "hook up" but this is unlikely. Sure the 300g weight could make it worse, but come on. 300g? Can I envisage a repeat of the accident? God forbid, but yes. I cycle in traffic and it was a classic violation of ROW collision. These cause the majority of motorbike accidents and fatalities AIUI. Since the accident I have had one near miss involving yet another blind car driver who pulled out of a side turning. Fortunately I saw it coming and by braking heavily I managed to stay off the bonnet and out of the screen. Had I not managed this then it would have been a carbon copy of the near-fatal accident.
So in short, if others want to wear helmet or not, be my guest. Either way it's your head, do as you wish. I will, for me the anti-helmet arguments hold about as much water as anti-seatbelt arguments. The fact that I have driven hundreds of thousands of miles without needing a seatbelt, and that in certain circumstances (eg slide off the road into deep water) you might be better off without, don't negate the advantages.
I suspect a number of people who don't want to wear a helmet want to justify their position, and I can sympathise with them not wanting to be moralised to by some pro-helmet crusade.
By the way, if anyone wants to open the Stevie Wonder School of Advanced Driving here in Leeds, I'm sure there would be plenty of takers. ;-)
Just to put a new concept in......
Why not spend all this effort and expense making vehicles better?
We allow cars like the Jeep Grand Cherokee that fails every single criteria for pedestrian (and cyclist) safety (EnCap)
If you are hit by one of these you are going to suffer more serious injuries than if you are hit by one of the few cars with a five (or 4) star rating.
Surely there is a real moral incentive for these drivers to take responsibility?
In a vehicle collision, they choose to inflict greater injuries, and it is suggested that we should be using a piece of plastic to counter this?
Why not spend all this effort and expense making vehicles better?
We allow cars like the Jeep Grand Cherokee that fails every single criteria for pedestrian (and cyclist) safety (EnCap)
If you are hit by one of these you are going to suffer more serious injuries than if you are hit by one of the few cars with a five (or 4) star rating.
Surely there is a real moral incentive for these drivers to take responsibility?
In a vehicle collision, they choose to inflict greater injuries, and it is suggested that we should be using a piece of plastic to counter this?
battered
Guru
Agreed, but I can't personally control this. I can't do anything about driving standards either, which are generally shockingly bad. I can't separate bike traffic from cars, or impose slower speeds in town. I can ride safely, choose to wear a helmet ond/or high viz clothing and play *my* part in redusing the risk of an accident and its severity if it occurs.
It was a Toyota Starlet that hit me, so outlawing 4x4s would not have kept me out of hospital. It *might* have been worse still had it been a Jeep, happily I don't have to find out.
In my case the driver has been prosecuted and is in the middle of a driving ban. Hopefully this will make him think more in future. It was bad driving and not poor vehicle design that injured me after all.
Sorry but I have to disagree. My children climb trees as much as they cycle but they did not buy them any so called protection for this activity. Why ?
I would hope that they do love their grandchildren but it does not mean they are right.
This is very similar to the recent deaths where children have been playing on rope swings or playing in their bedrooms after school and getting their ties caught, it's tragic, but not the helmets fault, to me it's a terrible freak accident.
totallyfixed
Veteran
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Up until now I just couldn't be bothered getting drawn in to these debates, but I am getting heartily sick of hearing how a helmet "saved" my life story. Must have been a hell of a lot of dead cyclists before helmets came along..........er, no. If you believe a helmet will save your life, fine, but keep it to yourself. It didn,t save the life of someone very close to me who died as a result of wearing a helmet [rotational injury,severed spinal chord].
Do the pro helmet brigade drive cars? If you do you really, really should wear your helmet if you believe it could save your life as you are 60% more likely to suffer a head injury driving than riding your bike, but I bet you don't. Oh, and you are more likely to be involved in an accident in your car than on your bike [unless you are a c..p bike rider].
I could go on but I'm reaching the can't be bothered stage again, so finally, would you helmet evangelists explain why it is us non helmet wearers don't don't constantly rabbit on about the virtues of not wearing a helmet whilst you lot like to tell us the error of our ways? Are you trying to justify the £90 [or more in some cases, less polystyrene = more £'s, ????] lid on your head?
I see just as many people who don't wear helmets getting all 'holier than thou' about their choice as these 'helmet evangelists' do about wearing one. Asking either party to justify their choice is as much of a waste of time as asking a group of politicians to tell you who is the least crooked...
I probably will wear a helmet when I take to the roads, my life won't just be in my hands so I figure I'll take whatever potential additional safety precaution I can, however I never ever wore a helmet when I cycled as a child.
One lad I was in the army with had a terrible fall from a bike when we were out doing downhill stuff and suffered some nasty disfigurement to his face and head, he had a helmet on and it got wrecked, did it save his life? Who knows, but I bet he's thankful he had it on just in case it did.
I imagine there are a million stories on both side of the fence but it all comes down to the same thing... It is your choice.
I probably will wear a helmet when I take to the roads, my life won't just be in my hands so I figure I'll take whatever potential additional safety precaution I can, however I never ever wore a helmet when I cycled as a child.
One lad I was in the army with had a terrible fall from a bike when we were out doing downhill stuff and suffered some nasty disfigurement to his face and head, he had a helmet on and it got wrecked, did it save his life? Who knows, but I bet he's thankful he had it on just in case it did.
I imagine there are a million stories on both side of the fence but it all comes down to the same thing... It is your choice.
Winnershsaint
Guru
I've been cycling on the road regularly since last May, prior to this I used my bike to cycle to the gym and walking the dog. I have not ridden on the road without a helmet, to me it's second nature, it's my choice and I don't have any problem with anyone who chooses not to wear one. it is a matter of personal choice. The dog walking bit involved me in cycling around fields behind my house for around 25 mins in all weathers. In the winter it was pitch black and often very slippery. (Destroyed an entry level Diamondback MTB in 18 months doing this.) Came off fairly frequently. Didn't wear a lid out on any of these madcap muddy dashes in the dark.
After tons of pressure from family, I decided to finally get a helmet (although I wouldn't have but someone else insisted on paying). Got a giro thingy, nice small and 50 quid, tried a few on but the Giro was neated and fitted nice and comfy, A specialized one fitted as well but it was big and bulky! Just need sunglasses top complete the look now!
I never thought Id find one that I would wear, due to bulkiness etc. But after shopping around I found one thats actauly not bad looking and i will wear it. If its because of looks you aint getting one Id say shop around you might find one you like, I did.
I never thought Id find one that I would wear, due to bulkiness etc. But after shopping around I found one thats actauly not bad looking and i will wear it. If its because of looks you aint getting one Id say shop around you might find one you like, I did.
This is another inappropriate and inaccurate piece of emotive rubbish
I work in one and very few of the patients we see are cyclists....... Most are pedestrians, and a large number of drivers and car passengers. The only possible conclusion is just how important helmet use in pedestrians (for instance) is!
Given the facts, do you want to give your opinion on pedestrian head injuries?
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