metro article on helmets

[scotty110788]

i apologise in advance if this has been posted, not been online much but spotted this in newspaper other day http://www.metro.co.uk/news/892453-helmets-useless-in-major-bike-accidents-says-new-study , i just cant believe it, there saying helmets dont save people because 80% of deaths, they were wearing them, what about the 1000s that have saved people which they have no record off? comparing wearing a helmet to smoking lol

p.s if this is a repost, feel free to remove Mr. Mod

 

[boydj]

what about the 1000s that have saved people which they have no record off?

Any evidence for this?

 

[scotty110788]

Mmmmm... no but surely its true, sorry for my inaccuracy on my post, i will go on a online mission for ze evidence

Edit: evidence not as easier as i thought since 99% of sites tell me there is none but then again how would they gather proof, if i fell off my bike and broke my helmet but felt fine, i wouldnt report it so no one will know it "might" have saved my life, think i jumped into deep end with this topic now

 

[Primal Scream]

You cannotvprove a negative

 

[ianrauk]

not going to remove, but going to move to the Helmet part of the forum...

 

[Norm]

...think i jumped into deep end with this topic now

I think you might have done.

The reason that there's no evidence is nothing to do with the way that they gather information, it's because, well, there's no evidence. Look at population-wide studies in places, like Australia, where helmets have been made compulsory and, from memory, the cyclist ksi numbers get worse.

not going to remove, but going to move to the Helmet part of the forum...

You beat me by seconds on this one.

 

[scotty110788]

not going to remove, but going to move to the Helmet part of the forum...

sorry, always seem to add to wrong forum, just so many

 

[Dragonwight]

So a study proves what virtually everyone already knew helmets are useful in minor accidents but wont protect you from a ton of metal.

 

[gaz]

You can compare wearing a helmet to punching.
Stand an arms length + 3 inches from a wall.
Punch and you will miss the wall.
Now add a 4 inch layer of foam around your first.
Punch the wall. OH MY GOD THE FOAM SAVED YOUR LIFE!!

 

[caimg]

You can compare wearing a helmet to punching.
Stand an arms length + 3 inches from a wall.
Punch and you will miss the wall.
Now add a 4 inch layer of foam around your first.
Punch the wall. OH MY GOD THE FOAM SAVED YOUR LIFE!!

Eh? I don't even get if this meant to be negative?

I think you don't need to compare wearing a helmet to anything. Rather than punching, how about try falling from a height, at speed, on your head. This is a very real possibility.

You wouldn't choose a car without an airbag, why on earth would you actively choose to risk your life by not wearing a helmet?

 

[Speedywheelsjeans]

You can compare wearing a helmet to punching.
Stand an arms length + 3 inches from a wall.
Punch and you will miss the wall.
Now add a 4 inch layer of foam around your first.
Punch the wall. OH MY GOD THE FOAM SAVED YOUR LIFE!!

I love this type of statement, wearing a helmet can make you hit something that your head wasn't going to hit anyway so the reason you hit your head was because you were wearing a helmet. But what about the thing that your head was going to hit, ahh yes the impact was absorbed through the helmet and although some head damage occurred it was significantly less than would would have happened had a helmet not been on your head. I agree helmets are useless in a lot of situations, but a lot of crashes are caused by people being clipped by cars, slipping on loose surfaces, misjudging corners or in racing being tapped by other bikes. These types of minor offs where your momentum means your head can hit the floor, railings by traffic lights, other riders bikes etc without your control can end in a lot of blood, bruising and skull fractures.. helmets can reduce (not necessarily will) the damage done to your head. Why wouldnt you wear one for the sake of 'it might not save me so therefore its a waste of money'. Ive posted this before, but I had a head on collision with the back of a minibus while I was traveling around 25mph. My helmet was a mess, cracked dented and fractured, my head however was free from bruises, bumps, lumps, cuts, grazes. I had a headache... but I believe it would have been a hospital trip or worse had I not been wearing it.

 

[Dan B]

Carry on believing. We have freedom of religion here, even if some people get annoyed at being preached at

 

[Norm]

... but a lot of crashes are caused by people being clipped by cars...

Cars which would be further away if you weren't wearing a helmet.

And, as an anecdotal tit-for-tat, I know someone whose neck injuries were worsened because they were wearing a helmet. Sadly, it can't match the romantic, emotional heart-string tugging of a lot of blood and bruising and skull fractures, but I doubt that a broken neck would be that much fun, even without any visible impact of bruises, bumps, lumps, cuts or grazes.

 

[snorri]

You wouldn't choose a car without an airbag, why on earth would you actively choose to risk your life by not wearing a helmet?

Search through old helmet debate posts, all the info is there, the situation is not as clear cut as first appears

 

[caimg]

That worsened neck injury would have probably been a serious head injury without a helmet though, presumably?