Why are UK cyclists fixated on helmets

[JonUK4]

So Monty - when you crash you only crash at extreme speeds. You go from stationary to full bore immediately and stop as fast? very impressive acceleration and braking demonstrated there.

 

[MontyVeda]

So Monty - when you crash you only crash at extreme speeds. You go from stationary to full bore immediately and stop as fast? very impressive acceleration and braking demonstrated there.

dunno where you got that from... but i admire your imagination.

 

[JonUK4]

Why I made the assumption based on your statement that only full motorbike helmets would help, maybe. It implies there is no grey area in crashes. There is either a light graze or skull smasher in your world. In mine there's the time I hit a series of potholes which I badly avoided and stared at the traitorous floor as it rushed up toward me.

It's a crumple zone for the brain. To stop the crumple happening in the brain sack. I can understand not wanting to wear one for personal enjoyment, but I can't understand the argument that it's safer to be without. If it's because road user would swing around you more then yes, assuming they are the 95% percentile that made up that survey. In fact if you think that helps, you might as well ride butt naked, smeared in faeces to make sure people stay as far away as possible

 

[Markymark]

If you're basing your road safety on being given space I think you're already at risk. Take the space you need to be safe, as you would do when driving.

I take plenty of space, but it's been shows cars pass with less space if you're wearing a helmet. Very little you can do about it if a car decides to fly past you closer than they should.

 

[MontyVeda]

Why I made the assumption based on your statement that only full motorbike helmets would help, maybe. ...

I clearly stated "with an impact big enough to compromise my skull". Please read posts properly and reply accordingly.

 

[Profpointy]

Why I made the assumption based on your statement that only full motorbike helmets would help, maybe. It implies there is no grey area in crashes. There is either a light graze or skull smasher in your world. In mine there's the time I hit a series of potholes which I badly avoided and stared at the traitorous floor as it rushed up toward me.

It's a crumple zone for the brain. To stop the crumple happening in the brain sack. I can understand not wanting to wear one for personal enjoyment, but I can't understand the argument that it's safer to be without. If it's because road user would swing around you more then yes, assuming they are the 95% percentile that made up that survey. In fact if you think that helps, you might as well ride butt naked, smeared in faeces to make sure people stay as far away as possible

yebbutt.... the point is you are assuming what you are trying to prove. As a first guess it's fine to say "helmets are bound to help - it's obvious innit" - which was my starting point - but the evidence from Australia, Ontario, New Zealand etc does not seem to back it up. so even if we accept they help sometimes - the must make things worse other times - else they would help overall - which they seem not to. There is something going on here. Maybe it's as simple as making your head bigger means you hit it more often - about twice as often presumably - which would by itself negate a halving injury in the event of a hit - quite apart from anything else

 

[Mugshot]

Why I made the assumption based on your statement that only full motorbike helmets would help, maybe. It implies there is no grey area in crashes. There is either a light graze or skull smasher in your world. In mine there's the time I hit a series of potholes which I badly avoided and stared at the traitorous floor as it rushed up toward me.

It's a crumple zone for the brain. To stop the crumple happening in the brain sack. I can understand not wanting to wear one for personal enjoyment, but I can't understand the argument that it's safer to be without. If it's because road user would swing around you more then yes, assuming they are the 95% percentile that made up that survey. In fact if you think that helps, you might as well ride butt naked, smeared in faeces to make sure people stay as far away as possible

I don't know if you've read the whole thread or not, but I will repeat what has been stated on numerous occasions.
Nobody is saying that it is not possible for a helmet to offer some protection in certain circumstances, but the fact is that you are just as likely to find yourself in a position where a helmet may offer some protection in many other walks of life, in actual fact, just about all of them. If you trip and fall in your home or in the street a helmet may help prevent an injury if you hit your head, if you stand up in your kitchen too quickly and someone has left the wall unit door open a helmet may help in those circumstances, if you are driving or are a passenger in a car which is involved in a collision it is possible that a helmet.....I think you get the idea.
Now go and look up the statistics to see how much more or less likely you are to hit your head whilst riding your bike than in other common everyday activities, then ask yourself whether you should be wearing one more regularly or not.

 

[Scoosh]

MOD NOTE:
We (OK - you lot ) are in danger of straying into the Helmet Debate section, as opposed to this thread, which has thus far been a very civilised, useful, informative and - dare one say it - humourous Helmet Discussion, which was very much the OP intention.

Please do not get into the arguments about the pros and cons of wearing or not wearing a helmet (or helmets ) or this thread will be Closed.

Thank you.

 

[MontyVeda]

...
if you stand up in your kitchen too quickly and someone has left the wall unit door open
...

now this I do quite often... I'm blonde. I haven't yet broken the skin, but it's only a matter of time.

Some people claim I'm an idiot because i don't wear a helmet when riding my bike. I'd bet 50p that the same people would call me 'stark raving bonkers' if i did wear a helmet in my kitchen.

edited by Monty

 

[Mugshot]

now this I do quite often... I'm blonde. I haven't yet broken the skin, but it's only a matter of time.

Some people claim I'm an idiot because i don't wear a helmet when riding my bike. I'd bet 50p that the same people would call me 'stark raving bonkers' in i did wear a helmet in my kitchen.

Bloody hurts doesn't it!!!
It's a shame you didn't quote my whole post so it was saved for posterity, as it's been deleted.

 

[JonUK4]

Ha! will do Mod man. Will lay my keyboard down.

Toodles all

 

[Scoosh]

.....
It's a shame you didn't quote my whole post so it was saved for posterity, as it's been deleted.

There were 2 of them, so I Deleted the Duplicate ... but there's nothing there now, so I've re-instated the erroneously Deleted post.

My apologies - it wasn't the content, just the duplication.

Honest !

 

[MontyVeda]

this is going to get tricky... aside from my initial thoughts about the up-sell being a driving force for helmet use in the UK... the only other factor I can see is the perceived 'pros' of what a helmet will do in the event of an accident.

 

[Mugshot]

There were 2 of them, so I Deleted the Duplicate ... but there's nothing there now, so I've re-instated the erroneously Deleted post.

My apologies - it wasn't the content, just the duplication.

Honest !

Oooo, thank you, I didn't think it was that naughty.
I believe you.

Honest!

 

[MontyVeda]

Oooo, thank you, I didn't think it was that naughty.
I believe you.

Honest!

i think it was Jon and I being naughty.

Sorry mods... best behaviour from now on... well, maybe for a minute or two.