Yet more helmet BS; by Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary.

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Brandane

Legendary Member
Location
Costa Clyde
BBC link.
Grant Shapps came off his bike and cut his lip.
"Thank goodness for the bike helmet, without which it could have been much worse".
A bold statement to make, but given the few details of the incident, very hard to quantify.
It's just a bit concerning that someone in his position makes such a claim.
I just wish that him and others would desist from this nonsense after every accident they have on a bike. Painting cycling as some high risk method of transport cannot be helpful in bringing it to the masses; and then claiming that putting a thin layer of plastic and polystyrene on your head somehow makes it safe?
 

SydZ

Über Member
Location
Planet Earth
The article states "Thank goodness for the bike helmet, without which it could have been worse," he said.

I do nit see the word “much” in there.
 

Alex321

Veteran
Location
South Wales
Any clues as to why you think it BS?

I know we don't have much in the way of detail, but he was there, none of the rest of us were. I think he will have a pretty good idea of whether his helmet prevented a direct impact between his head and a hard surface in this case.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
Any clues as to why you think it BS?
Well, if he cut his lip, how bad was the crash to hit both his lip and the protective top part of the helmet? Somersaults?

I know we don't have much in the way of detail, but he was there, none of the rest of us were. I think he will have a pretty good idea of whether his helmet prevented a direct impact between his head and a hard surface in this case.
I'm not so sure. Some helmet users are literal hotheads, unaware of their actions. Given the weakness of the evidence for helmet use, if he will strap wall insulation to their head, without any other special motive to think himself at a higher risk of falls, I do doubt his rationality.
 

Alex321

Veteran
Location
South Wales
Well, if he cut his lip, how bad was the crash to hit both his lip and the protective top part of the helmet? Somersaults?
Who knows. The cut lip could easily have been from his teeth, if the impact banged his heard. And somersaults in falls aren't exactly uncommon anyhow.

I'm not so sure. Some helmet users are literal hotheads, unaware of their actions.
I'm sure some are. I'm equally sure that description could be applied to just as many non-users.

Given the weakness of the evidence for helmet use, if he will strap wall insulation to their head, without any other special motive to think himself at a higher risk of falls, I do doubt his rationality.

So you feel the need to denigrate what a helmet actually is, in order to be able to cast doubt on the rationality of users. Really good argument there.

Which, BTW, is "casting doubt on the rationality" of by some way the majority of cyclists I see on the road. I'm rather surprised that comment was permitted TBH.

You may not see the sense in wearing helmets, but many others do, and it is absolutely not irrational to do so.
 
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Who knows. The cut lip could easily have been from his teeth, if the impact banged his heard. And somersaults in falls aren't exactly uncommon anyhow.
It all down to research. Some people would not touch the vaccine until they see evidence and or a period of time to show that it is a safe. If they lose their lives or get maimed they will put it down to calculated risk.
 

icowden

Veteran
Location
Surrey
"Thank goodness for the bike helmet, without which it could have been much worse".
A bold statement to make, but given the few details of the incident, very hard to quantify.

So, Man falls of bike and goes to hospital, says that he was glad to be wearing a helmet or it could have been much worse, and he is automatically a liar?
I know he is Grant Shapps but even so, that seems a harsh standpoint...
 

SydZ

Über Member
Location
Planet Earth
So, Man falls of bike and goes to hospital, says that he was glad to be wearing a helmet or it could have been much worse, and he is automatically a liar?
I know he is Grant Shapps but even so, that seems a harsh standpoint...
GS only said ‘worse’ it was the OP that added in ‘much’.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
So, Man falls of bike and goes to hospital, says that he was glad to be wearing a helmet or it could have been much worse, and he is automatically a liar?
I know he is Grant Shapps but even so, that seems a harsh standpoint...
That is probably why no one is standing there, then!

People expressed doubt in his funny-looking claim, but did not say he is automatically a liar.
 
In the interest of science I have conducted a few experiments over the last couple of years and have compiled the results .

Experiment number 1 riding a Longstaff trike conversion down hill and being ejected from the saddle and in to a lamp post at 20mph. Result multiple fractures of the shoulder blade and the top of the socket broken away requiring pinning, head injury's zero.

Experiment number 2 riding a bicycle at 25 mph and hitting subsidence whilst looking over your shoulder then being ejected over the bars. Result four broken ribs, a punctured lung, a fractured hip socket and spinal damage resulting in delayed onset Lhermitte's syndrome , head injury's small laceration to back of head .

Experiment number 3 riding a bicycle at approximately 12mph and being hit from behind by a car traveling at 30+ mph and being propelled 12-15 feet in to the air. Result laceration to back of head and laceration to elbow, head injury Subarachnoid haemorrhage (bleed on the brain).

Experiment number 4 riding a bicycle down hill at 33mph and losing traction on both wheels whilst cornering. Result a broken shoulder blade, 7 broken ribs 5 of them broken in two places resulting in a flail chest and a punctured lung with a bleed , head injury's small laceration to top of head .
Conclusion, no helmet was worn in any of these experiments and apart from number 3 no serious head injury occurred but I would argue that the forces involved in experiment number 3 would have far exceed the design parameters of a standard cycling helmet. To my mind body armour of some sort would have done more to mitigate serious injury in the majority of these experiments rather than a helmet which at best would have saved me a few stitches.
 

Drago

Legendary Member
So, Man falls of bike and goes to hospital, says that he was glad to be wearing a helmet or it could have been much worse, and he is automatically a liar?
I know he is Grant Shapps but even so, that seems a harsh standpoint...
In that case, perhaps you could come to Mr Shapps' aid with this one.

The gentleman appears to have hit his face. How would not wearing a helmet have led to a more serious injury to his face?

No one is hinting, suggeting kr outright stating that Mr Shapps is a liar in this instance.

What they are suggesting is that Mr Shapps' comment is almost automatically throwaway in nature. Any good fortune in not receiving a more severe injury to the part of his body that was struck - in this case his face around the area of his mouth - was highly unlikely to be attributable to his helmet because the helmet offers no protection to that area.

A claim that his lucky Y fronts, or his St Christopher pendant prevented a more serious injury holds about the same technical accuracy as that of his lid being responsible for that good fortune.

Such throwaway comments are misleading, dangerous, and when repeated often enough start to become perceived as lore, and the next step from that is that they become law.
 
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