meic wrote:I dont think that they would be interested, it is all trumped by an unhelmeted death on the roads and a "helmet saved my life" story from another injured cyclist.
Yes, but meic, what if that death was yours?
I've been smashed up and in intensive care through a head injury when I wasn't wearing a helmet - I had a cycling colleague who was unhelmeted and died horribly (but instantly) from a head injury - I have two cycling friends who had helmets destroyed in prangs to the head - one would have died and the other would have been seriously injured.
I hate wearing a helmet, probably for the same reasons that you do also........but I do know why I wear one. Each to their own, it's all a matter of our own choice. I'd never subscribe to compulsory helmet propaganda. However knowing what I know I'd never ridicule them nor argue against wearing one.
You just described four bad crashes, two helmeted and two un-helmeted and through a belief in the efficacy of helmets, said the helmets had (or would have) been significantly effective. I dont believe in the efficacy of helmets and think it made little difference to the outcomes of each crash.
I do however believe that a motorcycle helmet would have helped in all four cases. So we really all should be wearing those, if crash protection was our priority.
meic wrote:You just described four bad crashes, two helmeted and two un-helmeted and through a belief in the efficacy of helmets, said the helmets had (or would have) been significantly effective. I dont believe in the efficacy of helmets and think it made little difference to the outcomes of each crash.
I do however believe that a motorcycle helmet would have helped in all four cases. So we really all should be wearing those, if crash protection was our priority.
We learn by experience meic. I never thought it would happen to me - it hadn't, in 45+ years of cycling............but
To understand the merits of trying to impose helmet use it is helpful to understand the pros and cons of the arguments of helmet research, it is essential to weighing up the situation. Sending half the topic to the other place makes it more remote from the people affected in the local groups. Probably not much benefit to local group members who have concerns.
The premise "Wearing a helmet saved them" is false. I have sustained 2 major head injuries while cycling ..without a helmet.. I am obviously alive and well. " He hit his head and the helmet was destroyed saving his life" ...probably the helmet a made of .... styrene foam, .... and didn't do a lot. At all. Our heads / skulls have developed over millions of years .... to protect our brain. And do it very well ..... Cycling is not dangerous ... being alive is ...
“Quiet, calm deliberation disentangles every knot.”
Be more Mike.
The road goes on forever.
landsurfer wrote:The premise "Wearing a helmet saved them" is false. I have sustained 2 major head injuries while cycling ..without a helmet.. I am obviously alive and well. " He hit his head and the helmet was destroyed saving his life" ...probably the helmet a made of .... styrene foam, .... and didn't do a lot. At all. Our heads / skulls have developed over millions of years .... to protect our brain. And do it very well ..... Cycling is not dangerous ... being alive is ...
Err:-
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
landsurfer wrote:The premise "Wearing a helmet saved them" is false. I have sustained 2 major head injuries while cycling ..without a helmet.. I am obviously alive and well. " He hit his head and the helmet was destroyed saving his life" ...probably the helmet a made of .... styrene foam, .... and didn't do a lot. At all. Our heads / skulls have developed over millions of years .... to protect our brain. And do it very well ..... Cycling is not dangerous ... being alive is ...
Err:-
Compulsory entry requirement ...... if you want to join the club .... accept the rules .... lol Good point, well made ..... but ... club and rules .....
“Quiet, calm deliberation disentangles every knot.”
Be more Mike.
The road goes on forever.
meic wrote:You just described four bad crashes, two helmeted and two un-helmeted and through a belief in the efficacy of helmets, said the helmets had (or would have) been significantly effective. I dont believe in the efficacy of helmets and think it made little difference to the outcomes of each crash.
I do however believe that a motorcycle helmet would have helped in all four cases. So we really all should be wearing those, if crash protection was our priority.
We learn by experience meic. I never thought it would happen to me - it hadn't, in 45+ years of cycling............but
Given your time of life I'd say you are in more need of a walking helmet than a cycling helmet...just in case, as statistics show us you'd be at more risk of dying or suffering from a serious head injury whilst doing so. And if you don't wear one for walking or getting in a motor vehicle now that you've made it clear that you think a head injury could happen (after all it did whilst cycling), why not?
For NSW in the period 1992-2011 there were 231 cyclist deaths, 154 helmeted, 66 not wearing and 11 unknowns. Of known cases, 70% were helmeted. The 1993 Smith survey reported wearing rates of 68% for children under 16 at road sites (56% for Sydney) and 83% for adults (77% for Sydney). The wearing rate for cyclists varied and the lowest use appears to be associated with nighttime cyclists and teenagers.
see page 18, Mr Colin Clarke (PDF 68 KB) Attachment 1 (PDF 1848 KB) http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Bus ... ubmissions Helmets may have little effect on saving lives. More likely to discourage some people from cycling and cost lives.
landsurfer wrote:Good point, well made ..... but ... club and rules .....
To quote good old Groucho "I wouldn't join any club that would have me as a member"
Groucho again:
I have cast-iron principles In case they do not suit, I have others in reserve
In the case of helmets Groucho really has it nailed:- "The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made" I think the helmet salesmen have .
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
