Helmet section Intro & Cycling UK Policy

For all discussions about this "lively" subject. All topics that are substantially about helmet usage will be moved here.
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Si
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Helmet section Intro & Cycling UK Policy

Post by Si »

If you are reading this then you've probably found the new child section for helmet campaigning topics.

Let me explain why it is here. Anyone who has been on the forum for any length of time will have noticed that we have rather a lot of threads on helmets, and that many of these threads just repeat, for the most part, what previous threads have already said. Thus, in bringing together all the helmet threads in one place we hope to save forum members the trouble of having to make the same posts over and over again, and getting caught up in the same debate over and over again. Now if anyone wants to talk helmets they should be able to easily find an existing thread where the the topic is already being discussed and many informative points have been made.

There are many aspects to cycle campaigning, although, looking at the Campaigning part of the board, the non-helmet related topics can be pushed aside by helmet threads - at one point I noticed that 8 of the top 10 threads in Campaign and On the Road were helmet threads, with much repetition within them. It is hoped that by moving helmet threads here, the other, equally important campaign topic will not get side-lined.

Furthermore, from a moderation point of view, helmet threads are where it often all kicks off and we have to devote a fair bit of time to trying to calm things down in such threads, and often as not it is exactly the same thing that has triggered the aggression. At least bunging all the helmet threads in the same place helps us to keep a handle on it all, and with less repetition of threads it means less likelihood that it'll all kick off so often.

NOTE, this is not to say that by moving helmet topic here there is any official policy of criticising helmet use on the forum - we are not trying to marginalise or side line debate, we are merely trying to make these debates more stream lined, more concise, and less likely to provoke confrontation. Those that run the forum have varying views on helmets just as those that post on the forum - some of us use helmets, some don't.

LIKEWISE: the CTC view is not anti-helmet (despite what some would have you believe). It is anti-compulsion. It believes that each individual should have the right to weigh up the pros and cons for themselves and then decide whether or not to use a helmet. It does not say that anyone should or should not wear a helmet, it simply says that we should not be forced to.

The Cycling UK Policy is here

We will run this section for a while and see how it gets on. If it doesn't work or causes untold aggravation to the users then we will change back. but please bear with us and give it a chance. But, please, before starting a new helmet thread/post please look at the others to see if the ground hs already been covered.
Last edited by Graham on 27 Mar 2018, 6:56pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Link to Cycling UK policy added + title modified
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