The Afternoon Show: Mandatory Cycle Helmets

tomasrojo · 17-11-2009 4:49pm #1

I've heard that The Afternoon Show on RTE is going to do an extensive spot on how desirable mandatory bicycle helmets would be. Conor Egleston, A&E doctor, (whom some of you may remember from his letters to the Irish Times on this subject) will be their star guest.

From what I've heard, none of the cycling groups will be on or be given right to reply.

Apparently their original intention was to start a campaign to demand mandatory laws, but now have deciced to run a survey of their listeners on the subject.

Production company is at 01 208 4600, if anyone wants to seek clarification. The producer is Kathy Littler. I'm going to give them a ring and see whether it's as I've heard.

t0mm · 17-11-2009 5:04pm

If I was a mod I'd ban you.

Not for talking about helmets mind you, but for watching The Afternoon Show.

thebouldwhacker · 17-11-2009 5:10pm

I am a proud helmet wearer but I gotta say while cigarettes are legally for sale in this country its the height of hypocrisy to legally impose other health measures such as manditory bike helmets .... slow news day more than anything else...

penexpers · 17-11-2009 5:11pm

Yawn.

tomasrojo · 17-11-2009 5:12pm

Seriously, if I've gone too far with my OP, please delete, mods. I'm going to ring in the morning to see whether the lack of balance is as described, but I'm 100% sure they're running the show with the A&E doctor.

t0mm · 17-11-2009 5:17pm

It won't happen anyway cos it would take most of the convenience out of the Dublin bikes. Noone is goin to carry a helmet around town, and it's not like they can give you a helmet when you take your bike.

tomasrojo · 17-11-2009 5:19pm

t0mm wrote: »

It won't happen anyway cos it would take most of the convenience out of the Dublin bikes. Noone is goin to carry a helmet around town, and it's not like they can give you a helmet when you take your bike.

Very true. In fact, I think it's the Dublin Bike scheme that has sparked this flurry of interest in helmet laws again.

Gavin · 17-11-2009 5:19pm

It's just the sort of thing a politician would love to implement. Imagine saving all those lives, and garnering all those votes, with a swipe of the pen!

tomasrojo · 17-11-2009 5:21pm

Gavin wrote: »

It's just the sort of thing a politician would love to implement. Imagine saving all those lives, and garnering all those votes, with a swipe of the pen!

There's an untapped busybody demographic.

seamus · 17-11-2009 5:21pm

tomasrojo wrote: »

Very true. In fact, I think it's the Dublin Bike scheme that has sparked this flurry of interest in helmet laws again.

Yep. Conservative/Idiot people have this natural tendency to be suspicious of things which are fun & easy. Like cycling. Or sex. So they have to ruin them for the rest of us.

Lumen · 17-11-2009 5:22pm

If the rumours are true, this is certainly not the kind of scientifically rigorous and bipartisan examination of issues I've come to expect of The Afternoon Show.

I shocked, just shocked. I may even write in to The Metro to express my outrage.

Slideshowbob · 17-11-2009 5:43pm

Maura Derrane is hot! ! ! !

Jumpy · 17-11-2009 5:53pm

Lumen wrote: »

If the rumours are true, this is certainly not the kind of scientifically rigorous and bipartisan examination of issues I've come to expect of The Afternoon Show.

I shocked, just shocked. I may even write in to The Metro to express my outrage.

For some reason I read that in a John Cleese voice as per the Architect Sketch.

John Cleese wrote:

Yes, well, that's the sort of blinkered, philistine pig ignorance I've come to expect from you non-creative garbage. You sit there on your loathsome, spotty behinds squeezing blackheads, not caring a tinker's cuss for the struggling artist. You excrement! You whining, hypocritical toadies, with your colour TV sets and your Tony Jacklin golf clubs and your bleeding Masonic secret handshakes! You wouldn't let me join, would you, you blackballing bastards! Well, I wouldn't become a freemason now if you went down on your lousy, stinking knees and begged me!

mloc123 · 17-11-2009 6:05pm

Will this be on the afternoon show on Friday?

blorg · 17-11-2009 6:25pm

tomasrojo wrote: »

now have deciced to run a survey of their listeners on the subject.

I think we can beat them if they actually do a poll, internet poll stuffing is after all what this country is best at. To your mouse buttons men!

Captain Havoc · 17-11-2009 6:41pm

I was just thiking, people who watch the afternoon show are usually at home, in the afternoon. Now, I would imagine that 99% of bicycle users would be at work, school/college, taking advantage of limited light etc...... Basically what I'm getting at, the afternoon show is for the elderly and parents, even during my unemployed period I didn't watch it. In summary who actually cares what they have to say. They post what the presenters wear on the site:
"Today Maura is wearing dark blue jeans from Topshop, Black shoes from Karen Millen, Black top with floral design from Ted Baker and Black shrug from All Saints.
Sheana is wearing a navy and black striped dress from Whistles and shoes from Karen Millen."

tomasrojo · 17-11-2009 9:31pm

They are targetting the "concerned mothers" demographic, I imagine. You know, the ones who aren't happy with merely telling their own kids what to do, but want to get the police and courts involved in how everyone else brings up their kids.

velo.2010 · 17-11-2009 9:36pm

I'll never forget 'acclaimed' trainer to the stars Pat Henry nearly keeling over while demonstrating a simple exercise on the previous incarnation Open House.

kincsem · 17-11-2009 10:00pm

Without balance the Afternoon Show could "prove" anything if they give a guest a platform.

I found these "statistics" on The Center For Head Injuries website

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Causes
51% - Motor Vehicle Accidents
21% - Falls
12% - Assaults and Violence
10% - Sports and Recreation
6% - Other

Bicycling
About 75% of all bicyclists who die each year die of head injuries.
85% of head injuries in bicycle accidents can be prevented by wearing a helmet.

I hate "statistics" without the raw numbers.

You could have 10,000 cycling head injuries of which 9,996 result in minor cuts and scrapes. And those scrapes might be prevented by wearing helmets. I don't know how they say "85% can be prevented". That is guesswork.

But the other four patients in the 10,000 die, three from head injuries and one from crush injuries. These numbers I made up would satisfy the above "statistics".

Bunnyhopper · 18-11-2009 12:47am

kincsem wrote: »

These numbers I made up would satisfy the above "statistics".

And 67.42% of statistics on the internet are just made up on the spot.

stopped_clock · 18-11-2009 1:18am

Bunnyhopper wrote: »

And 67.42% of statistics on the internet are just made up on the spot.

92% of people know that.

tomasrojo · 18-11-2009 10:05am

kincsem wrote: »

Bicycling
About 75% of all bicyclists who die each year die of head injuries.
85% of head injuries in bicycle accidents can be prevented by wearing a helmet. [/COLOR]
[...]
I don't know how they say "85% can be prevented". That is guesswork.

If you're really interested, I can tell you exactly how they got the 85% figure. I also know, since I studied statistics, that it's complete baloney. It's from a twenty-year-old case-control study, riddled with confounding factors (comparing apples and oranges, statistically speaking), with tiny numbers of participants, and a howling error in using odds ratios. Despite it being claptrap, it's the most common statistic you'll see used by proponents of helmet compulsion.

If it's a slow day at work, this is a detailed discussion of where it came from:
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk/wiki/Thompson,_Rivara_and_Thompson_(1989)

Bunnyhopper · 18-11-2009 11:08am

I found this quite helpful for understanding that article (and I didn't study stats...)

http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1131.html

Edit - @tomasrojo the closing bracket has got dropped off that URL somehow so it's not finding the page.

tomasrojo · 18-11-2009 11:11am

Ta! The tags auto-swooped down, but the closing one placed itself incorrectly.

TheJones · 18-11-2009 1:19pm

Ah RTE current affairs, Between tiger kidnappings, the decline of Irish society, AIB pay scales and the threat of public service strike action does anybody really care about the opinions of the overpaid and intellectually disabled presenters of the news challenged Afternoon Show who in their defence are only trying to compete with their ancestral 'Live at Three' for the title of most useless television show in public service broadcasting.

Don't anyone dare complaining by letting these loosers have their say about the importance of implementing their helmet legislation, by allowing them airtime on this terrible show we can all be relieved in the knowledge that no right minded person will be tuning in to hear about it!

ednwireland · 18-11-2009 1:39pm

TheJones wrote: »

Ah RTE current affairs, Between tiger kidnappings, the decline of Irish society, AIB pay scales and the threat of public service strike action does anybody really care about the opinions of the overpaid and intellectually disabled presenters of the news challenged Afternoon Show who in their defence are only trying to compete with their ancestral 'Live at Three' for the title of most useless television show in public service broadcasting.

Don't anyone dare complaining by letting these loosers have their say about the importance of implementing their helmet legislation, by allowing them airtime on this terrible show we can all be relieved in the knowledge that no right minded person will be tuning in to hear about it!

the only problem is that some politician might pick it up and get a bee in his bonnet about it and decide he can make a name by driving this through

i always wear a helmet but repect other peoples right not to

TheJones · 18-11-2009 1:58pm

If and when it reaches the ears of an inept politician trying to ride the wave of popularity concerning the increase in cycling's popularity and implement the mandatory use of helmets despite probably never using a bike since a 1970's CIE excursion tour to Spanish point, we can deal with that cretin then. In the meantime by continuing to worry about the vain glorious Afternoon Show's opinions we sincerely run the awful risk of increasing this shows profile and God forbid popularity in our time!:eek:

Ask yourself if you really want to be responsible for that?

seamus · 18-11-2009 2:13pm

JC Decaux and Dublin City Council will stamp on any politician stupid enough to go along with this.

Dublinbikes users aren't going to carry around a helmet for casual use, and you can't supply helmets, so mandatory use would be the death of the Dublin Bikes.

Turbulent Bill · 18-11-2009 2:41pm

jerseyeire wrote: »

I was just thiking, people who watch the afternoon show are usually at home, in the afternoon. Now, I would imagine that 99% of bicycle users would be at work, school/college, taking advantage of limited light etc...... Basically what I'm getting at, the afternoon show is for the elderly and parents, even during my unemployed period I didn't watch it. In summary who actually cares what they have to say. They post what the presenters wear on the site:
"Today Maura is wearing dark blue jeans from Topshop, Black shoes from Karen Millen, Black top with floral design from Ted Baker and Black shrug from All Saints.
Sheana is wearing a navy and black striped dress from Whistles and shoes from Karen Millen."

Can't remember who said it, but I remember a great phrase for the demographic of the previous show:

Live at Three, Dead by Four

DirkVoodoo · 18-11-2009 6:33pm

Raam looks a bit like Kenny Cunninham there, they make the same faces when talking!

petethedrummer · 18-11-2009 6:43pm

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Raam looks a bit like Kenny Cunninham there, they make the same faces when talking!

EH?

Raam · 18-11-2009 9:16pm

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Raam looks a bit like Kenny Cunninham there, they make the same faces when talking!

Uhm?

kincsem · 19-11-2009 1:23am

tomasrojo wrote: »

If you're really interested, I can tell you exactly how they got the 85% figure.

Thanks for the link. The percentages are complete fiction as I guessed.

I see a blackbird and it is black ..... conclusion: all birds are black. :rolleyes:

DirkVoodoo · 19-11-2009 1:48am

petethedrummer wrote: »

EH?

He does! I can't find any photos though, trust me!

petethedrummer · 19-11-2009 2:19am

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

He does! I can't find any photos though, trust me!

was he on telly or something? or am i missing something?

DirkVoodoo · 19-11-2009 2:20am

petethedrummer wrote: »

was he on telly or something? or am i missing something?

Oh, right. Yes, he was on the afternoon show earlier talking about the football match.

Also, that presenter, total fox!

Raam · 19-11-2009 11:35am

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

He does! I can't find any photos though, trust me!

You need to explain yourself, young man.

rubadub · 19-11-2009 2:35pm

tomasrojo wrote: »

They are targetting the "concerned mothers" demographic, I imagine.

Yes these types of programs often have phone in polls where often the answer is blatantly obvious, I wonder why people bother ringing in. e.g. a poll would be "should paedophiles be allowed monitor schoolyards" or some such ridiculous idea. In this case most people ignorant of both sides of the argument will say "of course helmets should be mandatory", even though they probably cycled for years themselves without one, and would scoff and the idea of wearing a helmet in a car or walking home drunk- where it would rationally afford a lot more protection.

tomasrojo · 19-11-2009 5:08pm

If anyone is still interested, it's on now.

If you don't object to giving money to RTE, you can text your opinion to 53555

SAFETY YES if you favour mandatory helmets
SAFETY NO if you do not

Captain Havoc · 19-11-2009 5:10pm

Link to yesterdays how, it's 25mins in. Better than I expected from them and the presenter says she cycles every day.

tomasrojo · 19-11-2009 5:10pm

Lines close at five.

Newaglish · 19-11-2009 5:23pm

I love their vote options! SAFETY NO! Surely HELMET NO would have made more sense.

petethedrummer · 19-11-2009 5:24pm

where's the go and sh!te option?

alfalad · 19-11-2009 5:25pm

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Also, that presenter, total fox!

Pic please to confirm. Some of us don't watch the show!

Captain Havoc · 19-11-2009 5:29pm

Newaglish wrote: »

I love their vote options! SAFETY NO! Surely HELMET NO would have made more sense.

I can't get it up, when I click on the link for bicycle safety I get an error page.

tomasrojo · 19-11-2009 5:30pm

Newaglish wrote: »

I love their vote options! SAFETY NO! Surely HELMET NO would have made more sense.

It does seem to be "leading the witness".

alfalad · 19-11-2009 5:31pm

jerseyeire wrote: »

I can't get it up...

I did not need to know that!

Victor · 19-11-2009 5:37pm

Bicycling
About 75% of all bicyclists who die each year die of head injuries.
85% of head injuries in bicycle accidents can be prevented by wearing a helmet.

While head injuries may have been sustained, no helmet is going to save you when you also had your chest crushed by a concrete truck, which is the way these things tend to happen.

Captain Havoc · 19-11-2009 5:59pm

Coming on now in a minute link

tomasrojo · 19-11-2009 6:12pm

Overhwhelming support for mandatory helmets from the Afternoon Show audience: 76%, I think.

Raam · 19-11-2009 6:14pm

tomasrojo wrote: »

Overhwhelming support for mandatory helmets from the Afternoon Show audience: 76%, I think.

The voice of the old and the unemployed. Who listens to them anyway?

The Afternoon Show: Mandatory Cycle Helmets

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