Wearing helmets while cycling?

Kipperhell

Long Onion wrote: »

It's down to the fact that the look so silly, kids hate wearing them because they get the p1ss pulled out of them, if you grow up realisisng this, the chances of you wearing one in later life diminish rapidly.

I would think most people would grow up and realise it is safety issue and comprehend looking cool is not as important as being alive. :rolleyes:

I didn't wear a helmet when I was a child but do now as it is common sense.

Canis Lupus

Kipperhell wrote: »

but do now as it is common sense.

Sigh....

Kipperhell

joey54 wrote: »

A bit of me thinks they should be made compulsory for cyclists but then another bit of me says you can't force adults to wear them.

There are a few reasons not to make them compulsory

1) It will discourage people from cycling
2) Highly unlikely it would be enforceable as you say.

More cyclists is better for everybody than less as it relieves pressure on infrastructure and promotes exercise.

BraziliaNZ

i've been commuting in Dublin and abroad by bike for 5 or 6 years now and never wear a helmet, although i had to wear one for a spell in New Zealand because the garda kept stopping me and issuing me fines. I don't wear them because I feel safe enough without one and have never come close to an accident, and also you look like a retard .

Capt'n Midnight

Wibbsf wrote:

Jeremy Clarkson made a joke years back about lowering road deaths by putting a dirty great spike in the centre of the steering wheel. He had a point I reckon.

The other thing is that a helluva lot of people would avoid serious injury if they wore a full face crash helmet in a car, yet we don't. Why not?

IIRC 17% of fatalities would be avoided in car crashes if drivers wore helmets

in the UK only 40% of road deaths were drivers, increasing the percieved risk to drivers should reduce the real risk to the majority of road uses. Lets keep passenger air bags and belts , and ban airbags and belts for drivers (or maybe those with driving points ? ) or maybe out of cost consideration require that those who are banned from driving get a "do not recusitate" tattoo - more to constantly remind them


peadestrains would benefit as much from helmets as cyclists



People, especially motorists, planners and politicans need to realise that cycling helmets are just designed to protect the cyclist from falling off the bike at cycling speeds and are far too weak to handle impacts at the speeds of typical motorist speed.

Getting motorists to obey the 50kmph limits would probably do more than wearing a helmet. Forcing cyclists to wear helmets is akin to blaming the victim , it's like saying that collison mitigation is more important than collision prevention

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_helmet

As noted earlier, collision energy varies with the square of impact speed. A typical helmet is designed to absorb the energy of a head falling from a bicycle, hence an impact speed of around 12 mph or 20 km/h. This will only reduce the energy of a 30 mph or 50 km/h impact to the equivalent of 27.5 mph or 45 km/h, and even this will be compromised if the helmet fails.

also
http://home.connect.ie/dcc/docs/helmets.html


If only they made helmets that looked like blonde wigs


Proven benefits of helmets
- some can keep you drier in the rain
- leave it on and you can use it as a pillow

Cookie_Monster

If you go to any country on the continent with proper cycling infastructure and usage: Holland, Belgium, Germany etc.

No one wears a helmet cos they don't live in safety obsessed nanny states. they just get on with it like normal people.

toiletduck

Nope, never have worn one although I don't cycle a tenth of what I used to a few years ago.

General Zod

I wear it not because of my stupidity, but any practical protection I can take against he stupidity of others, I take.

Mandatory helmet laws reduce cycling, but for the stupidest of reasons. Peopole view wearing a helmet as inconvenient or unfashionable. cycling a bike shouldn't be about fashion, but practicality. Get people riding safely and regularly through better education and promotion.

Wearing a helmet can help reduce cranial injuries in 85% of cases, if we educate children (and adults) on safer cycling we can reduce the amount of fatalities and increase public health by encouraging people to cycle.

Zebra3

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

If you go to any country on the continent with proper cycling infastructure and usage: Holland, Belgium, Germany etc.

No one wears a helmet cos they don't live in safety obsessed nanny states. they just get on with it like normal people.

Maybe it's because interaction with HGVs is minimal. :rolleyes:

Quint

jumpguy wrote: »

A friend of mine fell off his bike and his helmet actually fractured from the impact but he was alright, but it could've been his skull. SO kids, put on your helmet.

The helmet made him fall! See? They're dangerous

Wibbs wrote: »

The other thing is that a helluva lot of people would avoid serious injury if they wore a full face crash helmet in a car, yet we don't. Why not?

Good point. Even an open face piss pot helmet

Kipperhell wrote: »

I would think most people would grow up and realise it is safety issue and comprehend looking cool is not as important as being alive. :rolleyes:

I didn't wear a helmet when I was a child but do now as it is common sense.

I'd rather look cool. Seriously, you look uncool enough cycling without wearing a helmet too.

Zebra3 wrote: »

Maybe it's because interaction with HGVs is minimal. :rolleyes:

Somehow I don't think a bicycle helmet is going to save you from a hgv

Dave!

I didn't when I was in school (last time I cycled regularly)

I'd definitely use one if I was cycling now

Cookie_Monster

Zebra3 wrote: »

Maybe it's because interaction with HGVs is minimal. :rolleyes:

HGV's banned from Dublin CC so minimal there aswell, what your point.

donvito99

Sometimes, unfortunately I look like that guy from Dukes of Hazzard with the armadillo helmet.

Corkfeen

I haven't worn one in years, i've had a few accidents but its never anything a helmet would have helped with at the time. I'm generally far more careful without one at this stage.

vangoz

Most helmet wearers i see on my daily commute to work, is your typical middle aged office worker... they are a serious danger to themselves and others, I honestly never seen one who can stay within the cycle lane, they are so prone to veering randomly out on the road, also most of them look like they have a pole up their ass while cycling.... bit of a rant i know, but just pointing out what i see as your helmet wearing demograph.

General Zod

Potholes, drains, pedestrians, badly parked cars, badly done roadworks, there's alot of reasons that make the cycle lanes hard to stick to at times.

Jumpy

Having just had a crash where the helmet lost chunks from it by being scraped across the road. I say wear one.
But the human race needs to evolve, natural selection is by far the fastest process.

Red_Marauder

I'm 23 and it was hammered into us to always wear a helmet when we were kids, so I still do. Somewhat paradoxically, the only time I remember not wearing a helmet on the bike was a few months ago when I was ridiculously drunk after a party.

Four-Percent

Long Onion wrote: »

It's down to the fact that the look so silly, kids hate wearing them because they get the p1ss pulled out of them, if you grow up realisisng this, the chances of you wearing one in later life diminish rapidly.

Once....



Twice....



Once again....



Won't someone think of the children?!

Saint Ruth

joey54 wrote: »

I don't understand it when I see kids out on their bikes without helmets.

Easy to understand.

I saw one kid wearing one and 3 other kids were roaring at him:
"Go on, safety boy!"

I hate them.
I don't wear one.
I don't wear shin guards, elbow pads, leather jacket, or bubble wrap either.
It's my choice.
If you want to wear one fine, but I can't stand people who want to enforce them on me by making the gov tell me that I must wear those things.

Jaeger 90

angel01 wrote: »

I don't have a bike now but I think anyone that doesn't wear a helmet out cycling is asking for trouble. Do people have a death wish or something? :eek:

maybe people can handle fear better then you

tommmy1979

pointless argument to be honest..

I race bikes competetively and i've noticed that in crashes, 9 times out of 10 you actually dont hit your head, the most common injuries are, bruises and cuts, fractured wrists (from trying to protect your head), broken collar bones, broken elbows etc etc... BUT when you do hit your head you really do tend to give it a good wallop off the ground and are generally very happy to have been wearing a helmet.

Also.. hitting your face is usually a good thing because your face is soft and tends to cave in, absorbing the impact.. tis the back and sides you want to worry about.

I couldn't care less when i see people not wearing helmets, unless they're out riding with me and i might have to deal with a fractured skul.

T

Saint Ruth

tommmy1979 wrote: »

Also.. hitting your face is usually a good thing because your face is soft and tends to cave in, absorbing the impact..

That sounds nice...

Praetorian Saighdiuir

I cycle to and from work in Dublin city centre 3-4 days a week. The "cycle/bus lanes" are feckin disgraceful, drains, badly filled in pot holes etc. The combination of this and careless drivers (on the Rock road) in a hurry makes it too dodgy not to wear one.

I see a lot of people dont wear them, probably because they dont want to mess up their hair or look stupid!! well I hope they never come to regret not wearing the helmet.

Id rather look stupid than risk being braindamaged when my head hits the kerb!

Cookie_Monster

Thread like this come up ever so often in AH, motor and C&T and I never fail to be amazed at the amount of people who somehow think cycling around Dublin is dangerous.

I've been cycling around South Dublin for years and years and have never had one incident. I do stupid things, run lights and generally weave in adn out of traffic and have never even once felt it to be any more dangerous than cycling on the footpath.

Too many people have become afraid of cycling because of the namby pambies in the safety brigade spouting on about how you're going to die by even looking at a bike :mad:

Kipperhell

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

HGV's banned from Dublin CC so minimal there aswell, what your point.

No they aren't 5 axil vehicles are restricted though. There are also some people outside of Dublin city centre using them bicycles as transport:p

thebman

Wear one when mountain biking but not on the road.

Reason, a ton car isn't going to be stopped by a helmet. I've had a couple of falls off a bike when cycling on road, mostly I stay on my feet if I'm not going that fast or use the bike as a sled to protect myself if travelling at speed or use the bag on my back to absorb all impact.

The only way I can see myself getting involved in a serious accident is if a car hit me and if that happens then I don't believe the helmet will save me. Don't cycle that much on roads anyway.

Hagar

There's posters on here that wear helmets all day but I'm not sure it's anything to do with bikes.













* See Military Forum for details.

Capt'n Midnight

General Zod wrote: »

Wearing a helmet can help reduce cranial injuries in 85% of cases, if we educate children (and adults) on safer cycling we can reduce the amount of fatalities and increase public health by encouraging people to cycle.

citation needed

actually we need to educate motorists more because in most cases (the mostly motorist) courts have found the motorist at fault

Kipperhell

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Thread like this come up ever so often in AH, motor and C&T and I never fail to be amazed at the amount of people who somehow think cycling around Dublin is dangerous.

I've been cycling around South Dublin for years and years and have never had one incident. I do stupid things, run lights and generally weave in adn out of traffic and have never even once felt it to be any more dangerous than cycling on the footpath.

Too many people have become afraid of cycling because of the namby pambies in the safety brigade spouting on about how you're going to die by even looking at a bike :mad:

Never had a single incident? WOW!
I have had car doors opened on me well over 10 times in the space of about 18 months. Never fell off or was hit but nearly is enough. That is not to mention a car speeding on a road that narrows along the route such as the North Circular Road. Trees buckle the road and also restrict the option of hoping on to the path.

To not consider a 1 ton of metal moving at 30-40 miles an hour going by as more dangerous than flesh and bone moving at 2 miles an hour is just a bit silly if you ask me. :rolleyes: