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RTE News: Brain injury groups call for compulsory helmet use

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    #62
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 90,966 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    opinion guy wrote: »
    I rather have the 3-4% on my side thou than not. My accident was a just a fall probably at 25-30kph and i was out for 20mins.
    If you want proper head protection when in an accident partialy or wholely the fault of a motorist (the majority of bicycle / motorcycle collisions) you need a motorbike helmet.

    a cycling helmet is only of use if you fall off at normal cycling speed. It isn't even much on many of the descents in Wicklow. The ventiation groves mean that the average cycling helment is a lot less effective than it could be off road in rock terrain.


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    #63
    Civilian_Target
    Registered Users Posts: 5,618 ✭✭✭Civilian_Target


    Capt'n Midnight wrote: »
    Haven't they heard of risk equalisation ?

    If you want road safety , insist on harpoons in the centre of steering wheels, and airbags / seatbelts only for passengers.

    That's a wonderful idea :D


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    #64
    Ryder
    Registered Users Posts: 995 ✭✭✭Ryder


    Suppose my own view on this is live and let live. I year one but dont think everyone else should have to. The only way that there advocacy groups have a point is if cycling head injuries are a public health issue ie if caring for them takes a signif portion of our health fund. If yes then they should be mandatory. If not stick to education.


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    #65
    tomasrojo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,753 ✭✭✭✭tomasrojo


    Ryder wrote: »
    Suppose my own view on this is live and let live. I year one but dont think everyone else should have to. The only way that there advocacy groups have a point is if cycling head injuries are a public health issue ie if caring for them takes a signif portion of our health fund. If yes then they should be mandatory. If not stick to education.
    That seems a fair point, except I'd add that even if brain-damaged cyclists were a burden on the health system, the onus should be on the compulsionists to prove helmets are very effective in preventing serious brain injury.

    And that would mean engaging with the whole-population data from Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere and explaining why head injury rates didn't drop 88%, as they claimed they would after compulsion (0% is what they actually dropped). Instead, they just ignore those data.


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    #66
    Lumen
    Registered Users Posts: 31,038 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    Ryder wrote: »
    The only way that there advocacy groups have a point is if cycling head injuries are a public health issue ie if caring for them takes a signif portion of our health fund.

    They'd have to ban smoking and burgers first.

    Besides, I've paid loads of tax. A few weeks of high quality life support might get me close to break even point before they pull the plug.


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    #67
    coolbeans
    Registered Users Posts: 3,041 ✭✭✭coolbeans


    OK a bit of a mea culpa here. In the past I have kicked or thumped vehicles, mostly taxis but not always, that cut me up or overtake me without giving me sufficient room as they go by. I've also done this if someone makes a right turn which forces me to take drastic evasive manoeuvres. I know many of you will think me a thug and castigate me accordingly but the amount of times drivers' carelessness has nearly resulted in a nasty injury is ridiculous. Shouting does nothing as they can't hear me in their cocoon so a kick to the bodywork or a less than gentle "tap" on the window is, I think appropriate if the person in question hasn't bothered to account for the fact that they almost crippled me or worse. Opinions? Am I overreacting and giving cyclists a bad name or am I justified in my actions as these, the worst offenders need to realise the consequences of ignoring vulnerable cyclists.


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    #68
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,337 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    I have a solution to these people.

    I'm not sure if everyone can see this video, but its a heart stopper. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=701571092&ref=nf#/video/video.php?v=1121570680584&ref=mf


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    #69
    fenris
    Registered Users Posts: 3,078 ✭✭✭fenris


    How about making it compulsory for the helmet nazis to wear full face motorcycle helmets backwards and look elsewhere for their cynical funding grab?


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    #70
    rubadub
    Registered Users Posts: 32,379 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    I have a sneaky suspicion that the policitians might be selling up their non-profitable pubs and buying up bike shops, seems to be where the moneys at these days, especially if they legal oblige people to buy helmets after forking out for an well overpriced €1,000 bike...
    el tonto wrote: »
    She also said that the organisation had received a number of abusive phone calls after the item appeared on the news, which is pretty disgusting.
    Did they express any surprise at this? I would have thought they would not expect it, seeing as many seem to be woefully ignorant of the views against them. It might at least make them actually think for a minute and they must be wondering why it would provoke such a response.


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