helmets are not optional

[KSH]

With all of that said... I have to say that honestly I don't care if someone wears a helmet or not. It's their life. Their head. It's not my place to tell them to protect it.

We let people ride motorcycles, legally, without a helmet. They drive 60-70-80+ mph, with a helmet. It's legal.

I don't care if that person chooses to wear a helmet or not.. and I don't care if a cyclist cares or not. Honestly.

My cycling club gets all in a huff about it, and no one is allowed to ride with us, without one... but I personally don't care.

But I did think it was funny that the lady was carrying her helmet on her bike and not wearing it. I also think it's equally funny with a see someone on a motorcycle doing that as well.

With all of that said... I wear a helmet at all times. I did when I rode motorcycles (for 2 years-no other transportation)... and I do it riding my bike.

[F8th637]

I feel exactly the same way you do, KSH. It's their head and they are responsible for it. Kids I would encourage but adults, well, you are on your own.

[K8sgotgame]

I always wear a helmet (partly) because I had a bad accident as a kid.. front wheel came off my mtb on a dirt road (super cool older brother had been "playing" with my bike earlier), the fork dug in and I flipped over. I just happened to land on the wheel which punctured my stomach and the rest of the bike landed on my head. I ended up with a very deep gouge in the helmet and it was also cracked in half. It felt great

I always wear one when I ski, snowboard or rock climb.

BUT.. I also ride horses, and although I wear a helmet 99% of the time I do have a tendency to hop on quickly to show someone something or will jump on one of the horses out in the field with no saddle/bridle/helmet (I'm a genius, I know). I'm less strict with myself around the horses, probably because I'm more solid riding them than a bike or walking on my own two feet.

Helmets are great.. but what really grinds my gears are people who have them just kind of sitting on the back of their head or they just don't fit properly. What's the point if it's not going to stay on anyway?

[makbike]

New bike shop in town has brought out a lot of new riders in my small community. After our three hour faculty meeting today I went out for a spin to work off some of my frustrations of the day (long meeting + a full day of student testing!). I passed a cyclist heading the opposite direction - no helmet on his head. I simply shook my head (helmet in place) and said to myself "there goes another organ donor." I will never understand why people (cyclist/motorcyclists, etc) have such an aversion to protecting their brains.

[farrellcollie]

I wear a helmet, but if other people don't want to - it doesn't bother me. I think americans have become way too hysterical about such things - not just bike hemets - but life in general. I usually don't wear a seatbelt, I eat food after the expiration date and will ride in the back of pick up trucks if the occasion arises.

[Kano]

middle class, mix of blue collar and white collar: a little bit better than the above, but I rarely see an older kid or teen wearing a helmet

My daughter admitted to something one day, as she was finishing up the classroom part of driver's ed.

"Until I took this class, I wasn't buckling my seatbelt when I was sitting where you couldn't see me." She went on to say that "after watching all the movies in these classes, I buckle my seatbelt no matter what now."

A little bit of rebellion, mixed in with a dose of they don't know the why, and the invincibility of inexperience!

The ones who ride carrying them instead of wearing them PROBABLY wore them until they got out of mom's sight. Then they took them off, cuz they're not cool, before any of their friends saw them!

Karen in Boise

[KnottedYet]

I have been in a bike accident without a helmet, and in a car accident without a seatbelt.

Got some distorted facial bones to remember them by. I was very lucky.

Every time Sknot tried to get out of wearing either, I told him the stories and played show-n-tell.

[boy in a kilt]

There are times when I feel it's appropriate to wear a helmet and times when I don't think it's necessary.

When I started rock climbing in the early 90's there was a lot of arguments about whether a climbing helmet should always be worn, or whether the individual should be allowed to determine when it was appropriate. There was always some pompous jackass in the letters section of the climbing mags pontificating about how all us crazy people climbing without helmets were begging for death (Darwin Awards weren't known then).

Fortunately, it's ultimately impossible to legislate this sort of thing on climbing crags and mountains.

For the record, I've also soloed mountains and done significant amounts of back country travel by myself. Just me and my skills. Cheap insurance is one thing, but learning to be aware of your skills and your surroundings will prevent far more injuries than any helmet.

[Meg McKilty]

With all of that said... I have to say that honestly I don't care if someone wears a helmet or not. It's their life. Their head. It's not my place to tell them to protect it.

We let people ride motorcycles, legally, without a helmet. They drive 60-70-80+ mph, with a helmet. It's legal.

I don't care if that person chooses to wear a helmet or not.. and I don't care if a cyclist cares or not. Honestly.

Yeah, and it's my back breaking when they end up on the neuro floor flipping their bodies that happen to breathe while no long-term care facility will take them for 5-8 months.

However, it does give me plenty of job security.

[Mr. Bloom]

Helmets are great.. but what really grinds my gears are people who have them just kind of sitting on the back of their head or they just don't fit properly. What's the point if it's not going to stay on anyway?

To clarify...this is when I intervene. It's the folks who have a false sense of security that benefit from the awareness & education. The folks who don't care? I agree with KSH and f8th on that (although I silently disapprove...)

In the wreck I described tonight, cycling buddy had two tiny scapes over his eyebrows from impact. If his helmet was on the back of his head, he would have had a serious head trauma...and just 20 minutes before, I had demonstrated to him the proper position for the helmet (he's a fairly new rider)...and I'm glad I did.

[lph]

Yeah - I'm with those that don't get it, but don't get upset about it either.

That's not quite right, it upsets me a *little* when I see someone decked out like a lean+mean French racer dude on a hotshot fast bike winging down a busy road without a helmet, for the same reason that it upsets me a little when obviously good rock climbers lead pitches without a helmet, because it gives the impression that "kids, if you're good enough, you don't need a helmet".

On the other hand, it is their head and their life they're risking, and I can't force people to be good examples. Nor do I feel that people should be good examples at all times.

But the average joes out trying what it's like to ride to work or whatever, riding slowly and staying way out of traffic - I don't worry too much about the lack of a helmet. If I can I try to mention it as a friendly tip, and tell them about the times it's saved me from head injury, and about the time not wearing one gave my dh a bad concussion and 8 stitches to his head.

But I do wear a seatbelt. Never know when some other idjit is going to rear-end you, people do the strangest things in cars.

[Crankin]

Well, I do get upset and I do care. I am sorry if some think that we legislate too many things. Meg, you summed up my opinion, perfectly. I'm not a nurse, but sure, don't wear your helmet or your seatbelt. When you crash, and you will, "we" will be paying for it. Especially if you don't have health insurance. My state has a new mandatory health insurance law. It is reasonably priced and covers a lot of stuff (my son has it). People complain about that, too.
I went through a car windshield when I was 15. I have not been in a car without wearing a seatbelt since then. And in 1969, I don't think anyone else wore one.
One time, I said something to a a young teenaged couple who were holding their baby on their lap, no car seat. They got enraged and tried to follow me. I just drove home and they gave up.
Until people think about the consequences of not following safety rules, I will keep saying stuff to them.

[OakLeaf]

Oh goodness, I didn't expect to see this debate on this board

I have no passion left on this issue. I've been online on motorcycle boards for over 15 years now. I'm not interested in talking about helmet legislation and I'm not interested in hearing other people's opinion about it.

There are things I would like to say related to the medical/industrial complex in this country and its unholy alliance with the insurance industry. About insurance companies' threats and scare tactics, and about the pricing of medical services. If we want to drift this thread that direction - although I expect the level of censorship on this board won't allow it - then I'm in.

[farrellcollie]

My underlying point here is that life is not safe and that what someone decides to do with their body is none of my business. For all of the people who get upset about helmets (or lack thereof) another group gets just as upset that we are on the road at all because of how dangerous it is. the one and only time I wore high heels - I fell off them (and they were not very high or spiky) and broke my ankle - but I don't feel the need to tell everyone else not to wear them - despite evidence that they can deform feet, cause back pain etc. (of course - an argument can be made that if I cannot walk in high heels - I should not be on a bike at all, let alone on the road on a bike. Rollerblades should be right out).

[rij73]

I usually don't wear a seatbelt, I eat food after the expiration date and will ride in the back of pick up trucks if the occasion arises.

I really don't want to offend, but feel the need to say this... If you go through a windshield and get killed or get thrown from a truck bed and killed in an accident that you would have otherwise survived, it creates enormous guilt for the driver of the other car even if they weren't necessarily at fault. If you don't care about your life enough to take some basic precautions, I don't consider that my business, but I do feel bad for the others who will be affected if you are killed, paralyzed, suffer severed limbs, etc.