Quote Originally Posted by liza View Post
On the local bike path, not only is it the case that probably 70% of riders are not wearing helmets (you definitely see a lot more "recreational" riders than "serious" riders, but still), but I'm astonished how many parents I see riding with young children (like 4-8 year olds), and the children have helmets but the parents do not.
I don't care if adults wear helmets... that's their choice. I do care about kids though.

Adults should teach kids to wear helmets and should make them wear them properly from a young age, so the kid is OK wearing them when they get older.

One day I was out riding the lake, and on the side where a lot people ride in the street with cars (the path is skinny and beat up on that side)... I saw a Dad riding in front of his son (not watching the kid or protecting him by riding behind him)... the kid was maybe 8 years old, riding in the street, with the adult in front of him... and no helmet. I was upset seeing that. Of course the Dad was sans helmet, and smoking a cigarette while riding. NICE!

I have a friend who rides... and she refuses to wear her helmet properly. She won't tighten it on her head... it slides half way over her head... and she has taught her daughter (11 years old) to do the same thing. I pointed out that if she had a wreck, the helmet wouldn't do any good. She said it was uncomfortable the other way. So she wears it, but it's pointless really. Her and her daughter might as well not bother wearing them.


Otherwise, I know a lot people think a path is safer than the road so they don't wear a helmet. False sense of security there. My boyfriend demolished his first bike on a bike path.