Another reason for helmets!

[crazycanuck]

I know most of you are good folks, wear helmets and understand why they're available. What about the rest of society, esp younger teens that still think it's uncool to wear a helmet?

This story will either frighten them into wearing one or stop them because they want to be an example on the news

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8058771.stm

[Tuckervill]

I just saw that on Today show, and they didn't say a THING about learning to wear a helmet! They really missed it.

Karen

[arielmoon]

OMG it's like the Grey's Anatomy episode!

[ASammy1]

OMG it's like the Grey's Anatomy episode!

I was thinking the exact same thing.

[shootingstar]

I thi nk it's great, now there is alot more choice for helmets...some for young folks who want to look cool with the black "nutcase" round helmets.

Sad to say, but many kids/teens and probably adults, need the face to face reality of seeing real testing on bike helmets and even speaking with victims of head injuries for them to get the message.

I worked for several years in rehabilitation hospital for spinal cord injured adults. There was a long standing public education program targetted at teens on safe driving (use of seat belts), safe sports playing to prevent traumatic injuries that included spinal cord injuries (permanent paralysis that made you paraplegic and quadriplegic) and head injuries. It was a joint program betwee our hospital and acute care hospital next door that had a major intensive care /trauma unit where a person lands first when seriously injured.

Teens actually visited the trauma unit, a preselected patient (usually after rehabilitation) to be a spokesperson there at hospital or in schools.

This is how far a public outreach program must go...for many people to have the message sink in.

Latest I saw on a news clip, was a skateboarder who had paralysis plus head injury problems because he didn't wear a helmet... he was doing his public education pitch.

I worked at the hospital several years before I returned to cycling.
For certain, the experience made a powerful impression that makes me value my mobility...every day. It probably does make me an extra cautious cyclist.

[Reesha]

My life has likely been saved at least twice by helmets!

My opinion is that kids really ought to wear the helmets-- they don't know much better. My siblings and I didn't think anything of it until one day back in the early nineties my parents brought home a couple bell helmets!

Adults on the other hand? If they're still stubborn enough to go without then they may get what's coming to them. I have friends that have the attitude "When my numbers up, it's up and a helmet won't make a huge difference". Those who go without helmets don't seem to care, I guess.

[badgercat]

OMG it's like the Grey's Anatomy episode!

I thought of that too. Life imitates art imitates life imitates......

Anyway, kudos to the team at that hospital for their resourcefulness! I hope he starts wearing a helmet now, and that his experience inspires some more folks to as well.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

From today's local Albany newspaper (40 min drive from where we live):
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories...storyID=802030

11 years old, no helmet, running a red light, going too fast, crashing head-on into the side of a car. Dead. Likely not the car driver's fault, needless to say (for a change).

[AnnieBikes]

Two of my sons and myself have fallen off the bike over our years of riding and been "Saved by the Bell". When I fell and broke my collar bone, I was going very slowly but hit my head hard on the ground and the helmet cracked. Without it, I surely would have had a head injury. I would not go down the driveway without a seat belt in my car, and would not go down the driveway without a helmet on my bicycle.

We have a very popular rail-trail near us, The Virginia Creeper Trail Virginia Creeper Trail and, although the crowds keep me away most of the time, our cycling guests like to ride it. It kills me to see families without helmets on weaving down the trail. There are some rocks (oh no!) along the edge of the trail and some people have hit them. I would like to stop the parents and ask them if they ever thought they or their child MIGHT fall off.

There are so many "arguments" that kids use against them so here is a web site that has some "retorts." From the Brazos Valley Cyclists web page.

10 Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Excuses for Not Wearing a Helmet!

[Jiffer]

Drives me crazy when I see someone on the road without a helmet. Especially someone riding fast on a road bike, wearing cycling shorts and in all other areas, looking like a potentially seasoned cyclist. What are they THINKING?

Last club ride I did, as I was huffing and puffing up Mt. Baldy Road, I saw a few cyclists coming down at a fast downhill speed ... no helmets ... IDIOTS!!! It really doesn't take much. You don't have to be going very fast to fall and get a serious head injury. But can you imagine falling at 35-40 mph?!!!

Luckily I rarely see such a site.

[tribogota]

Met a cute guy at the top of a hill the other day, and believe me I need one, but he wasn't wearing a helmet and well, that turned me off

[Reesha]

Yeah, I used to date a mountain bike racer that thought helmet laws were ridiculous. I understand his feeling about the laws, but the craziest thing was that he'd race on a MTB with a helmet on, but then hit the road on his motorcycle without one!!!!!!! It was a huge turn off-- made me really uncomfortable to be dating someone with such a blatant disregard for his own mortality.

[LittleBird]

but then hit the road on his motorcycle without one!!!!!!! It was a huge turn off-- made me really uncomfortable to be dating someone with such a blatant disregard for his own mortality.

I wonder what his logic is to that.

I dislike wearing my helmet but would really hate it if I was mentally disabled due to the fact that I wasn't wearing a helmet.

[Reesha]

In retrospect I think he was full of crap

He knows how often he crashes in mtb races!

[tctrek]

What do you call a cyclist who doesn't wear a helmet??
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An organ donor!