Another reason for helmets!

[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.