Occasional or regular non-bike helmet cyclist?

[Pax]

MomOnBike - that sounds like a heckuva plan!

[JennK13]

Slippery slope, get too heavily in to safety legislation and you could risk having the activity outlawed altogether. Typically the ones making the laws are not the ones engaging in the activity, to them if safety is the biggest concern a broad brush fixes the problem most easily.

I agree. And with the new health care reform, everyone IS required to have health insurance here in the states, so that takes care of that issue (type of coverage apparently isn't an issue since we have choices, just like with auto insurance). As for legislation and passing a law that requires the population to wear specific safety gear for a recreational activity only leads to more intrusive government. Cycling is no more dangerous than skiing/snowboarding, or being tossed by a horse - would you then propose that any activity that involves speed and the probability of falling should require a helmet by law? I know quite a few people who've slipped on ice walking out their front doors the day after a freeze who have hit their heads and ended up in the hospital - maybe we all should wear helmets when going out on cold mornings.

Originally Posted by lph View Post
*PS. I have the feeling that the most avid helmetwearers probably overestimate the risk, and the most avid non-wearers underestimate it.

I'm in agreement with you Iph.

As for helmet hair or not looking cool, that has nothing to do with whether or not I wear a helmet. It's all about the activity I'm engaging in and whether or not the risk warrants a helmet. Heck, I dang near knocked myself out reaching way back into the fridge to get something, and stood up before I was completely out smacking the back of my head on the door jam. Literally, started blacking out.

I think the money on lobbying would be better spent on 1) bike safety and riders education classes so cyclists learn proper bike handling skills and how to ride safely both in traffic and on the trail with other cyclists; and 2) driver education to teach people how to watch not only for bikes, but for motorcycles, peds, etc. and to also just have Share the Road type marketing all around so that it's in the forefront of drivers' minds. Marketing on how it's not "us" against "them", or a certain lifestyle, but how it's an inexpensive means of transportation for the young, the old, the college student - those who can't afford cars - appeal to the minds of the people while we're in this recession - just make it more "normal" as it is in other countries.
Sure, there's always the chance of a fall that can cause injury, and if you fall on your head, a helmet could help lessen that trauma and perhaps save your life. But giving people the skills they need to ride more safely, and keeping drivers alert will help lower the number of accidents that occur, and won't require a law that will only lead to other laws that infringe on personal rights. Runners have leg injuries, so maybe they will be targeted next and only be allowed to run so many miles a week so that they aren't a burden on the healthcare system that we're all going to have to pay for (there's already a pitch count rule for baseball/softball, though not a law). They should probably outlaw skydiving, too, while they're at it.

For those who've had accidents where you hit your head, I understand why you wouldn't go without one (it's why I wear one religiously while snowboarding). But I also know a lot of people who ride, and who've had accidents, and while head injuries are severe, the frequency of accidents is low when compared to the number of miles traveled. I'm just saying, that for a lot of people, it's not about looking cool, or messed up hair, or going against "the man" who said we have to wear it - it's just because we don't see it as necessary for the risk of the activity we're doing at the time. And almost all of us who occasionally go without a helmet say we wear it when the risk is higher (riding at speed, in traffic, in a group, mountain biking).

[shootingstar]

lph: *PS. I have the feeling that the most avid helmetwearers probably overestimate the risk, and the most avid non-wearers underestimate it. So how many people have I annoyed now?

This is probably true on the over-estimation and under-estimation scale. However, I just continue to wear my helmet. Once you get into a habit, it's like brushing teeth or putting on a pair of shoes. I don't think about it.

On the rare occasion, I have forgotten to wear my helmet and cycled 3 kms. down the road. My head felt naked and unprotected. To me, it wasn't a great feeling. I'm not interested in someone else convincing me hard and long about feeling safer without the helmet.

So it makes me a nerd among some helmetless folks.
This isn't new to me..and extremely pale and minor: being judged on superficial reasons...for how I look, how I appear or what I wear. There have been WAY more serious barriers/misunderstandings in my life for being wrongly judged who I am. Wearing a helmet is such an easy thing for me and shrug, if it puts me in a minority over time to wear a helmet: so what?

I value my life and its quality over a long period of time. Not for a short period of time to feel breeze in my hair.

Would I be impeding movement to encourage more cycling, by wearing helmet? If I am, I have been all along doing the countermeasures in the past few years: I write about cycling to promote cycling for transport, health and tourism..... plus just ride the bike often and volunteered for various cycling advocacy organizations. And not have a car for decades.

Also we shouldn't waste our energy to de-regulate bike helmet wearing legislation in various jurisidictions that have such laws. Instead teach people yea, ok wear street clothing, build communities that allows use of more alternative transportations, yaddydada, etc.

It would be nice North America find its own strengths and benefits in cycling culture that is and will be different from Europe. We should learn from Europe where it's practical and where it fits our culture and our huge expanses of land mass with roads crossing for hundreds of kms...with less dense population spread across the continent. It's different terrain, extreme climates, more inhospitable because of less amenities for food, shelter in between (I really noticed this when cycling in Germany, etc.). Get real and hence, cycling culture and practices must be geared to fit with this continent, but also fit within North American society, where cars still will be around because we have longer distances to traverse between cities, towns, states/provinces ...unless we start builidng more rail lines, etc.

Over time, we have to get over the feeling that North American cycling culture/infrastructure is a shadow of Europe.

We have to also remember not all parts of Europe are cycling intensive. It's like North America. Being in Prague, Czech. I certainly felt that way, despite being surrounded by medieval and rennaissance architecture.

[hebe]

I wear my helmet for the shallowest possible reason. I like to wear hats. After I ride up to wherever I'm going, I take my helmet off and put my hat on. I don't classify the riding I do as particularly dangerous - mostly poking around on bike trails around town. I'm not convinced a helmet is necessary in that situation the way it would be if I did any gnarly single track at high speed biking.

That being said, one more bad diagnosis and I'm off on a tour around the US, and I'll wear the helmet on the days I feel like it, and leave it off if I don't. I just won't feel like I'll be in danger of losing much quantity of life, while quality (wind in hair, and possibly Boobs) will become so much more important.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for another really bad diagnosis, but if it happens, all bets are off.

Thank you for posting this. I hope that you can get your wind-in-Boobs without another bad diagnosis.

[redrhodie]

I have 3 helmets that I wear regularly, a commuter with lights, a larger one I can fit caps under for cold weather, and a tighter one for warmer days (so I'm not always adjusting the straps). Takes one second to put any of them on. My hair looks the same after I get up in the morning, after I wash it, and after a 30 mile ride with a helmet (see my avatar, not far from the truth). No reason why I shouldn't wear one.

I don't care if other people don't want to wear one. It's their head. I'm into the freedom to be reckless, if no one else gets hurt.

[laura*]

The laws requiring helmets are not just to provide individual safety. When someone without health insurance rides without a helmet and is hospitalized, the costs to society as a whole are large.

Freedom costs (money). To promote freedom, I believe that society should shoulder such costs.

---

Years ago, my mantra was "when joggers start wearing helmets, I'll wear a helmet". Where and when I rode meant that I encountered numerous cars for only 1% of the ride, and maybe five cars during the other 99%. Most of the time I was churning up mountains at 5 MPH (ie a 12 minute mile) - slower than some joggers. As for crashes, the most recent crash had been circa 1987 when I tipped over in a parking lot due to some foolishness.

Increasing age has resulted in thinner grayer hair which necessitates a hat, visor, and sometimes sunglasses. A visored helmet takes care of this need better than even a hat. I now wear a helmet essentially all the time.

---

The downside to wearing a helmet is that it's an enabler of other behaviours. I now fearlessly ride in traffic. On the rare occasions I encounter dense urban jams, I'm now on of "those" riders - weaving between cars, lane splitting next to buses, passing everybody, squeezing through any opening, and etc.

[goldfinch]

I'm not going to call anyone riding without a helmet stupid just as I would not call a chain smoker stupid for the same reason.

However; I am completely with you in regard to having a hefty health insurance for those riding without a helmet. Doesn't health companies and car insurance companies ask whether you smoke or not. And if you answer yes, by golly, your rate is much higher than non-smoker. Same should apply to those without helmet. Simply, the actuarial says that riding without a helmet significantly increases the cost of medical bill.

Life is full of risks. Why chose the no-helmet folks for health insurance penalties? Riding in a car is dangerous period. The number of people killed and injured in car accidents are shockingly high. Should people with cars pay a higher health insurance rates? How about people who eat hydrogenated fats? How about people who work dangerous or stressful jobs? As it is, I disapprove of insurance underwriting, which makes it difficult or impossible for many people to buy insurance because of their health. (sorry--end political rant).



It is tough to draw these lines. Sometimes we are sure enough about societal costs (or enough noise is made) that we pass health and safety laws but even those have limits. Smoking is proven to be harmful and to do no good. Smoking has been banned in many places. But smoking is still legal. There are mandatory seat belt laws but your car will still start if you don't buckle up. There are speed limits but most cars can be driven far faster than the limit. It is illegal to drive while drunk, but we don't require people to blow into a breathalyser before starting their cars. One state we lived in didn't have a mandatory motorcycle helmet law but did have some kind of law which limited or barred recovery in lawsuits for head injuries if you were not wearing a helmet.

I do not favor mandatory helmet laws at least for adults. I'd rather see law enforcement policing risky driving behavior than spending time ticketing people who ride without helmets. And I sure would like to see good data on injuries and risk beyond anecdotes.

My husband was a special education teacher and he taught several kids with head injuries. All were from one risky behavior or another, from diving into pools to riding in cars. But we don't make kids wear helmets until they are grown up.

[Crankin]

Wow, I never thought so many would not wear a helmet, even some of the time.
I can't imagine it. And it does bother me when I see riders helmet-less. Just like it bothers me when I see people in cars not wearing seat belts. And yes, I think you should wear helmets skiing and horseback riding. Personally, it wouldn't bother me if skydiving was outlawed. I was once in the ER with my DH when they brought someone in who had been a sky diving accident. Enough said.

[goldfinch]

Wow, I never thought so many would not wear a helmet, even some of the time.
I can't imagine it. And it does bother me when I see riders helmet-less. Just like it bothers me when I see people in cars not wearing seat belts. And yes, I think you should wear helmets skiing and horseback riding. Personally, it wouldn't bother me if skydiving was outlawed. I was once in the ER with my DH when they brought someone in who had been a sky diving accident. Enough said.

Work in an ER and see the results of car accidents. It is a wonder that we drive! Some data:


Car crashes are the #1 cause of death among American teenagers.
source U.S. Center for Disease Control

The average American makes 50,000 car trips in his/her lifetime. Based on this average, the odds of being killed in a car accident are 1 in 140.

In the last 100 years, 2 million Americans died in car crashes.

http://www.safeteendriving.org/resou...ts_figures.php

Scary, eh?

[jessmarimba]

I seem to have injuries from accidents that are far worse than the average person would experience in the same accident. That being said, I went on a 10 mile ride in Aspen last summer on a cinder flat path (rails-to-trails, maybe?) that intersected no roads and had no other cyclists. And I was on a mountain bike going about 8 mph. That ride, in jeans and no helmet and just smelling the mountains and the river, was bliss.

I can't imagine - with my luck - not wearing a helmet anywhere besides a trail identical to that. But I certainly appreciate the feeling of freedom without one.

[oz rider]

And I sure would like to see good data on injuries and risk beyond anecdotes.

Thank goodness. There are resources here. And yes, we killed more on the roads (no cyclists afaik) this Easter than have died in Afghanistan, but the Prime Minister won't be attending the road victims' funerals. People are not very good at assessing risk (not even distinguishing between utility and sport cycling), which is one of the reasons the anti-compulsion groups dislike MHLs; they make cycling look dangerous.

[Bike Writer]

I've known of people who have died from getting hit in the head or hitting their head when standing still (just a simple fall) and have died. As tough as our skulls are, it really doesn't take much to cause life-threatening injuries to our fragile brains. I always wear my bike helmet (and a helmet when rock climbing and probably skiing as well, if I did that anymore), no exceptions. I don't even like test riding a bike in a parking lot without one.

That said, a girl I know from another forum rides with a helmet that is SUPER cute! It's looks kind of like a hat and she even has an adorable and stylish looking flower on it. Oh, wait...I can link to her blog so you all can see it...it's so cute!

http://www.annacyclestoparis.blogspot.com/

Scroll down just a bit and you'll see her pics...

I think that for a lot of people, they just don't like to be 'told what to do'. I have a close friend who's father road a Harley without a helmet his whole life (even for the brief time in FL when it was law to wear one). He ended up being killed in an accident only a mile from his home - while he wasn't moving. Someone hit him while he was straddling his bike waiting for a light to change. And the doctors were pretty certain he would have survived had it been wearing a helmet.

I love how the internet works I followed your link and boy-oh-boy that is one nifty helmet, just darling! The blogger had an email so I emailed her and she bought it in London at this website http://cyclechic.co.uk/ however she also said that they have a US website also at this link http://www.thebicyclemuse.com/. So I am now emailing the contact person on that site to see if they have the helmet in the desired color. Whew. What a hunt, but well worth it if I can find the helmet in glossy white or red. I LOVE the look of those round helmets! but then again, I am kind of a retro person.

[smilingcat]

Interesting read of all the posts. I am honestly surprised by the number of "nahhh I rather not wear it or just occasionally".

[hebe]

I agree that culture and or habit probably plays a large part in this. Very slightly off topic, but I remember being absolutely stunned on a work trip to Florida once, when a uniformed police officer asked if he could join me at my breakfast table, and sat down with a gun in his belt (gun-holding thingy - holster?) I know that it probably wouldn't have been loaded, and that it must be absolutely normal for millions of people, but for me coming from a country where police are normally unarmed it was a huge thing to get my head around and actually did put me off my pancakes a bit. Even though he was a charming police man and no doubt would have been very effective in ensuring that everyone had a safe breakfast.

Sorry for going o/t. Just to clarify, I'm not drawing any parallels between armed police and bicycle helmets.

[lph]

Even though he was a charming police man and no doubt would have been very effective in ensuring that everyone had a safe breakfast.

*snort*