Thank goodness for the helmet!

[Zippinalong]

I thought it would be good to share a helmet story as I think it's easy to get complacent about wearing one. Or people think they don't need to wear one.

2 weeks ago my partner crashed while riding with a friend. It was a bit wet on the trail and they went around a curve that had a wooden bridge on it (who puts a wooden bridge on a curve?). Her bike slipped out from under her and she fell. She hit her head on the ground and had other bumps and bruises along with a rapidly swelling hand. She called me to get her. I met up with them along the path and I could see she wasn't right. She complained her vision in her left eye was kind of blurry and she didn't feel right. So I rushed her to the local ambulatory to get her checked out. Turns out she had a concussion and a hairline fracture of the thumb. But the doctor said the best news he heard was that she was wearing her helmet.

It seems just a bit before we turned up there was a woman brought in from a bike crash. She dropped off her son at a neighbors house, on their bikes, and she went to go home. On her way home she hit the brakes too hard and flipped over her handle bars. Landed on her head.
At the ambulatory the doctor said she started bleeding from her ear so they called an ambulance to take her to the hospital. The woman was not wearing a helmet.

When we got home from the ambulatory I checked my partners helmet. There wasn't a crack but a definite dent where she hit her head. Needless to say we bought her a new helmet.

Be safe everyone and wear your helmet!!!

[Norse]

Good reminder! I never leave my driveway without it - I would feel naked without it.

[Cynedra]

I started wearing my helmet to be a good role model for my sons (now ages 4 and 6) who are required by law to wear theirs. Now, I can't imagine riding without it.

Thank goodness for helmets.

[rubysoho]

Fell for the first time yesterday - the typical slowing down and forgot to unclip, more funny that hurtful - and my helmet hit the concrete. I am sure my head would have smacked the pavement so my helmet allowed the fall to end in laughter rather than pain.

[skhill]

I'm glad your partner wasn't hurt worse-- and thanks for the reminder of why I always wear my helmet. I cracked one once myself...