Mother of the Year Award goes to...

[Irulan]

I can't get DH to wear his helmet. I get so mad when I think about it. He keeps telling me "i'm fine! I know how to ride a bike!" Duh! It's not him I'm worried about so much as the idiots texting-and-driving.

I've ingrained helmet-wearing into my DD. She won't go near her bike without her helmet. Of course, I'm sure that will change as she gets to be a tween or teenager.

Get a neurosurgeon, ER doc or other medical professional to talk to him. Seriously. Either that or take out a million dollar life insurance/disability policy and if he complains about the cost, tell him tough. Pretty soon you'll have "how come Daddy doesn't?" conversation with your kid.

[limewave]

I just remember going to a cycling event and they had a safety demonstration. They held up a watermelon -- "here is your head."
Then they dropped the watermelon on the ground -- "here is your head after a bike crash."

That was enough for me. I think about that cracked watermelon a lot.

[Irulan]

I'm going to play devils advocate here.
How many of us didn't wear helmets until the last 15 years or so? Rode around without seat belts? While there are risks involved, how about an acknowledgement from the biking community that at least she was on her bike instead of driving, and modeling getting around with out a car?

[zoom-zoom]

I'm going to play devils advocate here.
How many of us didn't wear helmets until the last 15 years or so? Rode around without seat belts? While there are risks involved, how about an acknowledgement from the biking community that at least she was on her bike instead of driving, and modeling getting around with out a car?

Yeah, I'm not going to acknowledge that. Car safety seats and seatbelts are required in MI. In all likelihood she would have used these precautions in a car and put her and her child at a LOT less risk on the road. Given the time of day and direction she was headed I doubt she was using her bike as a substitute for a car.