Eh, 20 years old and no helmet. You should know better. Do you wear your seatbelt when in a car? Your new name might soon be OrganDonor (and I hope I’m wrong)
Clues:
- Riding on the sidewalk will decrease the cyclist’s chance of being involved in an intimately messy way with a car.
- Wearing a helmet will at best do nothing to reduce the chance of said intimate messyness.
So, which is safer - helmet-free, cycling on the sidewalk, or a helmeted road-dweller…?
Um…excuse me? I was recently hit by a bicycle, and it’s a hell of a lot less fun for us, I can tell you. Band aid time? Jesus Christ. Try being in shock for the next few days. Granted, this was in New York, and it was a Chinese delivery guy who ran me down, but still. Getting hit by a bike is a lot worse for the hapless pedestrian. It’s pretty bad when you have to watch out for bikes going the wrong way/driving on the sidewalk/etc. in the city. If I get hit by another one, I’m out for blood…literally.
Anyway, as to the rest of you, give the OP a break. He’s not saying that all kids should as a matter of fact break bones braving cars on the street, and I think most of you know that.
In a world that made sense, all streets would have bike paths as well as sidewalks, and cyclists wouldn’t be forced to either dodge cars or pedestrians. The sad fact is that cyclists usually have no place to go where they are the most acceptable form of traffic.
In the meantime, screw you (the general you, not anyone in this thread particularly) if you can’t deal with the mere presence of a reasonably courteous cyclist on the street or sidewalk.
Whie sidewalk is safer than the road, there are still accidents on the sidewalks and/or bike paths. I’ve wiped after hitting wet leaves. If it weren’t for my helmet, it would have been much worse. Helmets should be worn whenever biking.
Major Dong must not have any kids…
Oy.
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Not really, you paint a bigger bullseye on you from turning cars and cars backing up. They will not see you, not look for you moving that fast on a side walk. Not to mention dogs on those super long leads, walkers, idiot rollerbladers, joggers with walkmans, ect. . . Sidewalks should only be used for sections of road which are not safe.
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That is without a doubt the stupidest thing I have seen posted in a while. Riding without a helmet make the consequence of any “intmate messyness” much, much worse.
Based on your post, riding the bus is the safest course for you. Barring that, wearing your damn helmet on the road is by far the safest way to go for your average rider. There are some nice light, well ventilated models available.
Long time rider and part-time shop employee.
I’m a cyclist, a motorist and a pedestrian. Whichever one I am at any given time cannot understand the behaviour of the other two groups. It’s just a fact of life. Like kids riding too fast and skidding and playing football on the street. Getting excited about it is a waste of effort.
Oh, er - hello.
Depends on the street, on the circumstances. But, by and large, I’d agree that cyclist should be off the sidewalk.
Mined ewe, in an ideal world, cyclists would be separate from traffic and peds - or, traffic would fully accept and provide room for cyclists. Not in this world though.
Hm, what odd standards of stupidy you have.
First, wearing a helmet will not do anything to decrease your chance of being in an accident - indeed, if you believe in risk compensation, wearing a helmet may increase your chance of being in an accident!
Second, helmets are not designed for bike-car crunch situations, and they may be relatively ineffective in said sitations.
So, instead of shouting ‘helmet - good!’, you might ask - ‘how much safer am I (with a helmet)’, or ‘what’s the chance of me having an accident where wearing a helmet will reduce the severity of any injuries?’. And you may come up with answers that lead you to wear a helmet always. Or sometimes. Or rarely.
The problem with blanket statements of the type you make here is that they remove all thought or involvment from the situation, and may weaken any issues of personal responsibility. After all, the person at risk is the cyclist - at the judgement call is theirs alone.
Based on your post, I’d advise engaging a few brain cells before making a thought-free knee-jerk judgement. You might try reading this by Meyer Hillman. Or perhaps get someone else to read it to you, omitting any words with more than no syllables.
The ‘safest way’ is perhaps to develop good road sense such that you decrease your chance of being in an accident. You may or may not choose to augment your safety by wearing a helmet. However, not wearing a helmet is not automatically idiotic.
Everyday (bike, motorbike) rider, twice a day …
Ok, some facts about helmets and bicycles:
It is law in many states and for many ages - (cite)
The WHO has a helmet initiative - (cite) which says “a needlessly large number of cyclists are killed or permanently disabled as a result of a head injury received from a fall or during a crash. Tragically, many of these head injuries could have been prevented or their severity reduced through the use of a simple and inexpensive helmet.”
You will crash - (cite) which says “Experienced, careful bike riders crash every 4,500 miles on the average. Head injury causes 75% of our 800+ annual deaths from bicycle crashes. Medical research shows that a bicycle helmet can prevent 85% of cyclists’ head injuries.”
Chances of dying riding a bike go up with age (and are increasing) - (cite)
Need some more reasons why?
Ha! Since when has a law been evidence of truth!?
… although they provide no statistics at that site; nor are any evident at the Center for Injury Control site, referenced in the URL above.
There’s no will here - although it may be probable that you’ll crash at some point in your cycle career. Also, it matters how the crash occurs; is this crash rate the rate of encountering an accident where a helmet would be likely to be useful?
Well, I don’t need more reasons since I’ve read around the subject - and make a conscious decision based on information. However, your links are useful, and add grist to the mill…
Anyway, in counterbalance, here are some reasons why helmet-wearing may not necessarily be a Good Thing:
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This reports that some of the reduction in injuries apparently engendered by helmets is actually because fewer cyclists take to the road (when helmet wearing is compulsory). The article also points out that injury rates are low in countries where helmet wearing is infrequent, but where there are more cycle paths. This is supported by the official stats here. (Compulsory) helmet wearing, in a sense, absolves a government of the responsibility to move traffic away from cycles. It would be better if people did not wear helmets, but were fully separated from traffic, rather than helmeted and in trafiic.
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Some more gas by Hillman. Note that he makes reference to a report which indicates that ~6% of cycle fatalities arose from head injuries between 1987-1991 in the UK. The Hillman argument wanders along various avenues, but critical points include: the effectiveness of helmets may be overstated, compulsory helmet wearing tends to absolve motorists of the responsibility for cycle accidents, compulsory helmet wearing leads to fewer people cycling. Anyway, the article’s there to read if you like.
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In the UK, the incidence of accidents decreases with age (stat) - though no stats are given for the estimated number of older cyclists, so we should take this with a pinch of the proverbial.
Some grey paint:
- Thompson & Rivara (1996) indicate that helmets are effective in reducing upper-head injuries, but are - unsurprisingly - ineffective in reducing lower face injury. So - should cyclists move over to full face helmets ASAP? Why (or why not)?
Need some more reasons why … ?
… That’s reasons why there’s something to think about here, and why any knee jerk reactions may just be a patella in the face.
Now, it’s obviously the case that - barring risk compensation - wearing a helmet will not make you less safe. However, the stats, weights and balances are there for the individual to look and … and decide for themselves, perhaps on a ride-by-ride basis.
Take care.
Glad to have a logical, factual conversation even if this is the pit.
Why do the two have to be mutually exclusive? In my opinion, it would be best if people were fully separated from traffic AND wearing helmets.
Ah yes, this is the pit … hmmm … cheese monger! Arse magician! Potato fondler! Etc.
Now we’ve got some default pit invective out of the way…
Of course, you are quite right - the two ain’t mutually excusive. Indeed, because cycle helmets are arguably most effective in non-traffic pavement-eating situations, wearing 'em on a cycle path may be more of a Good Thing. Balance this against the lower incidence of injuries on cycleways, and decide whether the increased injury protection is worthwhile on the cyclepath. (Yes, injury protection is always ‘worthwhile’ in a sense - but balance this against other issues and freedoms).
All I’m saying in general is - don’t have a kneejerk reaction, don’t automatically give helmet free chaps a sharp kick in the nads. I’ll also add that you definitely don’t seem to be one of these jerky types, Bickering_Annoys_Me, judging by the fact that you provided data to support helmet wearing, and have not simply shouted … ug! helmet wearer bad! The issues wrt helmet wearing apply in many other ‘personal freedom’ issues, too, and I try to view the helmet debate in that context.
Cheers ears,
BfT.
I agree, you uncle fucker. And I have never fondled a potato. An onion, maybe but never a spud.
Yes, personal freedom. Just like I am against seatbelt laws BUT in full favor of wearing them. Note: I’m not against helmet/seatbelt laws for those under 18. In my opinion, they don’t have full rights to full personal freedom. Ah but then we get into the sticky point of society’s responsiblity to take care of you if you become a vegetable (like a potato) since you did not wear a helmet.
But you are informed and made an informed decision. I disagree with your decision but I respect your right to make said decision.
BTW, you don’t wear helmet…you bad. ug!
Oh god, the helmet wars have come to StraightDope.
I think you said this a week or two ago …? And provided a link to Usenet blather?
And though I’ve been a participant in the current helmet warette, oddly enough I’ve posted nowt on this outside the SDMB, ever.
Ah! But I haven’t said whether I actually wear a helmet or non, mon ami!
Damn! I assumed you did not since you seemed so stongly anti-helmet.
I would have egg on my face, but alas, I am wearing a helmet. 
You might still have a yolk abrasion on your jawline?
You must be yolking. Eggs are not that rough.