Powered pedal cycle in collision

[peckerman]

Originally Posted by Intex

Thank you for the response, I guess I was looking for some sort of reassurance that wearing one would help.

Hi Intex, I'm new here so not sure what's been said on old threads, so I apologise if this has been covered before, but I can definately assure you wearing one helps. I think wearing one helps a great deal, having been knocked off myself, and witnessed 2 accidents where the helmet wearer managed to cycle home, helmet in pieces. I somehow don't think that would be the case if he was not wearing anything. For a conclusion just go onto youtube and type in bicycle accident or various similar wording, see how many hit their heads. An accident is just that, accidental. You have no control over what happens once you start falling, so it's best in my opinion to offer yourself the best possible chance of protection.

[rooel]

Intex, if you type "cycle helmets" into Google you will soon find plenty of advice regarding them, but, as cycle helmets are designed to provide protection only in falls where no other vehicle is involved, I doubt if much of it will reassure you: the only certain way to avoid head injury is to get off your bike, stay at home, and be careful you neither fall out of bed or down the stairs. And do not think you will be any safer travelling by car or walking: the incidence of head injuries within these travel modes is just as high.

The problem is that motor vehicles are very dangerous. Unfortunately their new owners, styling them innocuously as "horseless carriages", managed to gradually insinuate them on to our public highways, and our forebears were then unable to relegate them to separate "ways" as they had wisely done a century earlier with the railways. Even their puny attempt to restrict speeds with the red flag men was soon derided, the new motor vehicles being in the hands of the rich and the powerful. If you read some Edwardian novels such as E M Forster's, Howards End, you will find already references to "road hogs", and collisions, all the perpetrators being "upper class".

Here is a brief selection of sites which may be of help:

Peter Clinch's Packs Page 2

Cycle Helmets: an international resource

Cyclecraft

[Rod Tibbs]

Frankly I am amazed that anyone could argue against wearing a cycle helmet. Last year I was knocked off my Powabike by a reversing pickup truck. I was thrown across Newmarket High street and the side of my helmet was crushed where my head hit the ground.

Five weeks later I had two holes drilled through my head to relieve a 'chronic subdural haematoma' or blood pooling on the brain. I was within 48 hours of death and no amount of arguing will convince me the helmet did not save my life. The fact that the helmet crushed and my skull did not obviously saved me.

It is essential the helmet fits properly and is held on firmly. If you want to go without a helmet, fine. I speak from first hand experience and I wont be joining you.

Rod

[rooel]

I am equally amazed that those who argue in favour of wearing cycle helmets do not also argue in favour of wearing pedestrian helmets, and motor helmets, and going-up-and-down the stairs helmets, etc., etc.

[flecc]

You see now what I mean Intex, here we go again.

Got to be the world's most boring subject.
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[Django]

Here we go again indeed.

Time to dig a trench and . . . . er . . . . put my helmet on.

[CheKmx]

There is no statistical evidence to show that helmet wearing increases trench saftey and in fact may increase the wears risk.

[flecc]

No Django and CheKmx, I said entrenched positions above, not trench positions.
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[peckerman]

Rooel have you ever been knocked off your bike? I can't believe that in this day and age someone can actually try and persuade people to not wear protective equiptment. I see what you're saying, a helmet isn't a guarantee that you won't get injured, but it's better safe than sorry in my books. I mean, assuming that you don't have kids, if you did would you honestly advise them NOT to wear a helmet?

[flecc]

I can't see that Rooel was trying to persuade anyone not to use a helmet. It seemed to me that he was just pointing out the limitations of the protection they give.

In sharp contrast peckerman, you are clearly trying to persuade others to use helmets. Why not leave others to decide for themselves? It is their business.
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