Tested my helmet today.

[anotherkiwi]

This is a good balanced page on the limits of helmet protection from a pro helmet site (USA):

https://www.helmets.org/limits.htm

If you fall at low speed you want a cushioning full face helmet (doesn't exist). If you crash at high speed your head is the least of your worries. If you are hit by a car at speed in the best case scenario you are dead and in the worst you are in a wheelchair for the rest of your life.

I wear a helmet on my trike because:

- I am lying down and when it rolls over in an off camber corner my head is going to be underneath. Imagine an ageing bald guy with gravel rash on his skull
- it keeps insects out of my eyes at speed (never ride a trike with your mouth open!)
- it makes me look like I know what I'm doing

 

[Eagle]

What a load of old ....

anotherkiwi,

Unfortunately your erudite and well-crafted response has not led me to change my mind on this issue.

I am still going to follow Headway’s advice:

Use your head - use a helmet.

https://www.headway.org.uk/get-involved/campaigns/cycle-helmets/

1. Those cyclists who prefer not to wear a helmet are free to do so.

2. Pedelec riders are not professional racers and are therefore at less risk.

3. Obviously a helmet is not going to save every cyclist from severe injury in every situation, but it will certainly help to reduce the risk of serious or fatal head injury.

 

[flecc]

https://www.headway.org.uk/get-involved/campaigns/cycle-helmets/

A pity they publish both false and politically biased information from Australian sources, trying to post justify the wearing compulsion there.

There is no need to do so, of course wearing helmets reduces the risk of head injuries in accidents, only a fool would say otherwise.
.

 

[Nev]

There is no need to do so, of course wearing helmets reduces the risk of head injuries in accidents, only a fool would say otherwise.
.

I almost always wear a helmet, if I don't wear one it doesn't feel right. I do wonder though if wearing one makes one slightly less careful than if one didn't wear one.

I don't have any link to back it up, but I am sure I have read somewhere that when the law changed to make motor cycle helmets compulsory, although it helped lower the death and serious head injury rate, the amount of accidents went up.

I think a similar thing happened with compulsory seat belt wearing. Injury rates improved but amount of accidents increased.

The article I read thought the reason for the increase in accident rates is that drivers and riders felt safer when wearing helmets or using seat belts and so rode or drove in a slightly less safe manner.

Does anyone remember how thin the door pillars used to be on cars, and if they turned over the occupants would often get crushed. So they changed the safety regs and the pillars were all made much thicker and so if a car turned over it would not crush the people inside.

I am sure this has saved many lives of the people that turn over in a car, but how many pedestrians, cyclists and motor cyclists have been hit by cars, because they have been hidden behind these thick pillars and the car driver has not seen them.

 

[Eagle]

....they changed the safety regs and the pillars were all made much thicker and so if a car turned over it would not crush the people inside.

I am sure this has saved many lives of the people that turn over in a car, but how many pedestrians, cyclists and motor cyclists have been hit by cars, because they have been hidden behind these thick pillars and the car driver has not seen them.

You make a good point.

The bike helmet debate will continue forever.
This Guardian article seems to be quite balanced:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/mar/21/bike-helmet-cyclists-safe-urban-warfare-wheels

 

[Fat Rat]

of course wearing helmets reduces the risk of head injuries in accidents, only a fool would say otherwise.
.

That is the most sensible thing I’ve read on this thread so far

 

[Fat Rat]

how many pedestrians, cyclists and motor cyclists have been hit by cars, because they have been hidden behind these thick pillars and the car driver has not seen them.

Ive been on about this for years now
Pillars are to thick hiding all sorts of road users and potential accidents

Another hate of mine is people who hang air fresheners and crap like that from there interior rear view mirrors ask your self what you can hide behind that obstruction for your view of the road

 

[flecc]

Ive been on about this for years now
Pillars are to thick hiding all sorts of road users and potential accidents

Yes, the "A" pillar combination of pillar and side mirror too often hides large areas of road, especially for shorter drivers whose cars have limited lift adjustment.

Another hate of mine is people who hang air fresheners and crap like that from there interior rear view mirrors ask your self what you can hide behind that obstruction for your view of the road

Indeed, and I was pleased when the tax disc was scrapped. In my view every square centimetre of glass is too valuable to be covered and some of those advertising tax disc holders were huge.
.