The Helmet Question
OK, here's the deal. I've been an avid biker for more than two decades (closer to three), and I have always worn a helmet...then this past spring, for whatever reason, I just stopped.I had one close call some years back when I was flying down a busy street (today I don't ride nearly as fast or recklessly as I once did) and hit a pot hole and flipped over my handlebars...I hit not only my ribs but also my head on the pavement...thankfully at the time I was wearing a helmet.
Anyhow, at the prompting of almost everyone I know, I started wearing my helmet again (even my yoga instructor asked why I wasn't wearing one). I'm way past the time when I'm concerned about vanity or image on a bike (please don't get me started about the fixie thing), so that's not an issue. It does feel somewhat freeing to ride without a helmet, but I have to admit that I feel safer while wearing one.
At-any-rate, I know that there are people on both sides of this fence that are very adamant about their opinion, and I was just curious how others felt (or if they wore one). If you have a second or two click on the poll to the left and let me know...if you feel the need to express your opinion further, feel free to comment. Thanks.
Comments
I looked there and on other places like the bicycle helmet initiative trust in the UK (http://www.bhit.org/). After looking at both sides I put my helmet away.
Since then I've been slandered, verbally abused and bullied by people who tell me I should wear a helmet. My response is the same every time: I don't think the evidence shows cycling is dangerous, or that helmets are effective. If people feel safer with a helmet, that's fine by me, but I want to show cycling (or at least utility cycling as I do) is a safe activity for normal people.
But that's me, in Germany, in a small town and segregated cycle routes. What conclusions others come to is their decision. I just wish they'd stop shouting at me.
You could wind up dead or a vegetable.
And I wonder if that not wearing a helmet could be a good reason for loosing any health coverage you may have. They will try anything. 75% of people who go bankrupt and/or loose their house because of medical costs in the USA had 100% healthcover but lost their cover because of the exceptions in the small print or company investigations.
Not a game I would want to play...
My wife is a doctor, and yes helmets do save lives she tells me.
I'm keeping my lid on.
"You could wind up dead or a vegetable"
Ýou may be right. Where is the evidence?
"Since most serious bicycle injuries are to the head, the uncoolness of a helmet is a small price to pay for the treasures stored there."
Possibly. Where is the evidence?
My wife is a doctor, and yes helmets do save lives she tells me.
Also possible. What evidence?
What scientific studies, where are the papers?
I'm open to the fact I could be wrong, but having looked at whatever evidence I could amass, seeing the studies, and thinking a lot about the pro's and cons, I decided against wearing a helmet.
What I've read makes me think the danger of head injury is very small, and that the effectiveness of helmets remains unproven, and my not wearing a helmet sends a message that cycling is safe and possible for normal people.
If a new study is brought to my attention that shows this more conclusively, then I'll get the polystyrene lid out again. Until then, I'll be helmet free.
But again; I'm in Europe where the European cyclist's federation is not at all pro-helmet, and conditions are very different. If you feel safer and it gets you cycling, I'm not complaining.
Makes for intresting reading...
I am keeping the helmet on.
That said, I always wear my helmet, although I accept that the evidence is somewhat unclear about its effectiveness. I don't expect a helmet to help me much if I have a collision with a car (which is why I ride predictably and visibly - see bicyclesafe.com). But I suspect I'm more likely to get hurt by falling off my bike after hitting a pothole or curb, and that's where a helmet could make a drastic difference.
Besides, the helmet gives me a good place to mount my rear-view mirror, which I don't know how I ever managed without it.
I agree with Jesse. I'm against mandatory helmet laws since that has been shown to drop overall ridership.