I once saw an accident where a cyclist going straight through an intersection was hit by an oncoming truck turning left that was impatient, didn't see the cyclist and gunned it between cars. The cyclist was launched headfirst into the bumper of a car stopped at the light and her helmet loudly cracked in two. She was still hurt, but I'm sure she would have died without that helmet. If some riders choose to not wear a…
When I was 13 I was hit by a car on my bike. Same thing. Helmet cracked, and my head didn’t.
> … and those driving around them take greater risks too Really? Data shows that a driver will subconsciously take stock of the fact that a cyclist is wearing a helmet and adjust their risk assessments accordingly? I find that incredibly difficult to believe.
This seems to be a good article on this: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/mar/21/bike-he... “ In 2006 he attached a computer and an electronic distance gauge to his bike and recorded data from 2,500 drivers who overtook him on the roads. Half the time he wore a bike helmet and half the time he was bare-headed. The results showed motorists tended to pass him more closely when he had the helmet on, coming…
Did they do control for rider behavior? I'm curious if the unhelmeted rode closer to the road edge.
Common sense suggests that forbidding the use of safety equipment for frivolous reasons should be ridiculously illegal. Is it not so in the third world countries where Pedal Me operates?
I’m annoyed so many HNers have trouble getting their head round this. Before commenting understand that : Research studies show bike helmets increase number of injuries, due to complex reasons NOT attributed to the vehicle type or whether it was the riders fault. It is why they are not legally required in bike heavy countries like the Netherlands. I recommend you DONT comment unless you’ve done your research.
What studies? Also, the purpose of helmets is not to reduce the number of injuries, but the severity.
You’re most probably another American as there is less bike use there.
Google the studies.
They create more accidents with varying severities including death while wearing said helmet hence they are more dangerous and so aren’t made mandatory.
I’m annoyed so many HNers have trouble getting their head round this. Before commenting understand that : Research studies show bike helmets increase number of injuries, due to complex reasons NOT attributed to the vehicle type or whether it was the riders fault. It is why they are not legally required in bike heavy countries like the Netherlands. I recommend you DONT comment unless you’ve done your research.
This thread is plagued with anecdotes. Very unproductive
Realising I’m surrounded by HNers giving a confident opinions when they are ignorant of the subject really rattles me makes me realise I take this place far too seriously. Look at the guy who replied to my comment above he just repeated another anecdote.
I'm sorry, and pardonner mou Français, but what in the actual fuck? Should delivery drivers not wear seatbelts because they might not be as afriad that they'll fly through the windshield? Should linemen not wear harnesses because they might be more confident working on power lines? Should warehouse workers not wear hi-vis jackets because they might be more confident working around forklifts? Should construction worke…
I understand where you’re coming from, but I’d like to see some data rather than “what the actual fuck”. I believe there are some cases where safety protections make people act dumber - and now I’m curious if this is or is not one them. I don’t take a position either way, but I don’t feel like shouting that you’d tell your employer to eat a bag of dicks really contributes much here.
I think that even bigger effect is that casual riders won't opt out cycling when helmets are mandatory. That is where helmets add least safety and comparably most unpracticality. When you are going to buy milk and some sausage in leisure pace or when you are going to work in speed guaranteed to not make you sweaty.
Those are safest rides, they are good for your health and the ones that drop first.
The pictures that I've seen of the various "saved my life" destroyed helmets have the polystyrene split apart - it's usually quite easy to split polystyrene if the force is applied the right (wrong) way. I don't like the concept of requiring PPE for a relatively safe activity as cycling as it makes cycling seem like a far more risky activity than it is and there's also the problem of "helmet hair" which can dissuade…
Cycling on roadways is not a relatively safe activity. I don't know a single cyclist commuter that has not been involved in a car crash - and I'm in my early 30s.
I admittedly only commuted by bike for 3 years, 2018-2020, but I was never involved in a crash. I ride in some ways contrary to common advice, but that may contribute.
Background: I do downhill longboarding as a hobby. > If some riders choose to not wear a helmet [...] ...we take their board from them, until they show up with one. This sport is almost completely unregulated (outside of official events), but somehow the community has developed an incredibly strong culture of keeping both yourself and the others around you safe. I guess something about being a niche sport, perhaps a…
What do you suppose happened to the rest of skateboarding that pushed it in the opposite direction? Watching the olympics this summer, it was amazing to watch the street skating events with none of the competitors wearing any sort of protective gear. And it’s not like they didn’t need it either. They were getting wrecked in falls to the point where some of the couldn’t even finish the competition. It was nuts watchin…
Protective gear was always uncool in street skateboarding. Vert (Tony Hawk's main discipline) was the exception. From what I understand it's about being counterculture, punk etc. Today even bowl riders mostly don't wear helmets or pads, and crashing in a concrete bowl is arguably even worse than on a wooden ramp.
I once saw an accident where a cyclist going straight through an intersection was hit by an oncoming truck turning left that was impatient, didn't see the cyclist and gunned it between cars. The cyclist was launched headfirst into the bumper of a car stopped at the light and her helmet loudly cracked in two. She was still hurt, but I'm sure she would have died without that helmet. If some riders choose to not wear a…
Should drivers also be required to wear helmets? Driving a car is itself unsafe, motor vehicle accidents are one of the leading causes of TBIs.
I don’t think helmets would mitigate that risk. For comparison, should bicyclists be required to wear seatbelts?
This is very much like: > The name "Tullock's spike" refers to a thought experiment in which Tullock suggested that if governments were serious about reducing road casualties, they should mandate that a sharp spike be installed in the center of each car's steering wheel, to increase the probability that an accident would be fatal to the driver. Tullock's idea was that the normal process of risk compensation would the…
It's a good thought experiment but assumes that everyone has the same ability to assess risk, which isn't true. Not only does the ability to correctly assess risk vary greatly between individuals, it varies greatly over the lifetime of an individual and sometimes even over the course of a day for the same individual.
It has the effect of stopping the driving of those with poor risk assessment and judgement too though.