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A helmet won't make any difference when riding a bike into a hunk of steel; you will get badly hurt or killed depending on your speed. In that case your only de

A helmet won't make any difference when riding a bike into a hunk of steel; you will get badly hurt or killed depending on your speed. In that case your only defense is to ride as far away as possible of car doors, don't count on the person getting out the car looking in the mirror before opening the door. Focus your attention on what's happening in front of you, and enjoy your ride.

PhasmaFelis 10y ago
> A helmet won't make any difference when riding a bike into a hunk of steel; you will get badly hurt or killed depending on your speed. That's a straw man. Helmet advocates do not imagine them as some sort of invincible armor. They obviously will not keep you from being injured in a serious accident. What they do is reduce your chance of being killed. The large majority of fatal bicycle accidents involve head injuries. (One source: http://www.rospa.com/road-safety/advice/pedal-cyclists/facts-figures/ http://www.rospa.com/road-safety/advice/pedal-cyclists/facts...) I would rather be in traction than dead. I agree that children cannot be wrapped in cotton wool; they should be allowed to roam without supervision and make their own mistakes, even if that does slightly increase their risk of injury or death. But getting a bike helmet for your kid does not restrict their mobility or their ability to learn. It has no downsides, only upsides. You've made the choice not to wear a helmet; if you ride safely, in a safe area, the extra risk is probably quite small, and if you believe it's a fair trade-off for a little extra comfort, that's your prerogative as an adult. But don't pretend that wanting to feel the wind in your hair is taking a moral stand.
- mmariani 10y ago
  I am sorry, but it's not. Being car doored is the type of incident where a helmet won't make any difference. For a simple reason, the cyclist hits a car door with his upper or lower body, not with his head [0]. > But don't pretend that wanting to feel the wind in your hair is taking a moral stand. Your words, not mine -- as most of your post by the way. However, there is value in not arriving to your destination sweating or stinking (i.e. going to a meeting, social event, etc). In cases like that it's perfectly fine not to wear a helmet as long as the rider is aware of the risk, and adapts his/her riding style to this situation. Mostly everybody does it in Europe and we're all fine. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJKbXH2cAyI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJKbXH2cAyI
  - PhasmaFelis 10y ago
    > I am sorry, but it's not. Being car doored is the type of incident where a helmet won't make any difference. For a simple reason, the cyclist hits a car door with his upper or lower body, not with his head [0]. Yeah, and then you go flying and your head hits the ground, or a lamp post, or another car. Not always, but often enough. Head injuries are pretty common in car-pedestrian or car-cyclist accidents even though the average car is much lower than the average head. Collisions don't end at the moment of impact.
    - mmariani 10y ago
      Yeah, I know that. Yet, by then most of the energy has already been dissipated by the primary hit. After that the rider usually ends lying down on the middle of the street under the risk of being run over by another car. Again, a helmet won't make any difference there. I get it, you're advocating for people's safety -- that's noble. But, sometimes you have to live and let it die. In other words, you have to respect people's choices, or move to a nanny state and stop judging the people that decided not to live under the same rules as you.

PhasmaFelis 10y ago

> A helmet won't make any difference when riding a bike into a hunk of steel; you will get badly hurt or killed depending on your speed. That's a straw man. Helmet advocates do not imagine them as some sort of invincible armor. They obviously will not keep you from being injured in a serious accident. What they do is reduce your chance of being killed. The large majority of fatal bicycle accidents involve head injuries. (One source: http://www.rospa.com/road-safety/advice/pedal-cyclists/facts-figures/ http://www.rospa.com/road-safety/advice/pedal-cyclists/facts...) I would rather be in traction than dead. I agree that children cannot be wrapped in cotton wool; they should be allowed to roam without supervision and make their own mistakes, even if that does slightly increase their risk of injury or death. But getting a bike helmet for your kid does not restrict their mobility or their ability to learn. It has no downsides, only upsides. You've made the choice not to wear a helmet; if you ride safely, in a safe area, the extra risk is probably quite small, and if you believe it's a fair trade-off for a little extra comfort, that's your prerogative as an adult. But don't pretend that wanting to feel the wind in your hair is taking a moral stand.

mmariani 10y ago
I am sorry, but it's not. Being car doored is the type of incident where a helmet won't make any difference. For a simple reason, the cyclist hits a car door with his upper or lower body, not with his head [0]. > But don't pretend that wanting to feel the wind in your hair is taking a moral stand. Your words, not mine -- as most of your post by the way. However, there is value in not arriving to your destination sweating or stinking (i.e. going to a meeting, social event, etc). In cases like that it's perfectly fine not to wear a helmet as long as the rider is aware of the risk, and adapts his/her riding style to this situation. Mostly everybody does it in Europe and we're all fine. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJKbXH2cAyI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJKbXH2cAyI
- PhasmaFelis 10y ago
  > I am sorry, but it's not. Being car doored is the type of incident where a helmet won't make any difference. For a simple reason, the cyclist hits a car door with his upper or lower body, not with his head [0]. Yeah, and then you go flying and your head hits the ground, or a lamp post, or another car. Not always, but often enough. Head injuries are pretty common in car-pedestrian or car-cyclist accidents even though the average car is much lower than the average head. Collisions don't end at the moment of impact.
  - mmariani 10y ago
    Yeah, I know that. Yet, by then most of the energy has already been dissipated by the primary hit. After that the rider usually ends lying down on the middle of the street under the risk of being run over by another car. Again, a helmet won't make any difference there. I get it, you're advocating for people's safety -- that's noble. But, sometimes you have to live and let it die. In other words, you have to respect people's choices, or move to a nanny state and stop judging the people that decided not to live under the same rules as you.