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Except that the evidence is not clear that cycle helmets actually improve safety for adults (it is clear that it improves it for children), and cyclists will av

Except that the evidence is not clear that cycle helmets actually improve safety for adults (it is clear that it improves it for children), and cyclists will avoid cycling altogether if helmets are mandatory. Perhaps more importantly, cars carry safety risks for everyone. If I walk or cycle I am at risk of being run over by your car, my lungs get damaged due to the exhaust, the climate suffers.

oh_sigh 7y ago
How could helmets not improve safety for adults?
- crispyporkbites 7y ago
  Because less people cycle, which makes cycling overall more dangerous for everyone.
- Carpetsmoker 7y ago
  Turns out things are a bit more complex than "survival rate after being hit by a car at 40 km/h in the front": - Both cyclists and motorists tend to take slightly more risks when wearing helmets (cars give less distance when overtaking). - Mandatory helmets means fewer people cycle, so cars are less used to cyclists leading to more dangerous situations. It's been discussed many times on HN, and there is no clear-cut answer. Some research (I can't be bothered to find it all again, sorry) suggests it doesn't make a difference, other that it makes things slightly safer, and others that it makes it slightly less safe. On balance, it probably doesn't make much of a difference.
  - tim58 7y ago
    > Mandatory helmets Mandatory helmets is a separate thing. You're arguing against a policy none of the parent comments or the root article talks about. > Both cyclists and motorists tend to take slightly more risks when wearing helmets This whole article is about being an assertive bicyclist while not wearing a helmet. The author is encouraging people to not wear a helmet and bicycle less defensively than they typically do. The primary argument for this behavior is because it feels good.
    - Carpetsmoker 7y ago
      The original comment is comparing it to seatbelts, which are mandatory in many countries.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]

oh_sigh 7y ago

How could helmets not improve safety for adults?

crispyporkbites 7y ago
Because less people cycle, which makes cycling overall more dangerous for everyone.
Carpetsmoker 7y ago
Turns out things are a bit more complex than "survival rate after being hit by a car at 40 km/h in the front": - Both cyclists and motorists tend to take slightly more risks when wearing helmets (cars give less distance when overtaking). - Mandatory helmets means fewer people cycle, so cars are less used to cyclists leading to more dangerous situations. It's been discussed many times on HN, and there is no clear-cut answer. Some research (I can't be bothered to find it all again, sorry) suggests it doesn't make a difference, other that it makes things slightly safer, and others that it makes it slightly less safe. On balance, it probably doesn't make much of a difference.
- tim58 7y ago
  > Mandatory helmets Mandatory helmets is a separate thing. You're arguing against a policy none of the parent comments or the root article talks about. > Both cyclists and motorists tend to take slightly more risks when wearing helmets This whole article is about being an assertive bicyclist while not wearing a helmet. The author is encouraging people to not wear a helmet and bicycle less defensively than they typically do. The primary argument for this behavior is because it feels good.
  - Carpetsmoker 7y ago
    The original comment is comparing it to seatbelts, which are mandatory in many countries.
deleted 7y ago
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