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Do you have a citation for "the odds of a particular type of injury [helmets] are effective against are very low"? Studies seem to suggest that helmets reduce

Do you have a citation for "the odds of a particular type of injury [helmets] are effective against are very low"? Studies seem to suggest that helmets reduce the risk of a head injury by as much as 85%. In 2012 for nearly 2/3 of bicycle accident fatalities the rider was not wearing a helmet. This used to be an even higher percentage but fortunately the # of fatalities has decliend signficantly in the last 20 years. http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/pedestrians-and-bicyclists/fatalityfacts/bicycles http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/pedestrians-and-bicyclists...

wtbob 12y ago
Check out http://www.cyclehelmets.org/ http://www.cyclehelmets.org/ > In 2012 for nearly 2/3 of bicycle accident fatalities the rider was not wearing a helmet. That's irrelevant, since it indicates nothing about what fraction of those 2/3 would have survived if they'd been wearing helmets (as an example, if someone is hit my a truck at 50 mph, it really doesn't matter if he's wearing a helmet or not). Also, what fraction of cyclists wear helmets? I'd be surprised were it so much as 1/3; if it's less, then that would indicate that helmet-wearers are more likely to die than non-helmet-wearers (due to risk-tolerance on the part of both cyclists and drivers, c.f. http://www.cnet.com/news/brain-surgeon-theres-no-point-wearing-cycle-helmets/ http://www.cnet.com/news/brain-surgeon-theres-no-point-weari...). There are three types of head strike injury: those with so little force that no death or severe injury would occur, with or without a helmet; those with sufficient force to inflict death or serious injury without a helmet, but which a helmet would prevent; and those with so much force that a lightweight foam-and-plastic helmet wouldn't help. > This used to be an even higher percentage but fortunately the # of fatalities has decliend signficantly in the last 20 years. It looks to me from that IIHS graph that it merely reflects the fact that more people are wearing helmets now than previously.
ghaff 12y ago
There's apparently some controversy on the point. I don't personally have an opinion but this link has some discussion of the 85% stat among others. [EDIT: Oops. Link: http://bicyclesafe.com/helmets.html http://bicyclesafe.com/helmets.html ] The effect of helmets on skier injuries is also ambiguous--presumably because the widespread use of helmets has at least correlated with more risky behaviors.

wtbob 12y ago

Check out http://www.cyclehelmets.org/ http://www.cyclehelmets.org/ > In 2012 for nearly 2/3 of bicycle accident fatalities the rider was not wearing a helmet. That's irrelevant, since it indicates nothing about what fraction of those 2/3 would have survived if they'd been wearing helmets (as an example, if someone is hit my a truck at 50 mph, it really doesn't matter if he's wearing a helmet or not). Also, what fraction of cyclists wear helmets? I'd be surprised were it so much as 1/3; if it's less, then that would indicate that helmet-wearers are more likely to die than non-helmet-wearers (due to risk-tolerance on the part of both cyclists and drivers, c.f. http://www.cnet.com/news/brain-surgeon-theres-no-point-wearing-cycle-helmets/ http://www.cnet.com/news/brain-surgeon-theres-no-point-weari...). There are three types of head strike injury: those with so little force that no death or severe injury would occur, with or without a helmet; those with sufficient force to inflict death or serious injury without a helmet, but which a helmet would prevent; and those with so much force that a lightweight foam-and-plastic helmet wouldn't help. > This used to be an even higher percentage but fortunately the # of fatalities has decliend signficantly in the last 20 years. It looks to me from that IIHS graph that it merely reflects the fact that more people are wearing helmets now than previously.

ghaff 12y ago

There's apparently some controversy on the point. I don't personally have an opinion but this link has some discussion of the 85% stat among others. [EDIT: Oops. Link: http://bicyclesafe.com/helmets.html http://bicyclesafe.com/helmets.html ] The effect of helmets on skier injuries is also ambiguous--presumably because the widespread use of helmets has at least correlated with more risky behaviors.