4 ms·

I also live in Australia, and am an avid cyclist - I ride to work every day, and I'm sorry but no, I strongly disagree. There is nothing wrong with wearing a h

I also live in Australia, and am an avid cyclist - I ride to work every day, and I'm sorry but no, I strongly disagree. There is nothing wrong with wearing a helmet - I've come off my bike before and its made a potentially very bad situation painful rather than life-threatening - and really look, on the list of worries of cyclist, having to wear a helmet is the least of our worries. (The law about "not riding on a footpath" is probably more annoying - occasionally, you need to, when its the only safe option). However, what is an issue in Australia with cyclist is attitude particularly with car drivers. Until that changes, it will always discourage potential cyclists. Whether it's cars who will literally chase you down and scream about how they "deserve to be on the road and you don't", or people who open doors into the bike lane without checking for cyclist etc. Ironically, I find it actually tends to be the lower socio-economic areas that find the concept of cycling most puzzling. In the more expensive areas, cycling seems to be more of a thing - sadly, road cycling is a rich man's hobby here - when you have groups of Cervelo and Bianchi's out on weekends, those people often tend to be a bit more considerate when you're on the road yourself during the week. I do wish cycling was more mainstream, or at least car drivers better educated - but I don't think that removing helmets is the way to do that.

Symbiote 12y ago
What were you doing to fall off your bike? I haven't fallen off since I was a teenager, messing around. I trip over while walking more often, and have been a passenger in two car accidents. People in many countries don't feel unsafe cycling, so don't wear a helmet. I think the statistics back them up, in countries like the Netherlands.
- victorhooi 12y ago
  I was going down a steep hill near my parent's place, with a downhill MB? New hydraulic disc brakes (Avid Codes, I think), happened to brake on the front a little too hard, and not enough on the rear. I suppose it really depends on how much you ride - if you ride a lot, eventually you're going to have a scrape (hopefully minor). You can't predict everything that's going to happen on the road.
chronolitus 12y ago
Note that he's not arguing against the use of helmets. only on giving people the choice: feel safer with one, wear one, if you don't don't.
- victorhooi 12y ago
  It's like seatbelts - I don't know what the legislation is where you are, but over here (Australia), they are very much mandatory. The fine for not wearing your seatbelt is quite hefty. Sure, you can argue that it's a bit nanny-state (and I know in certain countries, that's not a very popular stance), but it's also a bit of public health/safety. Yes, sure, it's not as convenient wearing a seatbelt all the time, or wearing a helmet all the time, but over here, where we have government healthcare, it would probably cost them additional money if they had to cover potentially preventable accidents. Also, I don't disagree that head accidents aren't the most common bike injury. However, think about it - you graze your knees, or you break your arm - they're painful but not usually life threatening. You hit your head, get a concussion, suffer some kind of brain damage - you are very much screwed. Guy at my church, his brother in law is a cyclist. He got attacked by magpies, fell off and suffered a head injury. He can't work at the moment, and is in rehab at home. Sure, the chance may be low, but do you really want to take it? I would glad take a grazed knee over a head injury any day of the year. Hence why helmets are mandatory here, and not say, knee guards. And if the government if funding your healthcare, you can bet it costs them a pretty dime to care for you for the rest of your life, if you were to suffer a disability from a head injury.
  - nols 12y ago
    The common argument is that forcing people to wear helmets reduces bicycle use, which contributes to poorer health through reduced activity levels and poorer air quality, which creates an overall higher health cost than the injuries that would be sustained if helmets were not mandatory. This also ignores the impact having more bicyclists on the road have on driver awareness. I'm all for wearing helmets and encouraging their use, but it's more complicated than "Helmets are safe, they should be mandatory".
prawn 12y ago
Last year, I was part of a "citizens' jury" in Adelaide tasked with making recommendations to the South Australian government about improving road sharing safety involving cars and bikes. It took a few months of presentations and deliberations. Permitting riding on footpaths where appropriate was one of our recommendations. Riding without a helmet, perhaps in the CBD or in conjunction with an improved bike hire scheme, was one of my proposals that didn't win consensus with the group. We made about 30ish recommendations all up, and almost all were endorsed by the Premier for trial. The whole process was very eye-opening. I drive to work, but I would ride if it were safer. I hope we'll gradually see improved infrastructure here in Adelaide, at least by the time my children are at riding age.

Symbiote 12y ago

What were you doing to fall off your bike? I haven't fallen off since I was a teenager, messing around. I trip over while walking more often, and have been a passenger in two car accidents. People in many countries don't feel unsafe cycling, so don't wear a helmet. I think the statistics back them up, in countries like the Netherlands.

victorhooi 12y ago
I was going down a steep hill near my parent's place, with a downhill MB? New hydraulic disc brakes (Avid Codes, I think), happened to brake on the front a little too hard, and not enough on the rear. I suppose it really depends on how much you ride - if you ride a lot, eventually you're going to have a scrape (hopefully minor). You can't predict everything that's going to happen on the road.

chronolitus 12y ago

Note that he's not arguing against the use of helmets. only on giving people the choice: feel safer with one, wear one, if you don't don't.

victorhooi 12y ago
It's like seatbelts - I don't know what the legislation is where you are, but over here (Australia), they are very much mandatory. The fine for not wearing your seatbelt is quite hefty. Sure, you can argue that it's a bit nanny-state (and I know in certain countries, that's not a very popular stance), but it's also a bit of public health/safety. Yes, sure, it's not as convenient wearing a seatbelt all the time, or wearing a helmet all the time, but over here, where we have government healthcare, it would probably cost them additional money if they had to cover potentially preventable accidents. Also, I don't disagree that head accidents aren't the most common bike injury. However, think about it - you graze your knees, or you break your arm - they're painful but not usually life threatening. You hit your head, get a concussion, suffer some kind of brain damage - you are very much screwed. Guy at my church, his brother in law is a cyclist. He got attacked by magpies, fell off and suffered a head injury. He can't work at the moment, and is in rehab at home. Sure, the chance may be low, but do you really want to take it? I would glad take a grazed knee over a head injury any day of the year. Hence why helmets are mandatory here, and not say, knee guards. And if the government if funding your healthcare, you can bet it costs them a pretty dime to care for you for the rest of your life, if you were to suffer a disability from a head injury.
- nols 12y ago
  The common argument is that forcing people to wear helmets reduces bicycle use, which contributes to poorer health through reduced activity levels and poorer air quality, which creates an overall higher health cost than the injuries that would be sustained if helmets were not mandatory. This also ignores the impact having more bicyclists on the road have on driver awareness. I'm all for wearing helmets and encouraging their use, but it's more complicated than "Helmets are safe, they should be mandatory".

prawn 12y ago

Last year, I was part of a "citizens' jury" in Adelaide tasked with making recommendations to the South Australian government about improving road sharing safety involving cars and bikes. It took a few months of presentations and deliberations. Permitting riding on footpaths where appropriate was one of our recommendations. Riding without a helmet, perhaps in the CBD or in conjunction with an improved bike hire scheme, was one of my proposals that didn't win consensus with the group. We made about 30ish recommendations all up, and almost all were endorsed by the Premier for trial. The whole process was very eye-opening. I drive to work, but I would ride if it were safer. I hope we'll gradually see improved infrastructure here in Adelaide, at least by the time my children are at riding age.