Please Convince my Work Colleague to Wear a Helmet

Underscore

Daz555 wrote:

DrLex wrote:

Wait- are you saying that there are studies that show the wearing of helmets to be detrimental? I'd like to see those.

There is some sketchy stuff about rotational injuries and the like but generally no, the wearing of helmets is not detrimental in itself.

That's quite a statement. Some of the studies cited by the Wikipedia article that I mentioned suggest that wearing of helmets could be detrimental in itself. It does mention possible reasons for this: increased rotational acceleration of the head, risk compensation (both by the riders and other road users) and reduced bicycle use (even where use is not mandatory due to people over estimating the risks thanks to the pro-helmet lobby.) - all with citations so, while not proven, neither is it "sketchy".

Interestingly, it would appear that anyone worried about the extreme dangers of cycling should really be wearing a full-face helmet:

Wikipedia wrote:

A 1991 study by Hodgson, in which bicycle helmets were tested for ease of skidding, found that adding facial protection to a standard bicycle helmet (making the helmet a full-face helmet) brought the benefit of reduced twisting forces on the brain. A full face helmet design was also found to reduce the cervical-spine injury index. It also assisted in keeping the helmet in place during the crash tests and in protecting the face. It reduced "neck injury by reducing the facial-pavement friction and subsequent twisting, bending, and compression; and brain injury by reducing sudden rotational movements during facial impact, and lowering linear head accelerations by absorbing energy by deformation in the event impact occurs on the guard."

Sounds like anyone not wearing one has a death wish!

_

P.S. I repeat, I am (most of the time) a helmet wearer - I'm not anti-helmet, just anti-misleading-people and anti-exaggeration.

61Sigs

I wear a helmet and statistically speaking I appear to be immortal.

Having said that, if he doesn’t want to wear one then that’s his lookout.

Tom Butcher

meanredspider wrote:

Daz555 wrote:

. What is detrimental to cyclists is ANYTHING which discourages others from cycling. Fewer cyclists = more drivers and m
I also don't think that there's a "pro helmet mafia". Figures suggest that 80% of cyclists wear a lid - I'm not sure that a "vast majority" can be described as a "mafia" (assuming that most people wear a lid because they believe it is beneficial in some way).

So much of this whole helmet debate is misinformed and based upon supposition and conjecture.

Interested in the figures that show 80% of cyclists wear helmets - I was under the impression the stats showed it was much lower than that.

Tom Butcher

Some studies (well this one http://cyclehelmets.org/papers/c2014.pdf) suggest that cycling has fewer fatalities per km than walking. Would anyone badger a colleague to wear a helmet to walk to work ? We can argue the toss over how accurate those figures are or whether the greater distances covered by cyclists actually makes them more at risk but in any case it does suggest that cycling isn't quite as dangerous as some seem to believe.

61Sigs

Is it possible that riders who wear helmets are safer not because of the helmet per se, but due more to the fact that anyone who goes to the trouble of wearing a lid has perhaps considered the saftey aspect a little more?

cougie

By the same token it could be that they feel they can ride a little more dangerously as they have protection ?

Who would drive safer - a driver with a steering wheel airbag or a driver with a spike instead of the airbag?

61Sigs

Anything is possible, I was just wondering aloud.

Cluelessbiker

I must admit I am only grudgingly coming around to the idea of wearing one, I do not believe the are as stringently tested or built as a mortorcycle helmet so I admit to being sceptical, it also bugs me that in amsterdam, there are scores of cyclists and you rarely see a cycle helmet, why is this, why is everything in this country so 'Health and safety?' To me a cycle is just something you pop on down to the shops or something, as a kid no one ever wore cycle helmets, yet now fear is fostered upon you if you dare to not wear one, to be honest it is quite off putting hearing of all the doom and gloom. But to keep you al happy Asda sell helmets for 14 to 16 pounds and they are Bell helmets and I will be getting one :?

Cluelessbiker

Last winter I lost control on ice, the front wheel went and I landed on my head. I had a helmet on, I was fine, my knee and shoulder took some damage but noting major. Without a helmet I'd have been looking at concussion at the least and permanent brain damage at worst. Another time it meant I scratched my cheek rather than cracked my skull. That said there is a body of evidence that if you don't wear a helmet cars give you more room and consideration. So 6=2x3. It's personal choice, let Darwin have the final say.

Riding a bike on ice, isn't that a bit dangerous, hell its bad enough walking on it, and if you then think we should wear helmets for walking, i think you would be joking me right?

meanredspider

A couple of responses

The Amsterdam thing- typically sit-up-and-beg bikes going no speed at all all on the flat. Added to which, no, the Dutch aren't all health and safety but libertarians - hence the relaxed attitudes towards drugs and prostitution.

As for cycling on ice - studded tyres are the way. Much safer on ice than walking.

cougie

Cluelessbiker wrote:

Last winter I lost control on ice, the front wheel went and I landed on my head. I had a helmet on, I was fine, my knee and shoulder took some damage but noting major. Without a helmet I'd have been looking at concussion at the least and permanent brain damage at worst. Another time it meant I scratched my cheek rather than cracked my skull. That said there is a body of evidence that if you don't wear a helmet cars give you more room and consideration. So 6=2x3. It's personal choice, let Darwin have the final say.

Riding a bike on ice, isn't that a bit dangerous, hell its bad enough walking on it, and if you then think we should wear helmets for walking, i think you would be joking me right?

How can you tell what injuries your helmet prevented ? People including doctors overstate this all of the time. Look at kids falling over - they do it almost every day, and rarely hurt themselves seriously. If we made them wear helmets to run around in - people would be quoting the same stuff as you - 'that helmet prevented brain damage'...

And walking on ice is very dangerous. I'll only do it if I have spikes on my shoes. Spikes are even cheaper than helmets.

sturmey

Just my 3p worth.
I used to hate the idea of wearing a helmet so I didn't bother. Rode like this for years.
Then a time came when nearly everyone I saw was wearing one. So reluctantly I started wearing one most but not all of the time 'cos I felt like the odd man out.
Then on a commute one morning while riding with my usual exhibitionist zeal I went over the bars and came off the bike. And it happened so quickly my forehead hit the ground hard and there was nothing I could do to prevent it.
Thankfully it was one of the days I was wearing the helmet. It broke the helmet and I still had bruising to the head and mild concussion. But I KNOW things would have been a lot worse if I'd not had it on.
So now I always wear a helmet.
But I still hate them and fully appreciate why some people don't wear them.

bails87

I hope the OP's colleague has taken to trying to convince the OP he needs to wear a helmet in the office.
Maybe just clubbing him over the head with bits of stationary, a box file here, a hole punch there, until he realises how much he's endangering himself, and his children's financial security, by not wearing a helmet.

Cluelessbiker

Cluelessbiker wrote:
Last winter I lost control on ice, the front wheel went and I landed on my head. I had a helmet on, I was fine, my knee and shoulder took some damage but noting major. Without a helmet I'd have been looking at concussion at the least and permanent brain damage at worst. Another time it meant I scratched my cheek rather than cracked my skull. That said there is a body of evidence that if you don't wear a helmet cars give you more room and consideration. So 6=2x3. It's personal choice, let Darwin have the final say.

Riding a bike on ice, isn't that a bit dangerous, hell its bad enough walking on it, and if you then think we should wear helmets for walking, i think you would be joking me right?

How can you tell what injuries your helmet prevented ? People including doctors overstate this all of the time. Look at kids falling over - they do it almost every day, and rarely hurt themselves seriously. If we made them wear helmets to run around in - people would be quoting the same stuff as you - 'that helmet prevented brain damage'...

And walking on ice is very dangerous. I'll only do it if I have spikes on my shoes. Spikes are even cheaper than helmets.

I think was a cut and paste of my reply, to that actual post, in fact I'm hellishly confused now, lol

kentphil

Twice wearing a helmet has saved me from more serious injury. The first crash cracked the helmet. But I think it s up to the individual to decide for themselves whether to wear one or not.

MrChuck

KentPhil wrote:

Twice wearing a helmet has saved me from more serious injury. The first crash cracked the helmet. But I think it s up to the individual to decide for themselves whether to wear one or not.

Is this while commuting?

CiB

Two weeks ago I wrote:

Where did OP Deako get to then? Apart from a couple of contributions on p1 after his opening, not a dicky bird from him. I know it must be disappointing to start a thread and expect a million replies giving hearty encouragement to his stance and end up with something quite the opposite, but it'd be interesting to discover if:

a) his own opinion has changed
b) whether his colleague saw this thread, and what his reaction was
c) whether I can think of another thing to want to know from it
4) d surely?

Anyway.

And still nothing. Come on Deako. What's your stance?

small_bloke

I've had two crashes in last 5 months. If I wasn't wearing a helmet I think my wife would either be widowed or be a full time carer for me.

The first crash was loss of control on a downhill when I locked the back wheel on a damp road. Hit the curb, flew over the handlebars, bounced off a hedge and then landed on my head with the full weight of my body. My helmet cracked in 3 places. I'll let you decide what could have potentially happend to my skull - I hate the thought! Knocked out for 15mins and woke up with paramedics around me.

The 2nd crash was on a cycle lane. Got dazzled by oncoming car headlights and rode straight into a metal lamppost at 15mph. It really hurt. Luckily the front of my helmet took the brunt of head impact. Cycling straight into a lamppost really hurts albeit looking comical to others (you've been framed style).

I've never been pro-helmet or anti-helmet before, it's up to people to decide. I also thought I would never see the day when I would be grateful my £30 helmet. Let your friend read this and let him decide - hopefully he will see sense.

Cluelessbiker

Ok by the new year I will have a helmet of some description, but apart from the normal looking helmets, what about Skater/BMX helmets, do they have a harder resistance to a knock? I even went into a sports shop and the helmets there were not for cycling, the reason i ask is because cycle helmets do look as bit naff and i want something which looks ok and does the job.

I am concious of safety, and being safe will increase my confidence.

pete54

cluelessbiker wrote:

Ok by the new year I will have a helmet of some description, but apart from the normal looking helmets, what about Skater/BMX helmets, do they have a harder resistance to a knock?

Your head will boil in the Summer in a skate helmet, and IMO they look ridiculous on anything other than a skater or BMXer.

Clarion

Last Christmas, I leaned through the door into my dining room to pick up my toolbox. I overbalanced, and banged my head on the doorframe. I was unconscious for a few seconds, and suffered concussion and post-concussion syndrome. In addition, my previously perfect eyesight has been damaged.

So I beg you - please - everybody - whether you think wearing helmets is uncool or not, to please please please wear a helmet before going into a dining room.

HebdenBiker

edit - double post

HebdenBiker

Clarion wrote:

Last Christmas, I leaned through the door into my dining room to pick up my toolbox. I overbalanced, and banged my head on the doorframe. I was unconscious for a few seconds, and suffered concussion and post-concussion syndrome. In addition, my previously perfect eyesight has been damaged.

So I beg you - please - everybody - whether you think wearing helmets is uncool or not, to please please please wear a helmet before going into a dining room.

(True story) Earlier today I banged my head on the low door frame at the bottom of our cellar steps. I felt nauseous and dizzy, and had to sit down for a few minutes. Now, I have a great big bruise on my head and a dent in my door frame. I have been cycling for thirty years and have never banged my head, however I have banged my head on our cellar door frame three times in five years. Therefore, anyone who does not wear a helmet while in a low-ceilinged cellar is an idiot and deserves everything they get.

Cluelessbiker

Lol at the above posts, I too have a cellar, so now I am wondering do I buy a hard hat as well as a cycle helmet? With regards to cycle helmets, I am in the frame of mind that anything is a bit better than a beanie hat, so tonight I jumped in feet first and bought a helmet from Tesco (please don't laugh too much ) and it cost me £2 more than the Bell helmets in Asda, I tried it on, it felt comfortable, so much so for some reason I now want to ride in the wet, please don't ask why. But boy oh boy, once I have figured out how to adjust the straps properly I will feel well sorted.

HebdenBiker

Cluelessbiker wrote:

I am in the frame of mind that anything is a bit better than a beanie hat

Well I hope you wear it when putting on your trousers then, or walking down the stairs; two activities more likely to cause head injury than cycling.

exlaser

+1 to the above posts.

leave the man alone. its all about judging risk.
the bottom line is, he is better off cycling( with or without a helmet) than not.

my other sport is sailing.
and i wear a bouyancy aid when racing, but i am more likely to drown in the bath!!! and i dont wear one then!!!!

tarquin_foxglove

Cluelessbiker wrote:

bought a helmet from Tesco ... I now want to ride in the wet

Risk compensation in action...

Simonb256

Ok I'll bite.

I don't wear a helmet on the road unless Im doing an event where it is mandatory or if I venture off road.

I honestly don't see much of a valid point for wearing a lid whilst on the road, but thats my opinion and everyone else is entitled to their own.

I've had accidents, a fair few of them (and yes I learnt from them all), but never had a head injury that a helmet would of significantly reduced or prevented. Though I have had a couple where a helmet made it worse, like the plastic visor thing snapping and partially slicing my eyebrow off, when I was trying to show off.

HebdenBiker

Also interesting to note that the last Sustrans magazine that dropped through my letterbox is full of pictures of beautiful people riding about town, none of them wearing a helmet. Nor is there any mention of helmets in their advice to new cyclists. Sustrans exists to promote cycling, and I think they want to get away from the notion that cycling is a dangerous and specialist activity (it's not) rather than a liberating, everyday mode of transport (it is).

cougie

The only time I bang my head is when I get my bike out of the garage.
Mind you - I'd not be hitting my head if it wasn't for the bulky cycle helmet...