Ernest Marsh wrote:
This is an arguement that I feel hard to believe - that anyone would be put off cycling IF wearing a helmet were to be compulsory!
Then perhaps you should do the pre breakfast exercise recommended by the Red Queen.
I did buy a bump cap once. That was the first downer - spending 20% of the value of the bike on a piece of polystyrene seemed a bit excessive. Then wearing it is uncomfortable - the strap chafes, it makes you sweat, it deprives you of the pleasure of the wind in your hair. And it is a blood nuisance when you arrive - carting it around the shops, trying to find somewhere to put it in a crowded pub. I was quite pleased when someone stole it.
Quote:
Who in this informed age would pass up cheap travel, health benefits, and a chance to prove yourself simply because you had to wear a head covering?
Me and Boomer for two. Plus all those Australians who gave up cycling when they introduced compulsion
Quote:
Are smokers or even potential smokers put off by the health warnings on packets? Of course not!
Not quite sure how narcotic use is relevant to your argument. Are you proposing a total ban on tobacco?
dcbwhaley wrote:
I do take precautions when walking. I keep to the pavements (safety in numbers) and wear good quality shoes so as not to stumble or cut my feet, and I try to use designated crossings, or at least find the safest place to cross. As to a helmet - I have better balance on two feet than two wheels, and am less likely to strike my head waking than I am cycling - and my speed tends to be slower too!
If I take to the hills, I wear walking BOOTS, which support my ankles, and stout clothing. I also carry spare clothing in a rucksack in case the weather turns inclement.
I take similar precautions when frying - I would not fry in traffic, or on a road with potholes without taking the precautions you suggest! Unlike many, I have a fire extinguisher in my kitchen - and of course ensure that pan handles are tucked in when not in use!
But you don't wear a helmet when walking despite the fact that you are just as likely to suffer a head injury as a cyclist. Why not? You don't wear a helmet when in motor cars despite the fact that you are just as likely to suffer a head injury as a cyclist. Why not? You don't wear a neck brace when driving despite the real danger of suffering whiplash if you don't. Why not? Why can't you answer these questions?
Quote:
The only time I have had cause to be thankful that I was wearing a helmet, was when I pulled up in front of my works to dismount, and found my shoe stuck in the toe clip on the side I intended to dismount on.
In apparent slow motion, I simply fell sideways while stationary and despite bracing my arm, shoulder and neck, struck the side of my head as I landed.
Wearing a helmet, my only injury was to my shoulder, elbow and wrist.
I am not paraplegic, but could easily have been without my (apparently inadequate) head protection.
No you didn't strike the side of head. You struck the side of you helmet which is several centimetres wider than your head. Can you say with certainty that your head would have struck the ground. I often go into some local caves without a helmet and never bang my head because my organ of proprioception knows where the top of my head is. But when i go with an organised party and have to wear a helmet I am always bangin it on the roof because said organ doesn't know about the extra two inches by which my "head" has grown
I have suffered only two significant head injuries in over sixty years. One was when, at age eight, a roofer dropped a piece of slate on my head. I suffered mild concussion and need several stitches. The A&E doctor said that only the school cap which I was wearing saved me from a fractured skull. But that hasn't persuaded me that I should always wear a school cap when walking. Contrariwise the head injury I suffered when climbing in a quarry and the leader dislodges a rock did persuade me to wear a helmet when climbing on loose rock
But the bottom line is Big Ts point that it should, for adults, be an individuals own choice. And I feel the same about seat belts, motor cycle helmets, life jackets and climbing helmets. I would have less concern with making them compulsory for children: that, in fact, is the law for horse riding.