Bike helmets? (sales, cost, legally)

[dblackga]

Originally Posted by Larry X

I can understand kids wearing a helmet but as a grown man or woman you shouldn't have to wear a damn helmet. I know i wont obey this law, unless im like 70-80 riding bikes.

So don't. It's your brain. Scramble at will. *shrug*

"Chump don't want no help, chump don't get no help."

[billl]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Well, are we talking about protecting bikers from themselves, or protecting them from collisions with motorists?

From collisions, pretty much. But also from self-induced accidents

If the point of the helmet is to protect them in collisions with cars, it seems to me they'd be in the same boat as pedestrians.

As per my previous comments, pedestrians are more maneuverable and in a better position to avoid collisions with automobiles. And (as per my previous comments) a collision while on a bicycle usually has more serious consequences since the individual is traveling at a higher rate of speed. But if you feel safer walking/jogging with a helmet, then by all means be my guest.

[red92s]

Originally Posted by Larry X

I can understand kids wearing a helmet but as a grown man or woman you shouldn't have to wear a damn helmet. I know i wont obey this law, unless im like 70-80 riding bikes.

It's. Not. A. Law.

[mariek750]

Please wear helmets. It's just so dumb not to do so. If only to protect yourself from dummies like me.

Boring anecdote time: The first time I went to Amsterdam, I read up on everything and one of the main warnings for tourists was to pay attention to bikers. I got that biking everywhere was a thing there, but I didn't heed the warning. I seriously was THISCLOSE to being ran over by bikers that first time -- it wasn't because I didn't look both ways and the other way again -- for whatever reason (ALL ON ME) those bikes didn't register in my brain. Cars, sure, bikes, no. I learned, of course, but it was absolutely a new thing. Such a dumb tourist.

A few months ago near Tech Square -- again as a pedestrian -- in a place where there are CLEAR bike lanes, a place that I've lived for 5+ years and walk daily...in fact the bike lanes are painted green, I was being an ignorant dummy and just walking and not paying attention and a biker and I collided. Absolutely my fault and he fell and he was kind and accepted my apology and hug. (He was wearing a helmet)

The moral of the story is, I was just a pedestrian -- had I been a car, that fall wouldn't have been so easy breezy, as it could have ended up so much worse, and if he weren't wearing a helmet, well...skulls are easy to crack.

Don't get me wrong, sometimes I ponder the thought that I'd benefit from a helmet just to walk to Starbucks, but for a biker in a city where biking isn't the norm -- you're probably a complete moron if you don't where a helmet. Protect yourself from people like me.

[Tarzanman]

Originally Posted by dblackga

I'm not sure why this statement sticks in my craw. I think it has to do with the "yeah, it's illegal, but I'm going to do it anyway" attitude. People riding bicycles on sidewalks is what makes it difficult for other bikers to be taken seriously as vehicles. Either you are a pedestrian -- so get off and walk your bike, and stop endangering the others on the sidewalk -- or you are a vehicle, entitled to the same rights and privileges and responsibilities as others on the street.

You can't be both and taken seriously as either.

As a car, motorcycle, bicycle and skateboard operator, I'll happily address that. The short answer is: I care a lot more about my survival and well being than getting a $70 ticket or upsetting an onlooker. I ride a mountain bike, which means that I rarely go above 20 mph unless I am coasting down a long hill.

There are some Atlanta roads with nice, accomodating shoulders and enough room for bicyclist+motorists and then there are the other 95% of them. If there is a busy sidewalk (like peachtree st in midtown) then I will stay on the street *if* I think I can ride there safely. If the sidewalks are mostly empty (as in most of Atlanta), then I will ride on the sidewalk because I prefer having the seperation from fast moving traffic.

With bicycle collisions on the sidewalk then there is probably a ~7 mph differential between the bicycle and object (or person) being hit. An attentive bicyclist has a lot of control over avoiding accidents, but in the event of a collision then in all likelihood both parties are probably going to stand up and walk away from it. In contrast, on the streets there is usually a ~30+ mph differential between a car and bicycle. The bicyclist has very little control over avoiding an accident and more often than not, a collision will end up with a mandatory ambulance ride for the bicyclist (if for nothing else than insurance purposes), or worse.

As an aside, it is very difficult to operate a mountain bike on Atlanta's sidewalks while operating a cell phone. Conversely, I see people distractedly yapping away all the time while driving, cycling, or trying to cross the street. If there is not a front yard to swerve into then I can usually bring my bicycle to a dead stop within ~4 ft. A distracted driver in a car probably covers at least 4x that distance before they even realize that anything might be wrong. I don't have any figures, but I would be willing to bet that per capita there are a lot LESS bicycle-pedestrian accidents than automobile-bicycle accidents.

The road cyclists (think spandex and tiny tires) are probably the worst offenders when it comes to breaking the laws. Yes, it is infuriating when you are in a car and accomodating them... but their actions are usually dictated by trying to make sure they make it home in one piece. If you have ever ridden a road bike then you know that even hitting a 1-inch difference in grade the wrong way can pitch you out of the saddle.

IMHO, my years of motorcycling have taught me that it is completely unrealistic, unfeasible, and impractical for a bicycle to be considered a "real vehicle". They are smaller, more fragile, slower, less visible and less maneuverable than everything else on the streets. At least on my motorcycle I have the torque to maneuver myself away from many situations where other drivers are being inconsiderate (plus a horn and high beams).

[noah]

Except pedestrians walk on sidewalks and bicyclist ride on the road. This entire argument is so foreign to me, especially in today's world where the effects of head injuries are well known. I get that young people are brave and much of this board is made up of millenials and at that age we don't think about what could happen but its really common sense. To compare it to not wearing a helmet in a car that is full of safety equipment to protect your head, really? Drivers are required to wear seatbelts among other things. Riding any kind of vehicle is much different than jogging/running. I don't get it.

Originally Posted by arjay57

If the point of the helmet is to protect them in collisions with cars, it seems to me they'd be in the same boat as pedestrians.

[cqholt]

Make bike helmets optional, like the motorcycle helmet laws in Florida. If people want to wear them, they will if not they should not be forced.
As a daily bike commuter, I always wear a helmet. I had one accident and my helmet bounced off the asphalt. If I would not have had that helmet, I probably wouldn't be alive.

[Mishap]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Make bike helmets optional, like the motorcycle helmet laws in Florida. If people want to wear them, they will if not they should not be forced.
As a daily bike commuter, I always wear a helmet. I had one accident and my helmet bounced off the asphalt. If I would not have had that helmet, I probably wouldn't be alive.

All good until those unhelmeted motorcycle riders contribute significantly to everyone else's healthcare premiums. Mileage would vary w/ slower moving bicycles but I always ride w/ one (as well as follow traffic laws).

CDC Study on Florida's helmet law changes:

Deaths of all riders increased by 55%, substantially higher than what was expected from the increased registrations after repeal

Only one in four motorcyclists who were hospitalized had medical costs less than $10,000, which is the amount of medical insurance coverage that is required to ride without a helmet. Hospital discharge data showed that in the period after repeal, approximately $10.5 million of hospitalization costs were billed to public sources (e.g., Medicaid) or charitable sources, and an additional $8 million in costs were classified as “self pay” because patients were underinsured or uninsured.

Source:
http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafet...safetybook.pdf

[arjay57]

Well, I am persuaded: Bicyclists should wear helmets, even if it does deter people from riding bikes.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by Mishap

All good until those unhelmeted motorcycle riders contribute significantly to everyone else's healthcare premiums.

CDC Study on Florida's helmet law changes

Previous links in this thread look at before and after bicycle laws and find no increase in injuries. Motorcycles are not bikes.

Regardless, people should be free to make their own mistakes that are not hurting others. Just because the healthcare system is flawed doesn't mean we need to turn into a nanny state and prevent grow adults from running with scissors.