Why so few people wear bicycle helmets? (top, distance, ride)

[OngletNYC]

Originally Posted by RD5050

Sorry ... but I don't see where my post was directed specifically to you ... or anyone for that matter?

Are you the only one allowed to make comments in this thread?

You quoted me and responded to my words. Scroll back and look again. I wasn't even directing my question to you. But again, you quoted me and responded to my words, and that is why your posted was "directed specifically to[me]"

[RD5050]

Originally Posted by OngletNYC

You quoted me and responded to my words. Scroll back and look again. I wasn't even directing my question to you. But again, you quoted me and responded to my words, and that is why your posted was "directed specifically to[me]"

My mistake. Thought you were referring to my post #85 which was not directed to any specific person.

Either way ... anyone is free to respond to any post.

[springfieldva]

Originally Posted by OngletNYC

How many lives have you personally seen saved by a helmet?

One of my kids took a tumble off of his bike a couple of years ago. His helmet wound up with quite a few nasty scrapes on it but my son's head was unscathed. Did the helmet *save* his life? Probably not. Did the helmet prevent injury to my son's head? Absolutely.

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by yayoi

Who cares?? If someone dies because they're not wearing a helmet that's on them.

True, but I get really frosted at the little kids without helmets.I have seen falls and many of them have not developed the reflex to shoulder roll and keep their head from making contact. Do these parents also let their kids get close to hot water or go to the pool at Noon on a sunny day without sun screen? Screams irresponsibility to me.
And don't get me started on the parent who insists the kid wear a helmet while they go helmetless. Kinda like Dad smoking and telling his kids, "Don't smoke!"

[OngletNYC]

Originally Posted by springfieldva

One of my kids took a tumble off of his bike a couple of years ago. His helmet wound up with quite a few nasty scrapes on it but my son's head was unscathed. Did the helmet *save* his life? Probably not. Did the helmet prevent injury to my son's head? Absolutely.

I am interested in what the poster who said s/he has seen "many" lives saved by a helmet. I assume s/he is a doctor or EMT, or perhaps a pro cycler to have seen many, so I would like to hear his/her expertise.

[tommodonahue]

Scrapes, scratches and tears on a helmet are not indicative of the helmet saving a life. The helmet provides a cushioning effect (like crumple zones) to the skull. It does not however, brace the brain inside the skull; when the brain is jolted inside.

[springfieldva]

Originally Posted by OngletNYC

I am interested in what the poster who said s/he has seen "many" lives saved by a helmet. I assume s/he is a doctor or EMT, or perhaps a pro cycler to have seen many, so I would like to hear his/her expertise.

I don't know what the credentials of that particular poster are, but as a parent, I am aware of many instances where a helmet has protected a child's head from injury during a fall off of a bike/skateboard/rollerblades. The injuries probably wouldn't have been life threatening, but in many instances the helmets prevented trips to the ER for stitches.

[springfieldva]

Originally Posted by tommodonahue

Scrapes, scratches and tears on a helmet are not indicative of the helmet saving a life. The helmet provides a cushioning effect (like crumple zones) to the skull. It does not however, brace the brain inside the skull; when the brain is jolted inside.

I'd rather see scrapes/scratches/tears on a helmet than on my child's head. Just saying...

[AnonChick]

Originally Posted by springfieldva

I'd rather see scrapes/scratches/tears on a helmet than on my child's head. Just saying...

Do you put your child in scuba gear when he/she goes to a swimming pool? No? Well, the odds of your child ending up *dead* as a result of drowning, are higher than the odds of a child injuring his/her head as a result of a bicycle accident.

Drowning is one of the #1 causes of death in children during summer months. And yet, you don't see *anyone* demanding that children be required to wear scuba gear in pools.

I find the whole "wear helmets or die" fanaticism to be preposterous, at best.

Children *and* adults should wear eye-protection when riding a bike, skating, skateboarding, etc. Whether that's prescription glasses, or sunglasses, or safety glasses, or goggles, it doesn't matter. You're at a much MUCH higher risk of getting something in your eyes than you are of hitting your head in a fall. And yet, I see a lot of kids who wear helmets, but NOT visors over their eyes, or any kind of eye protection. I find *that* to be irresponsible, and picking on the wrong nit.

[springfieldva]

Originally Posted by AnonChick

Do you put your child in scuba gear when he/she goes to a swimming pool? No? Well, the odds of your child ending up *dead* as a result of drowning, are higher than the odds of a child injuring his/her head as a result of a bicycle accident.

Drowning is one of the #1 causes of death in children during summer months. And yet, you don't see *anyone* demanding that children be required to wear scuba gear in pools.

I find the whole "wear helmets or die" fanaticism to be preposterous, at best.

Children *and* adults should wear eye-protection when riding a bike, skating, skateboarding, etc. Whether that's prescription glasses, or sunglasses, or safety glasses, or goggles, it doesn't matter. You're at a much MUCH higher risk of getting something in your eyes than you are of hitting your head in a fall. And yet, I see a lot of kids who wear helmets, but NOT visors over their eyes, or any kind of eye protection. I find *that* to be irresponsible, and picking on the wrong nit.

The odds of a child ending up *dead* at the pool or on their bike are, thankfully, very slim.

At the pool, kids are not put in full scuba gear but parents know to keep unsure swimmers out of deep water, they put floaties on their toddlers, they teach their kids not to dive into the shallow end of the pool and the pools have lifeguards. But even with all these precautions in place almost every kid takes some water into their lungs at some point, accidents happen. Thankfully (because of all of these reasonable precautions), actual drowning is a rare thing at local swimming pools.

Same thing goes with bikes and helmets. We teach our kids bike safety, which includes wearing a helmet. But in spite of these precautions accidents, mostly minor but sometimes really bad ones, still happen. Helmets simply help to minimize the damage done. That, to me, is a good thing. But it doesn't mean that kids should be donning full body armor before they get onto their bikes, that would be silly and unreasonable.

Eye protection is a good idea, too - especially for people who ride at high rates of speeds (most little kids don't).