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Great article, one thing people often times overlook is the health benefits that come from bicycling. If I had a business I would take someone who commuted by bike over someone who drove to work for that reason.
One of the most talked-about presentations at this week’s National Bike Summit came from Jason Gaikowski, director of sales for the Bloomington, Minnesota-based wholesale distributor Quality Bicycle Products. Over the last several years, QBP has ramped up its employee health and wellness program, which includes incentives to bike to work. At a time when most employers are grappling with rising insurance premiums, a study by the company’s health insurance provider, HealthPartners [PDF], suggests the program has helped reduce QBP’s health care costs and increase employee productivity.
Now of course correlation isn't causation, but it might be good to grab another interesting stat:
She has some interesting things to say about bike safety--basically, more bikes means more bike safety. When there are few bicycles and lots of cars, bikes are at great risk. But as bicycling increases, the streets get safer for bikes because bike infrastructure promotes safer cycling, the presence of other cyclists promotes modeling of safe bike behavior, and automobile drivers get used to sharing the road with bicycles instead of not realizing that bicycles exist. She calls this "Safety in Numbers."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bikenomics
One thing we do know is that mandatory helmet laws not only do not increase cycling safety, but may reduce safety overall. This is through the Safety in Numbers mechanism. Helmet laws have been shown to actively dissuade people from riding bicycles, though whether it is because of the inconvenience of a helmet or the tacit assumption that cycling is dangerous I do not know. But clearly mandating or overly focusing on bicycle helmets is a barrier for bicycling, increasing the cost of entry quite literally and putting the unlikely risks in our minds rather than the manifest daily benefits. We also know that in the safest countries for bicycling, nobody wears a bicycle helmet, unless they are embarking on an athletic ride hunched over a road bike. And perhaps that is why countries like Canada, Australia, and the U.S. are so hung up on helmets--they are part of the aesthetic and cultural apparatus of riding a bicycle as a sport, which is still largely how bikes are seen here.
This association with biking and sports is important. People don't wear helmets when driving to the store for groceries, but race car drivers wear helmets, and nobody thinks that is odd. So while a helmet would be a good choice if I decide to go mountain biking down a dangerous trail, why should I wear a helmet when cycling to shop for groeries on my cargo bike?
She has some interesting things to say about bike safety--basically, more bikes means more bike safety. When there are few bicycles and lots of cars, bikes are at great risk. But as bicycling increases, the streets get safer for bikes because bike infrastructure promotes safer cycling, the presence of other cyclists promotes modeling of safe bike behavior, and automobile drivers get used to sharing the road with bicycles instead of not realizing that bicycles exist. She calls this "Safety in Numbers."
This association with biking and sports is important. People don't wear helmets when driving to the store for groceries, but race car drivers wear helmets, and nobody thinks that is odd. So while a helmet would be a good choice if I decide to go mountain biking down a dangerous trail, why should I wear a helmet when cycling to shop for groeries on my cargo bike?
I will agree with this, I have experienced this on both sides. I grew up in an areas that wasn't bike friendly outside of neighborhoods and you would be putting your life at risk if you took a bike out onto any of the main roads in the city. Then living in Portland, it felt safe to ride a bike just about anywhere because there was so many other bikers on the road with you. Even when I would drive my car, it was just second nature to look for bikes when I would change lanes or make a turn, something people in areas that have little to no one who bikes don't do.
She has some interesting things to say about bike safety--basically, more bikes means more bike safety. When there are few bicycles and lots of cars, bikes are at great risk. But as bicycling increases, the streets get safer for bikes because bike infrastructure promotes safer cycling, the presence of other cyclists promotes modeling of safe bike behavior, and automobile drivers get used to sharing the road with bicycles instead of not realizing that bicycles exist. She calls this "Safety in Numbers."
This association with biking and sports is important. People don't wear helmets when driving to the store for groceries, but race car drivers wear helmets, and nobody thinks that is odd. So while a helmet would be a good choice if I decide to go mountain biking down a dangerous trail, why should I wear a helmet when cycling to shop for groeries on my cargo bike?
I enjoyed this book as well. Lots of great commentary about equity and biking too.
I agree about the helmet commentary. Biking is pretty popular in Oakland, so people are more aware, at least in the central city.
I enjoyed this book as well. Lots of great commentary about equity and biking too.
I agree about the helmet commentary. Biking is pretty popular in Oakland, so people are more aware, at least in the central city.
I am a huge supporter with wearing a helmet when biking, all it takes is a small accident to slam a skull on the pavement and do serious damage. I have a friend who got into a bike accident and wasn't wearing a helmet and ended up in a coma for a week and lost the ability to taste or smell anything, a helmet would have prevented that injury. Another friend of mine was hit by a car while biking in the rain and suffered some serious injuries, but survived because she was wearing a helmet.
The mistake people do is try to go cheap when buying a bike helmet and then complain how they don't like wearing them. When I bought my helmet, I spent about $125 for it and it breathes really well and prevents my head from getting hot when I bike which makes it much easier for me to want to wear it.
And, to belabor the point, 30,000 people a year die in auto accidents and hundreds of thousands more are maimed. Why don't they wear helmets when it could save thousands of lives? Don't car drivers value human life or their own safety?
I am a huge supporter with wearing a helmet when biking, all it takes is a small accident to slam a skull on the pavement and do serious damage. I have a friend who got into a bike accident and wasn't wearing a helmet and ended up in a coma for a week and lost the ability to taste or smell anything, a helmet would have prevented that injury. Another friend of mine was hit by a car while biking in the rain and suffered some serious injuries, but survived because she was wearing a helmet.
The mistake people do is try to go cheap when buying a bike helmet and then complain how they don't like wearing them. When I bought my helmet, I spent about $125 for it and it breathes really well and prevents my head from getting hot when I bike which makes it much easier for me to want to wear it.
Well, hell just froze over; I agree with you! Now MY story about MY neighbor, earlier in the thread, didn't seem to impress anyone, even though he was in hospital/rehab for about 3 months. But, that was me and MY friends, and of course, he must have done something stupid (since the accident didn't involve a car), but maybe b/c you're an urbanist they'll listen to you! (This is not meant to disparage you.) The public health community says "wear a helmet, every time you ride". Who is more credible, the public health community, or some "feminist" writer whose credentials I can't even find, probably b/c she doesn't have any. (See below)
She has some interesting things to say about bike safety--basically, more bikes means more bike safety. When there are few bicycles and lots of cars, bikes are at great risk. But as bicycling increases, the streets get safer for bikes because bike infrastructure promotes safer cycling, the presence of other cyclists promotes modeling of safe bike behavior, and automobile drivers get used to sharing the road with bicycles instead of not realizing that bicycles exist. She calls this "Safety in Numbers."
This association with biking and sports is important. People don't wear helmets when driving to the store for groceries, but race car drivers wear helmets, and nobody thinks that is odd. So while a helmet would be a good choice if I decide to go mountain biking down a dangerous trail, why should I wear a helmet when cycling to shop for groeries on my cargo bike?
The comparison of wearing a helmet while driving to the grocery store vs while auto racing is apples to oranges, at best. Do you wear a seat belt to drive to the store? I should hope so!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bikenomics One thing we do know is that mandatory helmet laws not only do not increase cycling safety, but may reduce safety overall. This is through the Safety in Numbers mechanism. Helmet laws have been shown to actively dissuade people from riding bicycles, though whether it is because of the inconvenience of a helmet or the tacit assumption that cycling is dangerous I do not know. But clearly mandating or overly focusing on bicycle helmets is a barrier for bicycling, increasing the cost of entry quite literally and putting the unlikely risks in our minds rather than the manifest daily benefits. We also know that in the safest countries for bicycling, nobody wears a bicycle helmet, unless they are embarking on an athletic ride hunched over a road bike. And perhaps that is why countries like Canada, Australia, and the U.S. are so hung up on helmets--they are part of the aesthetic and cultural apparatus of riding a bicycle as a sport, which is still largely how bikes are seen here.
She's full of it. Like all of her ilk, she doesn't present any stats. She has no credentials in safety that I can find. So what if requiring helmets reduces biking? People shouldn't ride without a helmet, period. If you're going to ride a bike, GET A HELMET!
Wear a helmet! Do not believe wackaloons who write urbanist blogs. Listen to the people who have studied and researched this issue. Wear a helmet! Wear a helmet!
Last edited by Katarina Witt; 03-18-2014 at 11:14 PM..
And, to belabor the point, 30,000 people a year die in auto accidents and hundreds of thousands more are maimed. Why don't they wear helmets when it could save thousands of lives? Don't car drivers value human life or their own safety?
You really need to educate yourself on this issue before making any more posts like this. To put it bluntly, (and I hope this doesn't p*ss of nei, but I don't care if it does, if it can convince one person not to listen to you); you do not know what you're talking about. My mom was in a car accident, and she wasn't wearing a seat belt. She hit her head on the dash and had a head injury that changed her life forever, and not in a good way. Helmets don't have much to do with driving cars. If they did, the CDC, the NHTSA and all the other groups would recommend them.
Well, hell just froze over; I agree with you! Now MY story about MY neighbor, earlier in the thread, didn't seem to impress anyone, even though he was in hospital/rehab for about 3 months. But, that was me and MY friends, and of course, he must have done something stupid (since the accident didn't involve a car), but maybe b/c you're an urbanist they'll listen to you! (This is not meant to disparage you.) The public health community says "wear a helmet, every time you ride". Who is more credible, the public health community, or some "feminist" writer whose credentials I can't even find, probably b/c she doesn't have any. (See below)
The comparison of wearing a helmet while driving to the grocery store vs while auto racing is apples to oranges, at best. Do you wear a seat belt to drive to the store? I should hope so!
She's full of it. Like all of her ilk, she doesn't present any stats. She has no credentials in safety that I can find. So what if requiring helmets reduces biking? People shouldn't ride without a helmet, period. If you're going to ride a bike, GET A HELMET!
Wear a helmet! Do not believe wackaloons who write urbanist blogs. Listen to the people who have studied and researched this issue. Wear a helmet! Wear a helmet!
Your claims aren't quite based in reality. She does provide trend stats on helmet usage and bike penetrations either in the book or her blog. It was pretty well cited.
Your claims aren't quite based in reality. She does provide trend stats on helmet usage and bike penetrations either in the book or her blog. It was pretty well cited.
She advocates for personal choice on the helmet debate and not mandatory enforcement in order to increase the number of people getting on their bikes.
What do you mean, not based in reality? ANYONE who says bike helmets are unnecessary and helmet laws are bad IS A FOOL! There is NO "other side" to this issue.
You may wish you hadn't posted a link to that particular blog because here's what she says:
Quote:
I wear a helmet most of the time when bicycling because the evidence, albeit anecdotal, presented by health care worker friends scares me utterly. It scares me so good that the only thing that prevents me from wearing one at other times when I’m in or around cars is that I don’t relish the idea of being that lady with her helmet on walking down Powell.
The evidence is not "anecdotal". It's research based! And yeah, her health care friends tell her to wear one, b/c they've seen the results of NOT wearing one. So what if she feels out of place wearing a helmet. Maybe she should bike out here in CO, where that does not seem to be an issue. Even in Boulder, people wear helmets. GOOD GRIEF PEOPLE! Wear a damn helmet. This "personal choice shtick sounds good until it's your head that's being cracked by the concrete. Don't believe this whack! WEAR A HELMET!
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