A Rant At Cyclists...

A question about : A Rant At Cyclists...

From another cyclist!

Who don't Wear a 'FUDGING CYCLE HELMET'!!!

What is your problem? I commute about 16 miles a day on a bike and the number of cyclists i see without helmets is alarming, and from what i can see on the increase.

I personally don't care if you smash your head on the concrete and put yourself in a 'vegative state' for the rest of your lives, after all you won't know much about it.

But your family and friends who will now have to spend the rest of their lives caring for you...i do care about.

I just don't understand and cannot think of one genuine reason why not to wear one?

I cycle in area, where last year 9 cyclists died in the space of a month. What clearer message do you need that you require all the protection you can get?

Rant over, have a nice day.

Best answers:

• On the plus side there is a shortage of organ donors so every cloud has a silver lining!!
• I guess the reason many of them don't is that they have a better understanding of risk/reward. I suspect they also benefit from not getting over agitated about other people's personal decisions.
• Expect the usual suspects to rock up on this thread shortly and tell you that:-
  1) Helmets are of little use if you get squashed by a 32t HGV or any sort of high impact injury. That is probably true, but it could make a major difference if you come off on a bit of ice, gravel or leaves at slow speed.
  2) It apparently causes closer passes by vehicles.
  3) It gives cyclists a false sense of security and they are even more likely to make dangerous manoeuvers.
  4) The libertarian argument, "There is no law requiring me to wear one, so I choose not too.
  5) They look naff and cost a few quid, so it will put off people getting on their bike and we can't be in favour of anything that may prevent the masses from taking to the streets.
  6) A helmet will affect our hearing and peripheral vision thus making it harder to sense and avoid dangers.
  I don't think I have missed anything.
• I'm a cyclist. I wear a helmet. I do because it's the socially acceptable thing to do not because I believe it offers me much protection.
  If I were to be hit by a car at speed, my polystyrene cap will do very little. Ditto, if I were to get squashed by an HGV.
  Www.cyclehelmets.org has some interesting stuff on the subject. Lots of statistics & studies.
  Anecdotally, I've had my head stitched 4 times in 40 years. All of those could have probably been prevented if I'd been wearing a helmet. Although none of these involved cycling or bikes.
• Just to add on from this, I see many, many cyclists wearing nothing but black with no light, just the relfector. Do they realise how difficult they are to see when it is dark? Many times I have only seen the cyclist at the last minute.
  As a car driver I don't want to hit a cyclist, but its really hard when you can't see them.
• Cycle helmets save lives. Be in no doubt about that. People who ride on the roads and don't wear them are idiots, there is no other way of putting it.
• I am a cyclist and always wear a helmet...
  In more than thirty years of cycling, I have never used my helmet "in anger", ie I have never experienced any kind of blow to the head. So with hindsight my helmet has been unnecessary in the past, although it might prove its value today or tomorrow.
  I conclude that the risks resulting from riding without a helmet are moderate, and I probably take far greater risks in other aspects of my life. Therefore I don't think there is any point in criticising people who make different risk-management choices.
• Why do they design them to make wearers look so idiotic though?
• I had more crashes when wearing a helmet, than without.
  Car versus bike, car will always win. helmet or not.
• The fact remains it only takes one incident to ruin the rest of your life.
  I could fall off my bike several times and suffer no consequences, that's not the point, one occasion in the future maybe your undoing.
  It may never happen...correct, but is it really worth taking that risk?
• It's not a legal requirement to wear a helmet, is it?
  Cyclists with no lights or those stupid flashing things are more of a danger to themselves and other road users in the dark.
• I like the fact people are comparing the UK and Holland for cycling, it's like comparing the UK and Sierra Leone for child mortality.
  I always wear a helmet even when I don't go near roads. But I'm beginning to rethink it when I'm not going on a main road.
• I've smashed 3, so I'll always wear one, but it should be people's choice and I don't really care if others do or not.
  The dark clothes and no lights at night (ninja cyclists) are become everyone's problem and should be fined/banned.