smacks of someone looking to portray cycling as something that is dangerous and to be discouraged.
But it was this year when I actually saw and realised the benefit of wearing a helmet after having four crashes
one was hitting a pedestrian on Vico road, two were hitting kerb stones that I should have seen but didn't and the fourth was a front tyre blow out
Those were the first accidents that I've had in at least a decade but in each of them my head or at least my helmet hit the ground
Are we missing the number that weren't referred to Beaumont because the helmet prevented an injury?
I'm honestly flabbergasted by the general attitude towards helmets and cycling on AAM. Why do so many believe helmets are a bad thing?
Are we missing the number that weren't referred to Beaumont because the helmet prevented an injury?
howed "little or no difference to injury or outcome"
Also, focusing on a narrative that cyclists who fail to armour themselves as being irresponsible moves the focus away from the actual cause of the injuries. We don't tell stab victims that they should be wearing stab vests.
Do you wear a helmet while driving?
There is no record or stats for accidental falls or cyclists crashing into pedestrians.
Why is it so hard to see that a helmet could be the difference between a headache/concussion or stitches/bruising.
Now that is changing the focus
Why is the focus on helmets?It's not changing the focus, its a valid part of the solution. Preventing incidences by improving infrastructure and motorist behavior is one part. Protecting yourself if/when those incidences occur is the other. I find your use of 'victim' interesting, it certainly plays towards the perceived victimization of cyclists. And as for stab vests, I'm pretty sure armed response units, security, bouncers etc wear them because of the increased risk associated with the activity. I don't see much risk of getting stabbed on a bike but if I did I'd probably still be wearing a helmet
It's easy to find reports and published literature both for and against pretty much any topic but in the case of cycling, it is very hard to get information on self inflicted injuries from cycling because the reported incidences are mostly reported traffic incidences. There is no record or stats for accidental falls or cyclists crashing into pedestrians. Why is it so hard to see that a helmet could be the difference between a headache/concussion or stitches/bruising.
Now that is changing the focus
It all boils down to your perception of health & safety. Every activity has an acceptable level of safety, you can be a competent swimmer and still wear a life vest while in a boat, you can be a competent DIY'er and still wear goggles and gloves when wearing power tools and you can be a competent cyclist and still wear a helmet on the off chance that you either fall or get knocked off your bike.
I cycled everywhere in the late 80's and early 90's. I stopped for about 20 years but having started to cycle through Dublin city center again in the last few years I find it much safer than the 90's. Motorists are far more considerate and the infrastructure is much better. The big change it the behavior of the motorists though; I used to get clipped by wing mirrors a couple of times a week. It never happens now.Forty years ago and for about twenty years I cycled 3 miles to and from work every day. I'm using 1980 as the base year and cycling was relatively safe then with less motorised traffic. Almost on a monthly basis after 1980 motorised traffic increased and the feeling of the cyclist was that the cars are getting nearer and nearer. I was pretty fit back then but used to use the rules of the road. Unfortunately, I was in a minority. Cyclists were fewer in 1980 too and even Cork was a relatively safe place for the cyclist. 1990 Cork was becoming a nightmare for the average cyclist. The cars were faster, the driving lines were narrowing and little space was left for the cyclist. The cyclist fought back, jumping every traffic light, cycling on footpaths, failing to give hand signals, refusing to use lights after dark and generally forming the Cork Kamikaze Cycle Club. There were no helmet cameras then. The cyclist had nothing going for him except cost free cycling against buying petrol for vehicles use.
Nowadays, the cars have got nearer to the cyclist still. The respect for the cyclist has died; much of it self earned. Still I cycle but not on any public road. I put our bikes up on the car bike-rack and drive to wherever and use the bikes in greenways and the like.
Hospitals come up with statistics and guess what work tool causes most admittances to A+E etc (Answer:- Screwdriver). The statistics and occurrences of cycle situations change all the time. There is a solution but we as a people are not open to it and probably never will be.
Watch the hospital stats for the electric scooters though - Sin Scéal Eile!
There are thousands of falls every day and they rarely do much damage.
Pedestrians crash into cyclists a fair bit as well, but they rarely injure themselves or the cyclist seriously.
Likewise, we don't collect stats on children falling when they are learning to walk.
Perhaps it's because I've read the reports that show mandating helmet use is a bad idea overall, the data doesn't back up your assertion.
I'm not disagreeing with the overall idea and long term health benefits, rather pointing out that I can find and read published reports that are both for and against mandatory helmet use.
I'm happy to have a difference of opinion but I still don't see why someone would be so against wearing a simple piece of protective gear but each to their own I suppose.
I'm happy to have a difference of opinion but I still don't see why someone would be so against wearing a simple piece of protective gear but each to their own I suppose.
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