Your wise neurosurgeon might care to reflect on this: (http://www.cyclecraft.co.uk/digest/effectiveness.pdf)
"... the average distance cycled per person in the UK each year is only 62 km42 (and in the Netherlands only 850 km43), so the average cyclist would expect a serious injury only once in more than 80 lifetimes. In Australia the promotion of helmets for car occupants is being considered. Research by the University of Adelaide and Monash University44 has shown that bicycle-style helmets would afford motorists more protection than interior padding, air bags or seat belts. Helmets could lessen the severity of 50% to 60% of motorist brain injuries and avoid 1 in 5 fatal crashes. A subsequent report from New Zealand45 notes that helmets for car occupants have been proved to be more effective in preventing serious injury than helmets for cyclists. Conclusions The wearing of helmets by cyclists is a controversial and very emotive subject. It is not always easy to disentangle fact from conjecture and views can be strongly polarised. Also, people often find it difficult to make a logical assessment of relative risk. Although there has been much research into cycle helmets, too much of this is suspect with regard to assumptons made and control groups used. It does not relate well to real-world circumstances. Most research has been predictive in nature and based on small samples. Little has looked at the results that have actually been achieved in large population samples when helmet use has increased significantly. No research has put the risk of head injury when cycling into perspective with the risk from other common activities and the overall effect on life expectancy and health. It seems reasonable to expect that reductions in injuries brought about through the wearing of cycle helmets would be reflected in the general accident statistics in places where helmet use has become significant. This should particularly be the case if the more optimistic predictions for injury reduction are correct. However, whole population statistics from Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada show no distinguishable change in fatalities, and statistics for London show no such change for any severity of injury, as helmet use has increased substantially. This suggests that the real-world performance of cycle helmets may be falling well short of the predictions that have been made." -- Cheers, Bob > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Bertil Holmberg > Sent: 01 November 2006 20:50 > To: pdml@pdml.net > Subject: RE: Adults on bicycles > > My old neurosurgery teacher said: > > "It is wise to use a helmet, > it protects the brain, > that is were the wisdom is located." > > Regards, > Bertil > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > PDML@pdml.net > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > > -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
