Having once, many years ago, gone over the handlebars when a front wheel collapsed, landing on my face and spending three days in hospital as a result, I would prefer to wear a helmet when riding, whether or not I was required to do so. Note that, in my case, I was on a quiet country road, no other vehicle was involved, and I was riding at a reasonably sedate pace, correctly positioned on the road. No amount of care or caution could have prevented that accident, as far as I can see, negating some of the arguments put forward in this thread. It's really like wearing a seat-belt in a car: a helmet won't prevent every fatality, but it will reduce the severity of injury in a statistically significant number of cases.
John Coyle Brisbane, Australia ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Mann" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Pentax-Discuss Mail List" <pdml@pdml.net> Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2006 4:00 PM Subject: Re: Adults on bicycles > On Nov 2, 2006, at 10:49 AM, Bob W wrote: > >> The best protection for cyclists is to learn how to cycle properly >> in traffic. > > That helps, but you need to bear in mind that drivers have blind > spots, are often inattentive (especially while in a hurry), and in > some cases, as much as I hate to say it, they can be downright > inconsiderate. Just as cyclists sometimes are. > > I haven't been bowled by a car for quite a while despite some close > calls, but the most recent time was when I was hit from the side by a > guy pulling out of a driveway. He was running late and his token > glance for traffic missed the only thing on that stretch of road. > Sometimes shit just happens, and by then it's too late to wonder > whether you're going to hit the concrete hard enough to matter. > > In then end, a helmet won't always save someone's life: the reality > is that in a crash there is a certain amount of impact force applied > to the head. The helmet can absorb a certain amount, and spreads the > rest across that side of the skull. With a big enough impact nothing > will save you, and you can easily be killed by other injuries > anyway. IMO the helmet gives me worthwhile protection of the one > thing that won't heal, without getting in my way while riding. > > As you mentioned, prevention by careful riding is the best cure but > my experience is that this can only reduce the danger - not eliminate > it. Riding offroad is an entirely different kettle of fish as the > terrain is much more "interesting", and because I ride that stuff for > fun, fitness and challenge, crashing is much more likely and in many > places there are pointy rocks to land on. > > The dynamics of any crash are far too variable to be able to make > predictions of the outcome, and personally I'd rather have the helmet > than not have it because I'm slightly on the paranoid side. If > someone wants to take their chances without a helmet that's fine by > me, but I'll still mutter a few opinionated words to myself :) > > - Dave > > > > -- > 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
