Helmets or No Helmets that is the question!

Canadian research claims cyclists with helmets three times less likely to die from head injury

road.cc/content/news/69107-canadian-rese...kely-die-head-injury

So what do you think?

I think a point is well made at the end in the comments, cyclists who tend to wear helmets cycle more frequently so while their risk increases it is also pulled back down due to better awareness/bike handling/w.h.y.

It's a similar thing I have had to consider with regard to driver related risk. Is it really the project managers and the like who are the highest risk because of their annual mileage? Or is it the office administrator who does the very occasional business related run to pick up a car from service or some drawings from the local printer because we're in a hurry and we've knackered both plotters again?

I'll have another read of the article tomorrow (after all risk is an everyday thing for me) and the comments.

Personally having had someone at work (commuting to the station) hit up the rear by a car at a roundabout who wasn't paying attention, then dumped across the width of the roundabout when the driver slammed on the brakes ... I'll always wear a helmet. His bike was totalled, his lid was a wreck but he came away with a hurt knee (full extent of damage still being assessed) and no concussion.

i would go ALWAYS A HELMET!!!

our mum was knocked off her bike in a hit and run, and used her head to break her fall, the best i can describe the out come as is, her head swelled to 3 times the size of normal, where none of her features were reconisable,(think drawn on a ballon) she was kept in a coma for a week, with 4 hourly brain scans to check the pressure inside her head to see if they needed to drill a hole to release the pressure. And then took a further few months to be heading towards normal in herself.

Thankfully she has made an almost full recovery, but her personality is slightly altered and her sense of smell is now very limited

I've seen research that argued cyclists are treated differently depending on whether they are wearing a helmet, with drivers allowing more room for those not wearing them. It was claimed that wearing a helmet is more likely to result in a collision with another vehicle, because the reduced space leaves less margin for error on the part of both driver and cyclist, and doesn't allow the cyclist to deal effectively with any obstacles that might suddenly appear, such as potholes.

None of which matters at the point of impact. I agree with Ruth, it's my responsibility to manage my own risk and having been hit by a car while not wearing a helmet (in my foolish youth), if it happens again I'd rather be wearing one.

Taking every variable into account, am I safer with a helmet? I have no idea, but I *feel* safer, and that allows me to enjoy riding my bike. If I get caught up in an incident and my helmet fails to save me, then not wearing a helmet is unlikely to have improved my chances.

Sorry to hear about your mum, Ruth, I'm glad she came through that.

-- Andy Mc

THE ONLY ANSWER TO THE QUESTION IS EMPHATICALLY HELMET.

About 20 years ago my father was knocked off his bike on his way home from work - he was wearing a helmet. His injuries included swelling of the brain which resulted in brain damage. He had to undergo speech therapy at the time and thankfully made a full recovery. Goodness only knows what the injuries would have been without his helmet on.

I appreciate its a personal choice but we all have a responsibilty not just to ourselves but also to our families.

I'm now stepping off my high horse...............

I hope you're wearing a helmet on that high horse, too

-- Andy Mc

hey A don't try to out do me..its my place to antagonise people...G.

You're crown is safe, Geoff

-- Andy Mc

There's always a similar argument amongst skiers about whether to wear a helmet or not. Helmet usage in recreational skiing is relatively new compared to in cycling, but many of the arguments, for and against, are almost identical.

There's an interesting article on helmets and head injuries in skiing here:
www.ski-injury.com/prevention/helmet

Many of the aspects can be mapped to similar aspects in cycling.

I wear a helmet when cycling, on or offroad, when skiing, and I used to wear one when climbing too.