A Rant At Cyclists...

Sportycus

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.:)

007stuart

On the plus side there is a shortage of organ donors so every cloud has a silver lining!!

jamesmorgan

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.

Johno100

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.

Cloudydaze

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.

Marco_Panettone

Sportycus wrote: »

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.:)

So, you don't care whether people wear helmets or not but rant about people not wearing them? Ok...


I see far too many pedestrians not wearing helmets.

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?

stardoman

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.

warehouse

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.

Voyager2002

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.

giraffe69

I see far too many pedestrians not wearing helmets.

If you can't see the difference between pedestrians mostly on pavements and cyclists mixing with traffic on roads then you probably don't need a helmet as the damage is already done. Isn't this about adjusting odds? For sure a helmet won't help if a 32 tonne lorry runs over your head nor will a seat belt if the same lorry hits your car full on at 60mph but seat belts do reduce death and serious injury and helmets do prevent some deaths and injuries and make other injuries less serious than they might have been. You may be lazy and/or stupid and not wear one but the argument is more or less unanswerable.

Bantex_2

Why do they design them to make wearers look so idiotic though?