Originally Posted by
tony_merlino
That's really interesting. I live/ride in "Sopranos Country" (I don't know if you got the TV show in BC, so you may not get the reference. It was a show about a Mafia family that operated around my town, and gave a unique but not totally inaccurate portrayal of life around here.) I just figured the nasty driver attitude was part of their habitual approach to life - I didn't realize I was inviting it by wearing my helmet.
I'm a big Soprano's fan (I even liked the finale) and I think nasty drivers are present everywhere (it's a human quirk being nasty - there even are nasty cyclists)
Originally Posted by
tony_merlino
But are you really saying that the likelihood of running into a situation where my helmet would help me avoid injury on my bike is the same as that of running into it just walking around on the sidewalk? Are there references? If so, I will give up the helmet.
From the UK
Six times as many pedestrians as cyclists are killed by motor traffic, yet travel surveys show annual mileage walked is only five times that cycled
(in my Canadian province pedestrians have a fatality rate 5 times greater than cyclists per collision with motor vehicle)
from the US
1.On a per-mile basis, the odds of being killed or sustaining a serious head injury while riding a bicycle are about the same as the odds of being killed or injured while out for a walk.
2. On a per-capita basis, the odds of being killed while riding a bicycle are nearly the same as the odds of being killed by a bolt of lightning
but I think if you use a helmet for minor injuries, it will not disappoint. If it's intended for serious injury or death prevention, it's bound to disappoint