How do we get kids to wear hemets?

[iceratt]

I have two boys, 9 and 11, with whom I ride frequently. I set a fairly good example, by wearing my helmet almost all the time( I misplaced it, and went a few days without, recently). My kids have tried to get out of riding with their helmets or go without the strap clicked into place, as they have frequently seen older kids model. I'm almost thinking that kids think that what adults do is uncool, so they will do the opposite, especially if there is a perceived, small but real danger.

So what do we do to save the developing craniums of America?

[Wil Davis]

I remember doing a charity ride (organised, helmets mandatory) back in the early 1990s and seeing these three girls - they must have been in their teens, but what made them unique amongst the hundreds of other very ordinary-looking cyclists, were their helmets. They had added crests and devices to make them look as if they were something out of a Roman Legion - the general consensus was that they were very cool, very distinctive, and quite unique. Perhaps you could do a similar thing, although I think if you read the small print, you will find that attaching things to the helmet will invalidate the warranty…

- Wil

[freeranger]

Might be a little "drastic", but maybe you could see if one on the local hospitals has a head trauma wing they could visit. Maybe a nurse could ask one of the patients (maybe from a motorcycle or bicycle accident) to speak with them and instill how a helmet might have saved them from being there. Nothing like the reality of seeing first hand what can happen if your head is not protected!

[cyclezealot]

Here in California , it is mandatory those under 18 wear helmets. They will sequester your kids and you have to come down and pay a fine, when the police show up at your door.
First offense and their bike is locked up,until they come to the realization-I will not pay a second fine.

[barenakedbiker]

How do we get kids to wear helmets? Well, duh! Just put one on him/her. Aren't parents still in charge anymore?

[iceratt]

I frequently see kids riding with helmets dangling from handle bars or on heads, but with the strap unattached. I always will make sure that they have helmets. Making sure that they are fimly anchored, is more difficult.

[As You Like It]

I remember doing a charity ride (organised, helmets mandatory) back in the early 1990s and seeing these three girls - they must have been in their teens, but what made them unique amongst the hundreds of other very ordinary-looking cyclists, were their helmets. They had added crests and devices to make them look as if they were something out of a Roman Legion - the general consensus was that they were very cool, very distinctive, and quite unique. Perhaps you could do a similar thing, although I think if you read the small print, you will find that attaching things to the helmet will invalidate the warranty…

- Wil

A friend of mine does mountain bike racing, and her racing team bought a bunch of that thin craft foam (I think it is typically used to make fridge magnets) and cut it into flying wings which they zip-tied onto the sides of their helmets. That is their trademark.

You could do all kinds of stuff for your kid with that foam. Wings, fins, dinosaur spikes, tails, fangs, horns.

Another biggie: let your kid pick his/her own helmet. They have some really awesome kid helmets out there right now--great colors, neat stuff printed on them. I watched a small girl pick out her own helmet at a lbs this summer, and she wanted to wear it out the door, even though her bike was at home. A metallic purple helmet was what the kid wanted, and when she got it, she didn't want to take it off. Kids get more of a pride of ownership out of something if they get to do the choosing.

Talk up helmets to your kids. Tell them this is what the pros wear. See if you can find some good video of professional BMX, mountain, track, and road racers, doing their thing, all wearing helmets. I think if kids get the idea that a helmet is just something you wear when you are riding, not some dumb thing mom and dad are pushing, they'll just accept it as part of the equipment, like a ballglove is for softball.

Also, if you've ever had a good, dramatic crash while wearing your helmet, cut the straps out of the crashed helmet and keep it around as a trophy. Bonus points if the thing is actually cracked. Even more bonus points if your kid saw you bounce your helmet-clad head off the road, get back up, and walk away.

[barenakedbiker]

Also, if you've ever had a good, dramatic crash while wearing your helmet, cut the straps out of the crashed helmet and keep it around as a trophy. Bonus points if the thing is actually cracked. Even more bonus points if your kid saw you bounce your helmet-clad head off the road, get back up, and walk away.

And, if all else fails, try to look really really mean, even if you are still wearing your silly spandex outfit and wielding a baseball bat.

[pnj]

How do we get kids to wear helmets? Well, duh! Just put one on him/her. Aren't parents still in charge anymore?

NO, they aren't.....

Tell them this is what the pros wear. See if you can find some good video of professional BMX doing their thing, all wearing helmets..

hahaha, Riiiight....
the pro's I know do wear helmets when they feel it nesasary or are requiered to ride at a given place/contest but MOST of the time, they don't.

it's the parents job to do what they think is right. either that or stop breading...

[2manybikes]

I have two boys, 9 and 11, with whom I ride frequently. I set a fairly good example, by wearing my helmet almost all the time( I misplaced it, and went a few days without, recently)

Sorry if this sounds mean, it is not my intent, this is just how I feel. You are not setting a good example, you are demonstrating that if you misplace your helmet it's OK to ride without it. The kids are watching you all the time, they are not so stupid that they can't see you. They now know you truly think it's not that important. Now we all do. Actions speak louder than words.

You have to be 100% consistent. If you can't find your helmet, find it, don't ride, or buy a spare helmet.
You also have to insist that have their helmets buckled on every time or they just can't ride, period.

Even if you do this, they still may not always wear a helmet, but it is your JOB to do the right thing all the time and at least teach them that YOU think it's important. If they know that, someday they might say, "Hey that's right, we should wear our helmets too" . There are no guarantees about what will happen, only about what you can do.

I learned the value of helmets from motorcycles years before the kids were born. When I rode with the kids we had helmets every time, head and taillights at dusk, every time, etc. When they get to about 15 years old they are consumed by cars and not bikes. When they said they can't wear helmets, I just said, no rides, period without helmets. So they stopped riding bikes, but they would have stopped anyway at that age. But they know how I feel. Now the oldest is 22 she rode her bike a few times this summer and went to buy a nicer looking helmet. I have two kids so maybe my success rate is 50% ? Don't know yet.

[barenakedbiker]

When they get to about 15 years old they are consumed by cars and not bikes. When they said they can't wear helmets, I just said, no rides, period without helmets. So they stopped riding bikes,

Too late now...but, I would have taken away their cars. Nobody likes a smart-mouth, fat As-word kid anyways.

[DannoXYZ]

Here's what I did to show one of my friends he needed to wear his helmet while riding his motorcycle. I had him put on one of my old helmets. As he's fumbling with straps, I slyly reached for a baseball bat. As soon as his hands were clear, I gave it a nice smack from the bat at about 50% full-force (careful, you can still snap someone's neck even with a helmet). That was quite a shock I'm sure, but I told him you never know when a crash's coming. Then I asked him to take off the helmet and we'd try the baseball bat test on his head.... I carried that baseball bat around all day just to make him feel a little uneasy.. kinda like how I feel whenever I ride without a helmet...

[FastFreddy]

I have two boys, 9 and 11, with whom I ride frequently. I set a fairly good example, by wearing my helmet almost all the time( I misplaced it, and went a few days without, recently). My kids have tried to get out of riding with their helmets or go without the strap clicked into place, as they have frequently seen older kids model. I'm almost thinking that kids think that what adults do is uncool, so they will do the opposite, especially if there is a perceived, small but real danger.

So what do we do to save the developing craniums of America?
Here in Georgia, kids 16 and under (or maybe under 16??) are required to wear helmets. It’s not enforced all the time, but at least a parent can explain – “it’s the law and you don’t want to get arrested do you?”

What really gets me is when I see parents and their kids out for a ride on the bike path that I frequent -- the kids properly outfitted in helmets while the parent is helmet-less. Maybe it’s an attempt at reverse psychology – if the parent doesn’t wear one then it must be cool to wear one.

[trackhub]

Sadly, bicycle helmets have been cursed with an image that is, at least to the young, dorky, or geeky, or just "not cool". I must admit, I didn't start wearing one faithfuly until 1982. What prompted me to start wearing one: A co-worker died of major head injuries, sustained in a hit-and-run accident with a car. (There was a witness. The driver was later caught and charged accordingly.) The fellow who died was only twenty three years old.

There's no easy answer to this question. It does not help matters at all, when kids see so many adults riding without helmets. And yes, I have seen "the usual gang of idiots" riding along with helmets dangling from handlebars, or perched on the backs of their heads, or just un-fastened.

As for excuses, I have heard them all, but my favorite is this one: "Oh, I don't need a helmet, because I only ride on the sidewalk". This, from a woman with a masters degree in mechanical engineering.

An LBS has a policy that everyone taking a test ride must wear a helmet. You bring your own, or they'll provide one. On one occasion, I saw an all-american dad type get into a loud confrontation with store employees, over this policy. Seems his son, (about ten I think) wanted to take a BMX bike for a ride. They wouldn't permit the test ride, unless the boy wore a helmet. But no, dad was red-faced adamant. After all, he "never had one when I was a kid, and my son doesn't need one!". He left the store in a rage, disappointed son in tow. I'm guessing they headed to Walmart or Sears.

With this type of embedded thinking, the problem of how to get kids to wear helmets is going to be tough to solve. Image is everything to kids and teens.

[I-Like-To-Bike]

How do we get kids to wear helmets? Well, duh! Just put one on him/her. Aren't parents still in charge anymore?
Another alternative suggested by a Lab-Reform Leader who couldn't persuade his own children to cycle and wear a helmet was to suggest mandatory legislation, for everybody else's children in order to set an example for his own. He thought that would be solution to his parental control problem.

[Daily Commute]

Another alternative suggested by a Lab-Reform Leader who couldn't persuade his own children to cycle and wear a helmet was to suggest mandatory legislation, for everybody else's children in order to set an example for his own. He thought that would be solution to his parental control problem.
You've done a good job attacking a position that no one at LAB Reform has taken (and is actually the opposite of the view of most of them).

So, what's your solution?

[2manybikes]

Too late now...but, I would have taken away their cars. Nobody likes a smart-mouth, fat As-word kid anyways.

They were consumed by the car culture. They did not have cars, they were 15. They did not do anything disrespectful or smart mouth, they are good kids. They just would not wear helmets so I refused to let them ride bikes with no helmet. Girls say it messes up their hair. When kids get close to driving age they are always thinking about cars. I did too.
They exercise plenty, one of them made it to the State Finals in horse show jumping. She always wears a helmet on the horse.

I don't have smart mouth, fat As-word kids.

[I-Like-To-Bike]

You've done a good job attacking a position that no one at LAB Reform has taken (and is actually the opposite of the view of most of them).

No? Ask your Buckeye Buddy, Fred about his previous suggested solution to HIS parental problem over helmets

[Daily Commute]

The VC'ers I've spoken with, including the one you refer to by name, oppose helmet laws. I'm not going to go into that debate here because that's a question for another thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=1589895&postcount=410).

Back to this thread. What's your solution to the problem iceratt presented?

[ItsJustMe]

If I can't find my helmet, I drive my car, much as I hate it.

We have, from day one, simply presented no options. You buckle up or the car doesn't move. You wear your helmet, or the bike gets locked in the garage. There is no option.

I have heard people even say they can't get their little kids in the safety seats, etc. Our kids never even thought to question it, because they have never seen anyone in a car without a seat belt, kid or adult. They have seen people riding without helmets, but from the time they could talk, we pointed those people out and ridiculed them (guess they've got nothing inside their heads they care about, etc), so wearing a helmet has not been an issue.
Of course, both our kids are very strong against peer pressure, some kids may not be able to hold out. It can be tough.

[red house]

Staples or screws would work -(In theory)

[slagjumper]

Hey all you can do is tell them how it is. I have 3 daughters and they always wear helmets. Long hair and all. They stopped complaining after about 4 firm "NO"s. Here is a great helmet tip. In early spring evil walmart sells a $6 Bell helmet. Buy extras. A month later they'll be selling for $18.

This is one law I wouldn't need but in PA it is illegal for someone under 16 to ride without a helmet.

Another kid helmet tip: Chubby chins can get caught in the helmet clip. If you hold a credit card there while snapping you can avoid the painful skin-caught-in-the-clip problem.

[N_C]

Might be a little "drastic", but maybe you could see if one on the local hospitals has a head trauma wing they could visit. Maybe a nurse could ask one of the patients (maybe from a motorcycle or bicycle accident) to speak with them and instill how a helmet might have saved them from being there. Nothing like the reality of seeing first hand what can happen if your head is not protected!

I was going to suggest what freeranger mentioned. With the exception of saying it is drastic. I think it is very acceptable to use a tactic like this to convince kids to wear helmets. Sometimes a scareing a kid just a little bit, provided it is done right, can go a long way. But one must be careful when doing so to much fear can lead be to drastic & scare the kid from riding completely.

If you can not go to a hospital or find a head injury unit there then the next best thing is photographs of what can happen if a helmet is not worn. But again be careful when doing so.

[richardmasoner]

Might be a little "drastic", but maybe you could see if one on the local hospitals has a head trauma wing they could visit.

Given that almost all the head trauma in the ER will be from drivers or passengers of cars and trucks, it will be difficult to find anectodes of cyclists cracking a skull on the pavement.

What do you call a motorist without a helmet? An organ donor! Motor vehicle occupants are about as likely to receive a head injury as a cyclist.

My kids, incidentally, automatically wear their helmets when they ride. There's not even any question about it.

[dedhed]

Here's what I do with my three children. I tell them to put their helmet on. they put them on. done, case closed. Ages 15, 14, 6 How do you misplace your helmet? I take my off, clip strap, hang it on the handle bar. When the bike is on the car it goes in the back seat. I suppose if the bike had to sit outside in the elements I would have to devise another system.

[slagjumper]

I would never show the last link to my kids. They just wear the helmets. We started with helmet use early and never allowed exceptions. Suffice to say for those who can control the desire to gaze at gore, that the last link is an image of a real motorcycle accident victim and pink matter. You be the judge for your own kids.

As a sign on the wall of the LBS says-- The only people who don't need helmets are those with nothing to protect.

http://www.pbase.com/terbo/brain_surgery
http://www.helmets.org/crashes.htm
http://www.braininjury.com/children.htm
WARNING THIS LAST LINK IS GORY AND GRAPHIC.
WARNING THIS LAST LINK IS GORY AND GRAPHIC.
WARNING THIS LAST LINK IS GORY AND GRAPHIC.
http://www.pchorsepower.com/shock/media/accident%20-%20mcaccident3.jpg

[slagjumper]

those were his brains all over the floor? that wasn't photo shopped?


ewwwwwwwwwwww. :( :cry: :cry: :cry:

No it is real there are more there. It is real.

[red house]

well, atleast..I geuss, he 'minded the road'...oh god, somebody shoot me, -please

sorry, that is just bad all around...I suffer from no restraint. We can edit the posts, but how to delete them?

[mpop]

I know this might not be a populare view here, but if they are your kids, and live under your roof, I would say "your roof your rules"

[I-Like-To-Bike]

The VC'ers I've spoken with, including the one you refer to by name, oppose helmet laws. I'm not going to go into that debate here because that's a question for another thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=1589895&postcount=410).

Back to this thread. What's your solution to the problem iceratt presented?
Obviously it up to the parent to enforce their own rules and to prioritize what's most important. If the child won't cycle with a helmet, will the parent be satisfied with the results of enforcing their iron-clad decision, i.e. the child gives up on cycling or will be forbidden to cycle by the stern parent.

They is no way a parent is going to remove the dork factor from helmets with a roll of stickers or reference to professional bicycle racers. A roll call of questionable safety statistics/study might work on those who don't have the inclination to be inquisitive or skeptical (i.e. children or those with child like logical powers.)

The suggestions to show gore pictures or slapping them on the head or smacking helmets with baseball bats are astonishing displays of cluelessness about how to influence/encourage children to conform to a parent's wishes.

Setting an example is a good idea, as long as the parent's influence is stronger than that of peer pressure.

SideNote: I am aware of LAB-Reform policy on helmets, i.e no mandatory laws. At least one prominent member may agree with the policy but has written elsewhere about his PERSONAL desire for mandatory rules to take care of his own problem with his own kids. The point: It ain't easy to raise kids, nor does a parental policy of "Just Saying No" necessarily get the desired (or desireable) results.

[closetbiker]

So what do we do to save the developing craniums of America?

Well, the first thing we could do is keep them out of cars, followed closely by keeping them from walking. We could try to keep them in bed, but even then, there are head injuries from people falling out of beds. Maybe we could strap them in. Wait, that won't work because the greatest risk for brain injury is aquired brain injury (most often from inactive lifestyle) and cycling is a proven prevention method for that.

Seriously though, the best way to keep kids safe is to teach them how to act safe and to be with them to see they are using the knowledge we are giving them.

To isolate cycling as an activity that has a greater risk of peril than it has, is a disservice to all, because even non-cyclists benefit from our greater health and more efficient transportation.

(geez - this is suppossed to be an advocacy board. You'd think the posters are trying to scare off people -and kids - from cycling)

[I-Like-To-Bike]

(geez - this is suppossed to be an advocacy board. You'd think the posters are trying to scare off people -and kids - from cycling)
Indeed it does appear that way. The "Advocacy" forum seems dominated by posters selling (figuratively if not literally) their alleged solution (be it equipment or training) for some god-awful dangerous situation/problem that they imagine is unreasonably risky to everybody else. Apparently only the so-called advocates have the wisdom to divine the nexus of their pitched product and the solution of the alleged problem.

[Daily Commute]

Indeed it does appear that way. The "Advocacy" forum seems dominated by posters selling (figuratively if not literally) their alleged solution (be it equipment or training) for some god-awful dangerous situation/problem that they imagine is unreasonably risky to everybody else. Apparently only the so-called advocates have the wisdom to divine the nexus of their pitched product and the solution of the alleged problem.
What does this have to do with how iceratt can get his kid to wear a helmet?

[closetbiker]

What does this have to do with how iceratt can get his kid to wear a helmet?

I believe the question asked by iceratt was, " So what do we do to save the developing craniums of America?" and that seems to me, to be the question. It doesn't nessasariy mean the helmet has to be, or is, the focus of the answer.

Protection of the head is a good ideal, but why is it that iceratt feels cycling needs additional protection for the head when there is no supporting proof for that claim, and that walking or being in a car is ignored as an equal risk for the same injuries?

If the question is, what do we do to save the developing craniums of America, maybe there should be a wider focus that can be more helpful in solving the problem than a narrow focus that doesn't take into account the larger problem.

[Daily Commute]

I believe the question asked by iceratt was, " So what do we do to save the developing craniums of America?" and that seems to me, to be the question. It doesn't nessasariy mean the helmet has to be, or is, the focus of the answer.

Protection of the head is a good ideal, but why is it that iceratt feels cycling needs additional protection for the head when there is no supporting proof for that claim, and that walking or being in a car is ignored as an equal risk for the same injuries?

If the question is, what do we do to save the developing craniums of America, maybe there should be a wider focus that can be more helpful in solving the problem than a narrow focus that doesn't take into account the larger problem.
I've made my position on helmet wearing and helmet laws clear in the helmet thread, so I won't get into that argument here. But I agree that training about safe riding (whether parental, LCI, or whatever) is more important than strapping a helmet on. But I think we need to respect a parent's decision to try to get his kid to wear one. As to how to get a kid to properly strap on a helmet when his friends think it's not cool, I just don't know.

[closetbiker]

We're not talking about laws, or debating about how parents should influence their kids, I'm bringing up a point that's being ignored. Why are we blind to a greater risk, but not another? It seems to me, we're being short sighted here.

[N_C]

Obviously it up to the parent to enforce their own rules and to prioritize what's most important. If the child won't cycle with a helmet, will the parent be satisfied with the results of enforcing their iron-clad decision, i.e. the child gives up on cycling or will be forbidden to cycle by the stern parent.

They is no way a parent is going to remove the dork factor from helmets with a roll of stickers or reference to professional bicycle racers. A roll call of questionable safety statistics/study might work on those who don't have the inclination to be inquisitive or skeptical (i.e. children or those with child like logical powers.)

The suggestions to show gore pictures or slapping them on the head or smacking helmets with baseball bats are astonishing displays of cluelessness about how to influence/encourage children to conform to a parent's wishes.

Setting an example is a good idea, as long as the parent's influence is stronger than that of peer pressure.

SideNote: I am aware of LAB-Reform policy on helmets, i.e no mandatory laws. At least one prominent member may agree with the policy but has written elsewhere about his PERSONAL desire for mandatory rules to take care of his own problem with his own kids. The point: It ain't easy to raise kids, nor does a parental policy of "Just Saying No" necessarily get the desired (or desireable) results.

Got a few questions for you since we are on the subject of wearing bike helmets. I know you don't wear one by your comments to the fact. But do you have kids? If you do & if they ride or if you tow them in a trailer do they wear helmets? Or because you don't you don't have them wear one? If you do have them wear a helmet & you don't you realize that is very hippocritcial don't you? If you don't have children, what will your policy be for both you & your kids when it comes to wearing a bike helmet?

The way I see it if a parent does not wear a helmet they should not make their kids wear one. If they do, then yes they should have their kids wear one. There is no straddling the fence here. You are all for it or not for wearing one at all, all the way across the board.

[I-Like-To-Bike]

Got a few questions for you since we are on the subject of wearing bike helmets. I know you don't wear one by your comments to the fact. But do you have kids? If you do & if they ride or if you tow them in a trailer do they wear helmets?
My 25 year old daughter shares my view of the value of helmets; she cycle commutes daily in Chicago. My 22 year old daughter shares my view of the value of helmets; she cycles frequently in Philadelphia to/from Center City from her College campus. My 22 year old son wanted a helmet, I bought it for him, he won't cycle anywhere. He prefers to drive his car to the corner store.

When they were children my wife and I would take them for rides in backpack carriers as well as rack mounted seats. Believe it or not, not a scratch. Cycled with them as children on the bike paths of The Netherlands; believe it or not, not a scratch. The girls cycled to the nightclubs of Heidelberg, believe it or not, not a scratch. The boy had his helmet but wanted to be driven everywhere, despite being a high school star in both football and wrestling.

[I-Like-To-Bike]

We're not talking about laws, or debating about how parents should influence their kids, I'm bringing up a point that's being ignored. Why are we blind to a greater risk, but not another? It seems to me, we're being short sighted here.
You answered your own question. Ignored because "we" are blind to evaluating risk IS the answer.

[I-Like-To-Bike]

What does this have to do with how iceratt can get his kid to wear a helmet?
ClosetBiker already answered the question but the answer is worth repeating. Is the problem reducing his kid's risk, or is it forcing children (by any means including baseball bats and fearmongering) to wear helmets regardless of its effect on the cycling experience? Solving the second question does not necessarily have much (if any) significant effect on solving the first.

[N_C]

My 25 year old daughter shares my view of the value of helmets; she cycle commutes daily in Chicago. My 22 year old daughter shares my view of the value of helmets; she cycles frequently in Philadelphia to/from Center City from her College campus. My 22 year old son wanted a helmet, I bought it for him, he won't cycle anywhere. He prefers to drive his car to the corner store.

When they were children my wife and I would take them for rides in backpack carriers as well as rack mounted seats. Believe it or not, not a scratch. Cycled with them as children on the bike paths of The Netherlands; believe it or not, not a scratch. The girls cycled to the nightclubs of Heidelberg, believe it or not, not a scratch. The boy had his helmet but wanted to be driven everywhere, despite being a high school star in both football and wrestling.

Ok your kids are obviously grown up & have left the nest. I guess I took you for a younger guy.

Does your children view the use of helmets the way you do because of your influence & your attitude toward bike helmets?

Now imagine yourself today with children who can either ride bike themselves or can be towed in a trailer. If you had kids that young today in today's society, knowing what the views are on bicycle safety & knowing the types of helmets available today, compared to 15 or 20 years ago, would you have your kids wear a helmet? Would you yourself wear a helmet if you were younger, say in your 30's or so? In other words do you think your views would be differant on bike helmet usage if you were of a younger generation?

One other thing. Why do you have the views you do on helmet usage? Is it because there was not much of the way in helmets when you were younger & you were lucky enough to get through it with out a head injury? Also if you suffered a head injury today while in a bike accident & you some how survived, would you go to wearing one, knowing full well that had you had one on your injuries would not have been as bad or you would not have suffered an head injury at all?

[I-Like-To-Bike]

In other words do you think your views would be differant on bike helmet usage if you were of a younger generation?
My view of the value of bicycle helmets has not changed since their introduction to the store shelves. Nor has their value in risk reduction changed beyond being an insignificant risk mitigater. When the later changes, I might reconsider.

If I should have a serious bicycle accident my concern will be to how to reduce the risk of having such accidents again. The likelihood of a helmet significantly affecting the outcome is so slight as to not being worth the hassles/inconvenience involved.

Others' views on the power of helmets to reduce risk, that are driven by PC and fear mongering, don't matter much to me on this issue because they have so little credibility that they are hardly more reliable than outright fabricators.

[closetbiker]

You answered your own question. Ignored because "we" are blind to evaluating risk IS the answer.

Yup. We are willfully blind at times.

Is ignoring ignorance? Ignorance is the lack of knowledge or education, and that's something that can be remedied so that's not so bad, but I think sometimes some people don't want to learn and ignore information on purpose, and that's worse.

[nova]

My view of the value of bicycle helmets has not changed since their introduction to the store shelves. Nor has their value in risk reduction changed beyond being an insignificant risk mitigater. When the later changes, I might reconsider.

If I should have a serious bicycle accident my concern will be to how to reduce the risk of having such accidents again. The likelihood of a helmet significantly affecting the outcome is so slight as to not being worth the hassles/inconvenience involved.

Others' views on the power of helmets to reduce risk, that are driven by PC and fear mongering, don't matter much to me on this issue because they have so little credibility that they are hardly more reliable than outright fabricators.

Hmm so people with personal experiance with bike helmets are liars when they say it saved their life when it obviously infact did? Ive never had a crash where my head has hit the ground and i had one where i lost control and slid on my rear and back a solid 40 feet in the wet grass. Funny story maybe ill include it at the end of the post. But fact is if i had came off my bike as little as 5 feet sooner and had impacted the groun id have had serious head wounds (think road rash to the bone of the skull serious.) As i was doing a solid 40+ down the hill. I had a friend who was hit by a car hard enough to total his bike and put him in to the wind shield head fisrt. He was mostly un injured other than some bruising. His helmet looked undamaged but left a noticable crack patern on he wind shield of the car. I say looked undamaged because the styro foam was compressed t the point where you could colapse the plastic shell a good 3/4 inch down before it contacted the foam. He sent it back to bell they gave some high estimate as to the force needed to do that sort of crush damage. I dont know what it takes to crack or cave in a skull in ounds but from watchgn myth busters i know the human femor takes aprox 700 pound load to snap. The impac absorbed by his helmet was nearly 2 x that in high 1200s low 1300 if memory serves. Very little force was transfered to his skll and neck. I think it takes somethign around 7 pounds of force to break a avarage persons neck.

As for my crash story here it is.

Essentially i was coming down a grade 6 avarage hill fairly short but behind it theres a realy nice and long grade 2 to 3 lets you pick up alot of speed before the little grade 6 that finaly tapers off at the bottom to 1 or 2 before the flat. Any how im flying down this thing total speed unknown but i had hit 46.9 max my comp would display previously so we will say 40 mph guesstament. About 3/4 the way down i had a bumble be or other very large insect hit me (left a nice bruise on my shoulder and a big old greesy windshield like splater heh). This had the effect of knocking my left arm loose and spinning me a bit. Of course this cause me to swerve hard and fast and loose control. I tried to keep contol but couldntand fell off totaly as i hit th transition from pavement to grass. I land on my rear end and slid for 40+ feet like a driver who had their car disapear for part of the distance and end up sliding the rest on my back and butt. My head never hit the ground. My bike ended up rollingout another 40 feet past me and fell gently over.

The funniest part was a ranger had seen me twist to the left as i was hit. When i looked back he had his hand on the butt of his gun that he had already undid the clip on. He told me it looked like i was shot with a high powered rifle or hand gun. Then he seen the oozing mess that had once beenthe insect that plastered me and start laughing while he asked if i was ok.

As i said had i came off my bike a few feet sooner on to the pavement there would be a very strong chance my helmet and head would have slammed in to the pavement.Ive got no doubts as to if it would have saved me i just know from the way i hit the ground it would have.

Will helmets save you in all crashes? answer is of corse not. Not only could you impact somethign with such force that the helmet would do little to stop you from dieing but you could be impaled have a sharp object split the helmet and go in to your skull etc. With helmets its about saveing you in most crashes. High speed car v bike crashes are fairly rare compaired to high sped bike v pavement crashes. These are where helmets save you. They are made to crush and compress and break up on impact other wise we could make them out of solid aluminum or kevlar carbon fiber etc and put some foam in them for comfort. There would do little more thankeep your brains off the road and in the helmet.

Can helmets be made safer you bet. Thats why even if your helmet is still 100% safe and reliable after a couple years its time to buy a new one. The new model will offer better protection than the old. Personaly i love the looks of some of the new helemts like the giro and others out there. Another nice thing is with a helmet on i feel cooler as the helmet chanels the air over my skin all the way from front to back.

Good helemets can help keep you safe and cool you down not to mention if your a racer help your aerodynamics by a good bit as well.

For me its not a question of not seeing a reason to use a helmet its i dont see a reason not to use one.

[twahl]

How do we get kids to wear helmets? Well, duh! Just put one on him/her. Aren't parents still in charge anymore?

Oddly enough I agree with you completely. As a parent it's simple, they want to ride their bike, they wear a helmet. They don't see me or my wife on a bike without, and I better not see them without. Mine are 11 and almost 14.

[brokenrobot]

Q: How do we make kids wear helmets?

A: Make them out of candy!

[N_C]

My view of the value of bicycle helmets has not changed since their introduction to the store shelves. Nor has their value in risk reduction changed beyond being an insignificant risk mitigater. When the later changes, I might reconsider.

If I should have a serious bicycle accident my concern will be to how to reduce the risk of having such accidents again. The likelihood of a helmet significantly affecting the outcome is so slight as to not being worth the hassles/inconvenience involved.

Others' views on the power of helmets to reduce risk, that are driven by PC and fear mongering, don't matter much to me on this issue because they have so little credibility that they are hardly more reliable than outright fabricators.

If you are speaking from the stand point a helmet does nothing to reduce the risk of actually having an accident I agree with you. A helmet will not do that, only good, safe & responsible riding skills will. But no matter how great of a rider a person is no one can plan on or predict the unknown & unpredictable. None of us knows if when we go out for a ride, no matter how long or short, what exactly will happen on the ride during every single second of it. We hope we come back from the ride unscathed, accident & injury free. But no one can control the unpredictable if it happens. It almost sounds like you think you can control the uncontrollable & unpredictable.

However if you are speaking from the standpoint that a helmet does nothing or very little in protecting a persons head when it strikes the ground during a bike accident then you are very mistaken. I have had enough accidents & my head has hit something & damaged the helmet where I needed to replace it. One of the accidents would have been fatal had I not had the helmet on. I had a doctor tell me this after he saw my helmet & took a look at the scan of my head, I had a concusion from the accident.

A helmet is nothing more then a very good safety tool that should be worn by all who ride a bike. But it does nothing to make a person a good or bad rider for that matter. And I do not think they give a person a false sense of security. A helmets only purpose is to HELP protect a persons head in case a accident happens & the person strikes their head on something as a result of the accident. Notice I said help protect, meaning wearing a helmet does not nor can not guarantee that a person will not suffer ANY injuries if they hit their head. But it is better then nothing at all. I had a concusion from one of my accidents, but I am still alive because I wore my helmet.

[wilbour]

I believe the question asked was "How do we get kids to wear hemets?". If you cannot get your kids to wear their helmets I am willing to bet there are many other things you cannot get them to do. Parents must take back the role of parenting. Believe it or not, parenting is 24/7. In Ottawa wearing helmets is the law. If you wish to argue the safety margin vs. the "wind in my hair" spirit feel free but the law states if you are a youth you must wear a helmet. No one in our family rides without one. My son flipped over his handlebars 3 weeks ago and broke his collar bone. Had he not been wearing his helmet he would have cracked his skull or at least cut his scalp open. That alone was worth the $20.00 for his "nut shell".

[Helmet Head]

Child: "I wanna go ride my bike."
Parent: "Don't forget to wear your helmet."
C: I don't wanna wear my helmet.
P: That's fine, but then you can't ride your bike.
C: But I wannt ride my bike.
P: No problem - as soon as you put on your helmet you can ride your bike.
C: I don't wannt wear my helmet!
P: That's fine, but ... [repeat longer than child is willing to go - make sure the child knows you have more patience than him/her. Never give in on this or you will encourage them to think they can wear you down].

[bkrownd]

So what do we do to save the developing craniums of America?

When I visited my mother's place in May the junior-high aged kiddies basically said I was an "old fart" for wearing a helmet. "Nobody wears those anymore!", they complained. (Fortunately, little do they know nobody wore them at all until the 1990's)