Advocacy & Safety - What wearing my helmet might have saved me.

I was riding the bike path on Thursday and the next thing I remember is the EMTs putting me on a stretcher. Had my helmet been on my head instead of in the trunk of my car I might remember why I crashed.
I might remember the jogger that I was told called for help.
My new windbreaker might not have been cut off me and turned into a rag.
I might not have needed an ambulance ride to the emergency room.
I might not have needed 20 stitches to close the cuts on my cheek and eye lid.
I might not have to replace the scratched beyond use lenses in my glasses.
I might not have to explain why I look like I have been in a fight.
I guess what I am saying is after about 50 years of riding bikes and motorcycles I will now be
wearing a helmet.
I also add I am glad it wasn't any worse.

im sorry that happened and Im glad your OK. My helmet saved my life once, ever since then I wont even go down the street without it.

A lesson learned the hardway is still a lesson learned. Glad that you made it through your ordeal okay. Heal up and ride safe. ;)

Y'know, there's a sticky for this topic.

Yeah, who cares about the windbreaker ... you kept all your white matter.

Glad you're 'okay'.

jw

My new windbreaker might not have been cut off me and turned into a rag.
I might not have needed an ambulance ride to the emergency room.
I might not have needed 20 stitches to close the cuts on my cheek and eye lid.
I might not have to replace the scratched beyond use lenses in my glasses.
I might not have to explain why I look like I have been in a fight.


Glad you're ok, but I am curious, how would a helmet have prevented the items above?

Glad you're ok, but I am curious, how would a helmet have prevented the items above?

If you wear a helmet correctly, that is low, with the front at eyebrow level, even if you do a face plant, it will protect your face some.

I learned this along with another piece of info I will never forget-freshly poured concrete is exactly the same color as dried concrete.

I was picking my way through some road construction once when I started across what I thought was dried concrete. It turned out to be a trench about 3-4 feet deep and 4-5 feet across with freshly poured concrete in it. I fell in and my head, face smacked the street on the other side of the trench. Cracked the helmet, the only injury was a small scrape to the bridge of my nose where my glasses got pushed into my face.

So here I am in a trench up to my chest in concrete. The workers drag me out them I drag my bike out, which is covered in concrete. They hose me and my bike off and I ride off with a wounded ego but nothing else.

The workers drag me out them I drag my bike out, which is covered in concrete. They hose me and my bike off and I ride off with a wounded ego but nothing else.
But the workers probably busted a gut laughing at the spectacle!

I learned this along with another piece of info I will never forget-freshly poured concrete is exactly the same color as dried concrete.


Did ya learn to stay off the sideWALK?

Did ya learn to stay off the sideWALK?
Middle of the road, they were digging a median.

Crap. I ride through construction zones frequently. I will put that on my list of things to look out for.

But the workers probably busted a gut laughing at the spectacle!
Probably, but not to my face. I think they were concerned that I had smacked my head pretty hard and that I was still in a concrete filled trench. I just remembered, the last thing I heard was this worker yelling "No!", because he saw me riding for the trench. Cop was pretty nice too. Didn't even chastise me for riding a bike through a marked construction area.

If you wear a helmet correctly, that is low, with the front at eyebrow level, even if you do a face plant, it will protect your face some.

Doesn't this seem logical that the vast majority of head/helmet hits involve only a portion of the helmet breaking the force of the blow? Isn't half the head exposed and unprotected? Wouldn't it be true that the ability of the helmet to absorb an impact over the entire surface of the helmet is compromised and therefore the helmet is less effective than testing claims (where the blows are to the top of the helmet, speading the force over the entire helmet)?

http://hypnoticdesigns.com/cgi/archives/faceplant.jpg

Doesn't this seem logical that the vast majority of head/helmet hits involve only a portion of the helmet breaking the force of the blow?

Mmmm.. sounds like there's some money to be made in designing and selling a forehead only helmet. Just imagine how much cooler your head would be, and your hair wouldn't get messed up...

http://hypnoticdesigns.com/cgi/archives/faceplant.jpg

Wow, talk about a face plant. If you long to be a fine lookin feller like me, this pic is a pretty good how-to. :eek:

I guess it could be you Chip!

I wondered how you got to be so good lookin'!

Mmmm.. sounds like there's some money to be made in designing and selling a forehead only helmet. Just imagine how much cooler your head would be, and your hair wouldn't get messed up...

or maybe a face coverin' helmet?

I forgot to mention the issue of how much energy a skull can absorb before the EPS starts to compress (where it's prime effectiveness engages) vs. a headform (used in the test) that causes the foam to compress, as well as the forward momentum one has when going down that is not replicated or represented when measuring effectiveness of helmets.

Full face helmet.

...with support for the shoulders to protect the neck (like they have when they strap the helmet onto the roll bar in Nascar)

Doesn't this seem logical that the vast majority of head/helmet hits involve only a portion of the helmet breaking the force of the blow? Isn't half the head exposed and unprotected? Wouldn't it be true that the ability of the helmet to absorb an impact over the entire surface of the helmet is compromised and therefore the helmet is less effective than testing claims (where the blows are to the top of the helmet, speading the force over the entire helmet)?

http://hypnoticdesigns.com/cgi/archives/faceplant.jpg

Agreed. I was responding to chip's comment questioning whether a helmet would have prevented the OP's injuries. I was just pointing out that a bicycle helmet is much better than nothing.

As someone else here posted, a full face helmet is the way to go.

There have been several posts about it. Some guys ride with BMX (motocross?)helmets that are full face. I'm just surprised no one has come up with a bicycle specific full face helmet. I would think all it would take is a bar in front of the mouth, kinda like the footbal helmet Bart Star use to wear.

I don't know if a helmet would have prevented any of the things I listed, hence I used the wording might
have. The first thing my wife asked me when I told her what happened was, "Were you wearing your helmet?"

Full face helmet.


Or learn how to fall.

<I'm just surprised no one has come up with a bicycle specific full face helmet.>

I have one of these--face guard bolts on. Don't use the guard anymore 'cuz it's too hot.

<I'm just surprised no one has come up with a bicycle specific full face helmet.>

I have one of these--face guard bolts on. Don't use the guard anymore 'cuz it's too hot.

So there is one. I'd wear it if the face shield weren't so motocross/bmx.

I don't know if a helmet would have prevented any of the things I listed, hence I used the wording might
have. The first thing my wife asked me when I told her what happened was, "Were you wearing your helmet?"
That's the first thing every body asked about the dead 23 year old motorcyclist lying on the curb in front of my house last month after he hit the side of a pickup truck at an estimated 60-80 mph. He was wearing a good motorcycle helmet, it remained in place and there was not a scratch on his face. The blood coming out of his ears just dribbled out because I doubt if his heart was beating by the time he hit the ground. I imagine the inside of his skull was mush as well as inside his upper body.

Moral of the story? Don't put too much faith in the protective powers of helmets.

Moral of the story? Don't put too much faith in the protective powers of helmets.

... at 60 mph.

Though frankly, I don't think they're worth much in a 25mph rate-of-closure impact against a solid object either.

Which is why it's fortunate that all of the times I've hit my head in a bicycle crash, my head hit the ground with a rate-of-closure of 6mph or so, because i rarely cycle straight down.

I don't know if a helmet would have prevented any of the things I listed, hence I used the wording might have.
Had my helmet been on my head instead of in the trunk of my car I might remember why I crashed.

Hmmm...I don't know. Seems to me the implication is you might have remembered if you wore the helmet.

I doubt that you might have remembered though because there have been numerous reports here about crashing with a helmet on and losing consciousness. What's more, is the adamant belief that the helmet actually prevented brain injury (even though loss of consciousness is a symptom of brain injury), because it was worn.


The first thing my wife asked me when I told her what happened was, "Were you wearing your helmet?"

Did you say, "I can't remember."?

Seriously though, it's an indication of what the popular misconception on helmets are. Again, search though the stories here, and you'll find numerous examples of stories where someone lost consciousness while wearing a helmet.

I can't prove that my helmet has saved me from brain injury or death, but it has saved me from a lot of pain. I won't tell other cyclists whether they should wear a helmet, but saving me from pain is a good enough reason for me to wear one.

The threads point is,
I might remember why I crashed.
...not that it saved him from pain.

I doubt the point (and, just as with the photo of the face plant, I'd be very suprised if the hit, even with a helmet, would have been entirely, pain free).http://www.bradblog.com/Images/BushBikeFall4_small.jpg

I know one saved my dad's life - helmet soaked up a wagon wheel/buggy and kept him alive (dont ask, too confusing a crash....)

... at 60 mph.

Though frankly, I don't think they're worth much in a 25mph rate-of-closure impact against a solid object either.

Which is why it's fortunate that all of the times I've hit my head in a bicycle crash, my head hit the ground with a rate-of-closure of 6mph or so, because i rarely cycle straight down.
Worthless at 60 mph OR to be even more accurate, of questionable to no value when subjected to forces beyond design standards.

Bicycle helmets just might be designed for good protection at a 6mph crash but not much more. Maybe an Artie Johnson (Laugh-in) falling off the tricycle accident, maybe a little more. Better make sure you don't cross that 6mph barrier if you are depending on head protection from a bicycle helmet.

Hmmm...I don't know. Seems to me the implication is you might have remembered if you wore the helmet.
Hey, the OP already demonstarted that he had a bad memory when he forgot to put the helmet on in the first place.

I know one saved my dad's life...

really.

maybe this should go to the sticky. This isn't the point of thread and the sticky has a lot of info you might find illuminating.

Four days later my face is healing, I am riding everyday, my bike is fine but I still don't know why I crashed and that is the part that bothers me. If a helmet gives me a chance of not losing consciousness I will wear one from now on. Maybe I realized I was going done but it never stored in my memory. I don't know.

really.

maybe this should go to the sticky. This isn't the point of thread and the sticky has a lot of info you might find illuminating.

and here i thought that forum trolling was frowned upon on this bb, how sad :(

...If a helmet gives me a chance of not losing consciousness I will wear one from now on...

My wifes cousin was wearing a helmet and fell and lost conciousness and just a quick search here shows that others (monogodo, 3speedape, John Wilke, Wishbone, Velo Girl - among others that I remember) have all posted that they had the same experience.

You should still wear a helmet of course, just don't think that that's going to prevent a blackout if you crash.

and here i thought that forum trolling was frowned upon on this bb, how sad :(
a suggestion to re-direct to a more appropriate thread is trolling?

nah, cause i was not off topic, i believe that we were discussing the merits of helmet use and their effectiveness. the italicized really was snide, and imo trolling.

but on to more important things: glad to hear you are recovering from your crash (a77impalla) since those kinds of injuries are often the most difficult to recover from.

IMO trolling is something that's disrupting the flow of discussion or being offensive by antagonizing members.

Now maybe you were offended by my italics, but I find exagerated claims with no backing arguments to be offensive. The OP, I think, is being a little bit of a s**t stirrer in the way he posted.

Anyway, this is a rich subject that has had a lot of posting and a sticky has been made to try to contain the subject so it can be posted on without disrupting other threads that are trying to discuss something other than the specific points on weather a helmet is effective or not.

You should still wear a helmet of course, just don't think that that's going to prevent a blackout if you crash.

So why exactly should they wear a helmet then?

You asked....

Due to an error on the part of a buggy driver, it pulled out in front of a small group of bikers my dad was a part of. He managed to stop his bike, but did an endo into the rear wheel of the wagon, and fell between the wheels. The rear wheel rolled over his (helmetted) head. He took 11 stitches in his ear, and had a massive bruise where the helmet edge was. Without the helmet, the weight and impact of the wheel would have been supported on his skull, likely killing him. As it was, it was dumb luck his spine was not shattered by the hub. Had he been 6 inches further out from the edge of the road, he would be in a wheelchair. All I am saying is that helmets can save lives. Nothing is exaggerated in this story, but I did not feel obliged to tell the whole thing until you started being offensive.

*beats the troll back with a stick*

cheers

misposted, sorry

All I am saying is that helmets can save lives.

:lol:

The rear wheel rolled over his (helmetted) head.

Sorry, it's not funny, it's just sad :(

My jeans saved me here
http://www.carlosandlily.com/albums/Nangnooch/Nangnooch_41_Lily_under_elephant_foot.sized.jpg

So why exactly should they wear a helmet then?
Comply with the law or Bicycling PC? Or maybe it makes somebody (the cyclist or significant other) feel better? There may be better reasons but I have yet to see them validated.

I can't prove that my helmet has saved me from brain injury or death, but it has saved me from a lot of pain. I won't tell other cyclists whether they should wear a helmet, but saving me from pain is a good enough reason for me to wear one.

Yer darned right you can't prove it. Anyone who reads your posts knows that brain injury is a moot point! :p

I know one saved my dad's life - helmet soaked up a wagon wheel/buggy and kept him alive (dont ask, too confusing a crash....)

OMG now I am gonna have nightmares of being turned to a veg by an Amish family in their buggy, who will then take me in to be their new lawn knome. :eek:

So why exactly should they wear a helmet then?

To be your friend?

Does it only fit Giro, or does it fit Bells?

Where do I get one? Never seen it for sale.





<I'm just surprised no one has come up with a bicycle specific full face helmet.>

I have one of these--face guard bolts on. Don't use the guard anymore 'cuz it's too hot.