Advocacy & Safety - Explain this safety article

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pueblonative
11-11-08, 06:15 PM
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/11/bicycles_injuries.html

All right. The article clearly states that head injuries are not the most common injury and that injuries to upper and lower extremities are. The article wants to mention helmet safety for children. Okay, I'm cool with that. But how much more space would it take to mention other safety tips for the other extremities? Or even post a link to something like http://www.bicyclesafe.com/ ? Go ahead and mention the helmets but do a little bit more homework than recopying a press release off of some researcher if you don't mind.

xenologer
11-12-08, 01:34 AM
It would be very easy to do as you suggest, but you have to keep in mind, that is Not their agenda.
The article is trying to push mandatory helmet laws, not promote safter riding technique or even promote cycling at all.
Allister
11-12-08, 04:57 AM
The article seems to be arguing that only boys under 14 need helmets. ;)

damnable
11-12-08, 05:01 AM
Yay, isn't it great reading an article written by someone who understands statistics.
/sarcasm

But yes I'm in agreeance with xenologer, it would be better to promote safer riding in general which would concievably reduce all types of injuries. Of course it's hard with children though.
pueblonative
11-12-08, 05:36 AM
It would be very easy to do as you suggest, but you have to keep in mind, that is Not their agenda.
The article is trying to push mandatory helmet laws, not promote safter riding technique or even promote cycling at all.

If it's trying to do that then it's trying rather clumsily. If I wanted to promote people putting locks in their doors, for instance, I would not start out by saying that the majority of break-ins occur when the burglars go through the window.
Ajenkins
11-12-08, 11:06 AM
The article seems to be arguing that only boys under 14 need helmets. ;)

Agreed. And if my memory serves me, boys of that age group should also be wearing parachutes and flame-proof suits, for roughly the same reason.

Fact of the matter is, we pretty much survived our late childhood and adolescence, and have memories of friends who did not. It's an inherently dangerous time, and some recent studies have emerged that show that, in removing those dangers, we are actually delaying maturation to adulthood.

Thanks, Allister, for allowing me to use your comment as a soapbox to stand on. I'm sure you feel free to return the favor sometime.