Fifty Plus (50+) - Helmets

If Natasha Richardson can die from a fall on a Bunny Slope, I guess I need to be more vigilant about wearing my helmet. Untill now I generally didn't bother with one when doing maintainance/test rides out in front of the house. I,ve even been tempted to ride the recumbent along the River Trail without my helmet. The temptation is now gone.

My thoughts are with her family.

Lesson: any one can have a freak accident- - - wear that helmet 100% of the time.

EDIT: wear that helmet 100% of the time that you're on your bike.

IMHO this is just the sort of accident that the helmet helps prevent. Nothing is perfect, but a couple of percentage points here and there can be the difference.

Absolutely true. I always wear a helmet on the bike but interestingly (stupidly) I have not when I ski. I was in Lake Tahoe in Jan/Feb and took a bad fall the last day that had me spin around and fall on the back of my head and upper shoulders. It scared me and I told my girlfriend I'm not skiing again until I get a helmet. Now it seems prophetic I said that. I am looking around online for a ski helmet now.

Poor woman and her family. I'm sure it seemed like a harmless fall on that bunny slope and it only goes to show it doesnt' take much to change the course of our lives. It can happen to anyone at any time. Life is short, seize the day!

You are so right! I took a bad fall on ice at a rest stop in Iowa this winter when I got out of my car; landed hard on my spine and the back of my head. I took that lesson to heart. Now I keep my helmet next to my bed and it goes on before anything else in the morning. Unfortuntately, I need to take it off when I wash my hair in the shower but I make sure I'm lying down and my safety straps are secure.

I'm sorry. I had inteneded this as a serious, not sarcastic post. My intention was to point out that many of our recreational activities carry an inherent risk and we should be careful to take all prudent safety measures to protect ourselves from serious injury, or worse.

A woman lost her life. A family lost a loved one.

I'm sorry. I had inteneded this as a serious, not sarcastic post. My intention was to point out that many of our recreational activities carry an inherent risk and we should be careful to take all prudent safety measures to protect ourselves from serious injury, or worse.

A woman lost her life. A family lost a loved one.

Some of us took the post as you meant it. Not as a insistance but as a caution. I don't wear a helmet when I drive either but I do wear my seat belt. I haven't had a need for the protection provided by that belt either. I still wear it. I never thought skiing was that dangerous but I have noticed more helmets once snowboarding got more popular. But I had just commented to my wife the other day that it looks like a helmet might be a nice addition to ski wear. But I only reccommend them as a caution.

I do feel sorrow for the family.

My baby brother, age 61, is a supervisor @ Kimberly Clark. We were just talking about this same subject day before yesterday. During a MANDATORY safety class, the instructor was talking about safety gear, specifically SAFETY HELMETS. As a demonstration to show what could happen without wearing one and talking a fall/being struck hard, he had a cantaloupe. He said, "This is what happens to your head." He then took the cantaloupe and tossed it just a few feet into the air where it landed on a concrete pad. You can imagine what the results were. Very impressive demo, I'd say.

The scary part of this tragedy is that Ms. Richardson evidently did not fall all that hard.

I concur that a helmet can make a big difference in a low-speed fall or a minor collision. The only danger in wearing one is risk compensation, so I always try to ride as though I just realized that I forgot to put on my helmet.

If Natasha Richardson can die from a fall on a Bunny Slope, I guess I need to be more vigilant about wearing my helmet. Untill now I generally didn't bother with one when doing maintainance/test rides out in front of the house. I,ve even been tempted to ride the recumbent along the River Trail without my helmet. The temptation is now gone.

My thoughts are with her family.

Lesson: any one can have a freak accident- - - wear that helmet 100% of the time.

EDIT: wear that helmet 100% of the time that you're on your bike.

Our sympathies are with her family as well. Tragic loss for them.

You don't have to be moving very fast for your head to hit the ground, or other object, very hard.

The only bad crash I've had to date happened last Labor day. I was only moving around 8 mph when the crash occured. My head hit the pavement so hard that it literally broke my helmet. I don't know if I would have had a serious injury if I had not been wearing that Helmet? But, I'm pretty confident that the Helmet may have helped prevent one.

I don't understand those that don't, and those that don't wear it properly. Sorry honey but your purty hairdo anit gonna look to purty layed up in a hosptal bed. Those that wear it on the back of their head with unfastened straps.

I've always used a helmet. ONE DAY I thought about skipping it on an mtb ride. I had planned to ride without a helmet forcing myself to do an ez ride. Something told me to wear it and I did. That was the one time I crashed. Flipped over the handlebars and a bodyslam at 25 mph on hardpacked red clay.

Broke the helmet from back to front. I walked away with a few scrathes on my back and not a mark on my head. Well I walked away after laying there for 3 or 4 minutes. I didn't feel any pain but my body wouldn't move. Maybe the body was in shock but I couldn't move. I got up and finished the descent but if I hadn't been wearing a helmet, I think I'd still be out there!:D

I often skip the helmet on MUPs especially when I know there won't be many people on them. I know I shouldn't but I do. My son was visiting our vacation home last fall and he didn't have a helmet, so I didn't wear mine. My wife was not happy with either of us, and probably with cause as we went through some heavily conjested tourist areas (not that it should make any difference).

I never wore a helmet until last season, I guess it is a generational thing, I grew up without anyone worrying about hockey helmets, much less bike helmets. My grandkids on the other hand would not think of going on a bike or a skateboard or scooter without one. Guess I need to be more diligent.

Tragic what happened to that young lady.

Like others, I always wear my helmet, even when taking the bike for a quick test ride after doing a minor repair.

I see a lot of people riding with their kids on the MUP. The kids, whether in a trailer or on a bike are wearing helmets. Many of the the parents (either mom or dad or both) too often are not wearing a helmet. If there's an accident and mom and/or dad have a head injury, who is going to get the kids home? Who is going to tell the emergency people where the kids live?
WEAR YOUR HELMET!!

Many of the the parents (either mom or dad or both) too often are not wearing a helmet. If there's an accident and mom and/or dad have a head injury, who is going to get the kids home? Who is going to tell the emergency people where the kids live?
WEAR YOUR HELMET!!

I'm wondering where you get the magical helmet that will keep moms and dads from getting in any accident that would knock them unconscious or keep them from being taken away in an ambulance. I'd really like one of those. Though my helmet may have saved me from a lot of things, it did not keep me alert enough to tell the paramedics where I lived. That's why you ride with id. I keep an old drivers license in my jersey pocket.

Nor did the helmet keep me out of the ambulance and ER. And the biggest point to take away from the Natasha Richardson story is if you sustain a head injury DO NOT turn down the ride to the ER. Go get checked out immediately. Even if you are wearing a helmet.

I went from the racer style of helmet to the more hockey-helmet style recently, only partly because I could get the hockey-style helmet in white and could put Washington Capitals stickers on it, and partly because I'm just not convinced of the efficacy of the racer-style helmets. And since our MUPs are along concrete river beds....

And another reason I wear shorts over my cycling shorts/tights is to give me a place on my body to carry my wallet, with DL and Kaiser cards.

A few points on the Richardson accident from someone who has skiied Tremblant for many years:

1 I would not consider Nansen Bas to be a "bunny slope." It has some significant pitches and would be considered an intermediate slope at most US resorts. It's easily possible to get up to 30 mph or so on the faster portions if traffic is light.

2 I managed a fairly spectacular wipeout two years ago -- clouds of snow and a long trail of shed equipment. It was good enough to fracture my leg. Ski patrol guy asked how I was as I was getting my skis back on. I don't think he stopped.

3 Based on (2), clearly, a radio call to the ski patrol, followed by a ride to the base in a rescue sled, escort to the bottom, a telephone call for an ambulence, recommendation that she see a doctor, and an hour waiting in her room indicates that the fall was considered very dangerous by the instructor and ski patrol.

4 The weather was warm, and the snow was a combination of ice, heavy wet snow, and slush. I can imagine someone's head digging into that crud and bringing her to a very abrupt stop. As a cyclist, I know how much energy it takes to ride through unplowed sections of that stuff.

5 There is a shorp, but steep pitch right at the beginning of the flats at the bottom of the run. It would not be a good thing to tumble down that slope.

I'm deeply saddened by this accident at a place where my family and I have had so much enjoyment. Nansen Bas goes right to the hotel where we stay, and is my typical last run of the day when not picking my daughter up from ski school. However, based on my observations above, I don't think the accident has much relevance to cycling.

I suffered a severe concussion when hit by a car 33 years ago. That's a good reason for me to always wear a helmet, but this tragic accident is not really relavant to cycling.

Paul

I'm sorry. I had inteneded this as a serious, not sarcastic post. My intention was to point out that many of our recreational activities carry an inherent risk and we should be careful to take all prudent safety measures to protect ourselves from serious injury, or worse.
A woman lost her life. A family lost a loved one.


A few points on the Richardson accident from someone who has skiied Tremblant for many years:

1 I would not consider Nansen Bas to be a "bunny slope." It has some significant pitches and would be considered an intermediate slope at most US resorts. It's easily possible to get up to 30 mph or so on the faster portions if traffic is light.

2 I managed a fairly spectacular wipeout two years ago -- clouds of snow and a long trail of shed equipment. It was good enough to fracture my leg. Ski patrol guy asked how I was as I was getting my skis back on. I don't think he stopped.

3 Based on (2), clearly, a radio call to the ski patrol, followed by a ride to the base in a rescue sled, escort to the bottom, a telephone call for an ambulence, recommendation that she see a doctor, and an hour waiting in her room indicates that the fall was considered very dangerous by the instructor and ski patrol.

4 The weather was warm, and the snow was a combination of ice, heavy wet snow, and slush. I can imagine someone's head digging into that crud and bringing her to a very abrupt stop. As a cyclist, I know how much energy it takes to ride through unplowed sections of that stuff.

5 There is a shorp, but steep pitch right at the beginning of the flats at the bottom of the run. It would not be a good thing to tumble down that slope.

I'm deeply saddened by this accident at a place where my family and I have had so much enjoyment. Nansen Bas goes right to the hotel where we stay, and is my typical last run of the day when not picking my daughter up from ski school. However, based on my observations above, I don't think the accident has much relevance to cycling.
I suffered a severe concussion when hit by a car 33 years ago. That's a good reason for me to always wear a helmet, but this tragic accident is not really relavant to cycling.

Paul

Thank you for your experience based insight. I still contend as I mentioned before, that many of our recreational activities are inherently dangerous and require us to take the necessary precautions.

A few points on the Richardson accident from someone who has skiied Tremblant for many years:

... However, based on my observations above, I don't think the accident has much relevance to cycling.

... but this tragic accident is not really relavant to cycling.

Paul

I appreciate the insight into the nature of the slopes where she was skiing, but I fail to see the lack of relevance to cycling. Both involve activities with the possibility of a fall which could cause damage to your head. Damage which could possibly be lessened or prevented by wearing a helmet.

Thank you for your experience based insight. I still contend as I mentioned before, that many of our recreational activities are inherently dangerous and require us to take the necessary precautions.

This is where I disagree: I don't believe cycling or skiing is significantly risky enough that helmet use is important. There is absolutely nothing wrong with people who wear helmets if they want to reduce a very small risk to an even smaller one, but I just don't like either of these sports beings stigmatized as dangerous for head injuries.

Don't leave home without it. When I was young and foolish, in a car crash where a gal ran a red light and broadsided us in a little Ford pickup truck. No seatblet on at the time. Lord only knows how both driver and I are here. Needless to say I do not back out of the driveway with out a seatblet in place and feel the same way about a bike helmet.

Humm same old same old, rode a motorcycle for 30 years, same gripes about helmets, non-helmet's, as the old saying goes, "Let those who RIDE, DECIDE"! YMMV. For me I woudn't got to 7-11 without a helmet on either type of cycle!:thumb:

If you are really concerned about head injury, far and away the largest cause of head injury is automobile accidents. So wear a racing helmet anytime you get in the car. After all, its way more likely that you will get head trauma while driving than while cycling or skiing. That said, I still wear a helmet most of the time while cycling and skiing, but I prefer the choice to be mine, without judgement from anyone.

Helmet threads are always good sport. Here and most especially in any motorcycle forum. I normally ride with a helmet but not always. When I am riding enroute to the tennis club with my tennis bag on my back I do not wear a helmet, my choice. That is also the one time that I don’t always wear a helmet when riding my motorcycle as well, again my choice.

Never been skiing but have asked friends who do ski and they indicate that after Sonny Bono and one of the Kennedy’s were killed a few years ago on ski slopes, helmets began to appear on the ski slope. Certainly seems to be a sport where bones can end up broken.

But then so is tennis. I have had two friends fall when playing tennis and end up with bad concussions. I have yet to see any tennis players wear a helmet, I certainly don’t.


We have an individual who rides his bicycle around here who is a real helmet nazi. On three separate occasions I have been riding my bicycle sans helmet and met him on the road as he was riding. Each time he yelled out to me to “Get a helmet on!” I have also watched him do the same to another rider. The last time I turned around and caught up to him and indicated that he did not know me, where I was going, or anything about me and that I thought his habit of ordering other bikers to “get a helmet on” was a bit aggressive.

No matter how serious and well meaning we are when we note the benefits of wearing a helmet when we fall down, sometimes we just won’t be wearing a helmet when we do fall. It is part of life. I would not want anyone to get me wrong. I have more miles wearing a helmet than most. But let’s not kid ourselves, riding a bicycle on the roadways is not a safe and secure hobby.. While a helmet might provide us some peace of mind, it isn’t going to do much when the inattentive driver takes us out.

Thomas Steven credited his helmet with preventing a nasty injury during his around-the-world bicycle ride. This was in 1884-1886 (http://www.bikechina.com/images/ct/ct-ts0-cover.jpg).

tcs

I'm wondering where you get the magical helmet that will keep moms and dads from getting in any accident that would knock them unconscious or keep them from being taken away in an ambulance. I'd really like one of those. Though my helmet may have saved me from a lot of things, it did not keep me alert enough to tell the paramedics where I lived. That's why you ride with id. I keep an old drivers license in my jersey pocket.

Nor did the helmet keep me out of the ambulance and ER. And the biggest point to take away from the Natasha Richardson story is if you sustain a head injury DO NOT turn down the ride to the ER. Go get checked out immediately. Even if you are wearing a helmet.

Sadly, she was located quite far from immediate emergency medical attention with an injury where time is of the essence.

I used to backpack on remote trails. Same situation. Knowing that was part of the risk involved with that activity.

I had a crash recently on the city streets. They got me to an ER very quickly.

Clearly, it's a personal choice, and I'm against compulsion in most things

My choice based on experience -

Mrs Delightful Geezer has been in hospital 3 times in 55 years. Twice to give birth, once on a bike, being hit from behind by a postal van in Washington DC. No memory of the impact, comatose for 5 days from the type of head injury in the OP. No helmet. We wear them now.

Delightful No. 1 son slipped off his pedal going to college in Kingston, Greater London UK. Road speed, zero to 1 mph. I still have both sides of his helmet as a reminder. The praiseworthy Giro/Bell company sent a new helmet together with a touching message that this is the type of incident that makes them happy in their enterprise

The fellow we were bike-riding with this morning just got back from a ski trip to Val D'Isere, France. First time that he and his wife wore ski helmets. He was walking back to the lodge at the end of the day, and was hit on the head by a badly balanced ski that fell off the veranda above. Still wearing his helmet. The impact, full on his head, knocked him down. Without the helmet....

Narurally, it's a personal choice. So far, family and I haven't skiied in helmets, but we will do next time

I used to break helmets on a frequent basis when Mountain biking. But the worst accident I had was on the road. Black ice and over I went. No apparant damage but a few miles further on and I had a headache. Stopped with my riding partner to take an aspirin and he told me to look at my helmet. The fall was hard enough to give me a headache and when I took the helmet off I was shocked. The side of the helmet had been scraped away as I slid down the road. The amount the helmet protruded had saved my face from a lot of pain and scarring. The clothing was completely unscathed but the bike did have a few marks on the bar ends.

The helmet got changed and scrapped.- 5th one in 4 years.

This will sound flippant...but it is not intended to be.

If I am wearing a helment and my head hits the ground, how does the helmet prevent injury? Doesn't my brain just slam into the helmet instead of the ground? This is a serious question meant to satisfy my curiosity. (btw, I always wear a helmet.)

This will sound flippant...but it is not intended to be.

If I am wearing a helment and my head hits the ground, how does the helmet prevent injury? Doesn't my brain just slam into the helmet instead of the ground? This is a serious question meant to satisfy my curiosity. (btw, I always wear a helmet.)

Deformable structures displacing impact???

Deformable structures displacing impact???

Or in other words;
The injury to your brain occurs from the sudden deceleration of you brain when it impacts into the inside of your skull, when your head impacts with a solid object when it is in motion. That motion can be caused by riding a bike, skiing, tripping down a flight of stairs, or falling out of bed, etc, etc.
The impact absorbing material inside a helmet, i.e.. the foam, is used to cushion that impact by deforming and dissipating some of the force. It decelerates your head more slowly than your head hitting a solid object.
For example, drop an egg on to the floor, the egg breaks. Drop an egg onto a pillow, the egg doesn't break, and there is a depression in the pillow. Same principle with the helmet.
And because the foam deforms when it does its job, the protection of that section of the helmet is diminished. A fall on to the same spot will offer less protection. Possibly resulting in injury. And that is why you get a new brain bucket after a crash onto your head.

For the record, I'm a 100%er. I had to use my helmet on more than one occasion.

I'll concede a helmet might make little difference when an automobile strikes you but many crashes are low speed. A helmet does not have to save your life to be worth wearing.

Since I returned to cycling I've always worn a helmet. Until a couple weeks ago all it's one is keep my scalp safe from sunburn and provide a mounting place for my helmet light. Two weeks ago I took a mild spill. As the side of my helmet smacked the pavement I had time to think how much it would have hurt w/o the helmet.

This is where I disagree: I don't believe cycling or skiing is significantly risky enough that helmet use is important. There is absolutely nothing wrong with people who wear helmets if they want to reduce a very small risk to an even smaller one, but I just don't like either of these sports beings stigmatized as dangerous for head injuries.


If you've ever been down, you might consider the risk less than "very small". It's amazing after even a "minor" crash to look inside your helmet and see the styrofoam broken in multiple places.
I spent many years racing sports cars and the thought of no helmet is like no seat belts and harness - it simply makes no sense at all.
As for the rider deciding, the problem is that society decides to incur the expenses of caring for the person who chose not to, say, wear a helmet or bother with health insurance. We don't just let them suffer and die just because they chose not to....
As an EMT, I've had experience in the ambulance helping care for downed riders, and one trip as the downed rider being cared for. I'd rather be the former, but I believe it is my responsibility to protect myself as much as possible - including wearing a helmet.
I just wish someone made cycling helmets that didn't make people look like idiots!

Not to detract from the discussion of helmet or not (I always wear a helmet even in the driveway.) You can have a serious accident like hers and think you are ok. If you hit your head hard and feel funny at all or just to be safe call an ambulance and get to a hospital where they can determine if you are at risk. You probably will not fill the blood building up inside your skull and then you will be dead.

I have had head & neck injuries before, & had neck reconstructive surgery. I won't get on my bike without one.
A friend of mine was working on a step ladder, just 3 steps up,,, fell , & broke his neck. Died within minutes !!

The whole Richardson scenario reminds me of a post by JPPE sometime back where he was riding with a fellow rider, who sustained a rather significant fall on his head, and as I recall (which is none too good these days) had a blackout.

The question was whether or not to be checked out at the emergency room, and the decision was to NOT be checked out.

Some folks gave the guys cheers for being "macho" and "brave." Me? I thought it was absolutely foolish not to be checked out in an ER after a significant head fall.

I don't remember whether or not he was wearing a helmet, but I think he was. But that would make no difference to the decision.

A second point is the VERY TYPICAL SCENE of mom and dad bicycling without helmets while junior and junioress are wearing helmets.

So stupid. If you believe in helmets, the first person to wear one should be the bread winner(s). His or her loss to the family and the impact of that loss (financial, parenting and otherwise) will be much more significant than one of the children. BUt to believe that helmets are good for kids and not for the parents is really stupid.

I have never worn a helmet biking and I've been riding for 40+ years. I've also never had a major (or anything remotely close) spill in those 40+ years. There's lots of things that I do that I consider riskier than riding a bike, but helmets were just never an issue when I started riding in the 60's. Granted, I don't do the crazy stuff, but am I just lucky.......or just not trying hard enough??? Conversations like this make me wonder about the things I do sometimes. :wtf:

This will sound flippant...but it is not intended to be.

If I am wearing a helment and my head hits the ground, how does the helmet prevent injury?


I've only needed my helmet once, and that was while riding a motorcycle with a full face helmet.

The motorcycle slipped then highsided in an intersection and suddenly I noticed that I was sliding along the asphalt. What cued me to the fact that my head had hit the ground was that I noticed that my field of vision was moving around as the helmet shifted. Suddenly, I realized that my face was not scraping on the asphalt because of the helmet. That was a mighty good feeling.

This will sound flippant...but it is not intended to be.

If I am wearing a helment and my head hits the ground, how does the helmet prevent injury? Doesn't my brain just slam into the helmet instead of the ground? This is a serious question meant to satisfy my curiosity. (btw, I always wear a helmet.)

Actually the foam that protects your head provides a dampering effect when there is a sharp blow. You would be surprised how much protection it provides. In 2003 I had a bad road accident. Was flipped off the bike, over the bars and landed on the side of my head. I was knocked out immediately. I suffered a severe concussion and permanent brain injury - OK that sounds bad but all the doctors have told me without the helmet, I most likely would have died or worse, might have ended up vegetative.

I believe it's everyone's right whether or not to wear a helmet. I now always ride with a helmet. I've had several bad falls since 2003, on my head, and thank goodness no serious problems. Even a cheap helmet is good. Save your brains folks... the alternative is not good.

A second point is the VERY TYPICAL SCENE of mom and dad bicycling without helmets while junior and junioress are wearing helmets.

So stupid. If you believe in helmets, the first person to wear one should be the bread winner(s). His or her loss to the family and the impact of that loss (financial, parenting and otherwise) will be much more significant than one of the children. BUt to believe that helmets are good for kids and not for the parents is really stupid.

AMEN brother!!! :thumb: I have actually stopped and lectured parents on wearing helmets and why (out of the earshot of the little one of course).

I never considered the need for a helmet for skiing because snow is a lot softer to fall on than pavement. Natasha's accident was a freak occurrence, and it's not going to make me start wearing a helmet in every situation where a meteor might fall out of the sky and hit me. On a bicycle, though, bonking my head against something hard is a bit more likely.

I never considered the need for a helmet for skiing because snow is a lot softer to fall on than pavement. Natasha's accident was a freak occurrence, and it's not going to make me start wearing a helmet in every situation where a meteor might fall out of the sky and hit me. On a bicycle, though, bonking my head against something hard is a bit more likely.

The ski accidents that kill in Colorado are mostly NOT falling on the snow, but running into trees or tree wells. Always get a handful of folks killed (and many critically injured) in our ski areas this way each year.

Here are 2008 results - not counting critical and serious injuries:

17 skiers or snowboarders have died on slopes and mountains this season in Colorado, the most ever.


April 4 - Still unidentified man died after attempting to ski off a cliff at Aspen Highlands resort.


Mar. 30 - 43-year-old Michael Howe from Andover, KS died after hitting a tree on Frenchman trail at Keystone Resort.


Mar. 23 - 28-year-old Jennifer Ash from Indianapolis was pronounced brain-dead after suffering a vertebral artery dissection which led to a stroke after a snowboarding fall on March 16 at Keystone resort.


Mar. 1 - 39-year-old Gabrielle Hutter from Centennial died after hitting a tree at Winter Park Resort.


Feb. 27 - 46-year-old John Bosman of Orlando, FL died from head injuries at Eldora Mountain Resort.


Feb. 19 — 13-year-old Kenneth Joyce of Glastonbury, CN died after hitting a tree on Diamondback trail at Keystone Ski Resort.


Feb. 15 — 68-year-old Bob Guthrie from Silverthorne died after hitting his head in a fall at Arapahoe Basin on Feb. 11.


Feb. 13 — 33-year-old Brian Irvin, a Southwest Airlines pilot from Mesa, AZ hit some trees and died at Telluride Ski Resort.


Feb. 12 — 67-year-old John Dobbie from Downers Grove, IL died from a head injury suffered on Feb. 1 at Crested Butte.


Feb. 6 — 61-year-old retired ABC newsman, John McWethy of Boulder, was killed in a skiing accident at Keystone. He slid chest-first into a tree.


Jan. 31 — 40-year-old Michael Gruber from Dillon died from a head injury suffered the day before at Arapahoe Basin.


Jan. 25 — 22-year-old Jared Daniel, a snowboarder from Auburn, MA suffocated after falling head first into a tree well at Steamboat Ski Area.


Jan. 20 — 33-year-old James McLean, a doctor from Kansas, died in a snowboard accident at the Breckenridge Ski Resort.


Jan. 15 — 45-year-old Mark Joseph Stout from Nockamixon Township, PA died after falling into a tree well at Steamboat.


Jan. 6 — A 19-year-old Durango resident died after apparently skiing off a headwall near a lift at Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort.


Jan. 3 — 11-year-old Benjamin Trichler from Great Britain died after skiing into a tree at Breckenridge.


Dec 28 — 15-year-old Mitchell Maltsberger from Oolagah, OK died after hitting a tree on an intermediate trail at Wolf Creek.

11 of the 16 known residence locations were out of state (1 not known).

BE AFRAID! BE VERY VERY AFRAID!


Or, you know, don't.




The fellow we were bike-riding with this morning just got back from a ski trip to Val D'Isere, France. First time that he and his wife wore ski helmets. He was walking back to the lodge at the end of the day, and was hit on the head by a badly balanced ski that fell off the veranda above. Still wearing his helmet. The impact, full on his head, knocked him down. Without the helmet....


So you, of course, took the lesson to heart and make sure you always wear your helmet when walking around a ski lodge?



A friend of mine was working on a step ladder, just 3 steps up,,, fell , & broke his neck. Died within minutes !!

Just as you always wear one when working on a step ladder?


No? You don't? Silly to wear a helmet when you're just walking around? These were just isolated freak accidents?


Yes. They were. For some reason our society doesn't like to say it, but sometimes crap happens and people get hurt for no good reason at all. It happens when we're walking, when we're swimming, when we're driving, when we're sleeping, when we're making love and eating and working and taking a crap.

Sometimes life sucks. Sometimes accidents happen.

Running around your whole life in padding because you're afraid of getting hurt is the wrong response.

AMEN brother!!! :thumb: I have actually stopped and lectured parents on wearing helmets and why (out of the earshot of the little one of course).

Wow, just wow. It may make you feel better, but I bet it does little other than steel their resolve not to wear helmets.

How would you feel about getting lectured on your parenting skills. Or perhaps your social skills.

Perhaps my views are colored by the fact the women in our neighborhood that insisted on doing that was the least safe rider or driver I could every imagine. She would strap her kids into carseats in her car, then take the corners on two wheels. She would wear a helmet on the back of her head, then lead her children on their bikes into the exit of the parking lot in the middle of the lane. She somehow felt those safety devices were magic, and they are not.

BE AFRAID! BE VERY VERY AFRAID!

Or, you know, don't.

So you, of course, took the lesson to heart and make sure you always wear your helmet when walking around a ski lodge?

Just as you always wear one when working on a step ladder?

No? You don't? Silly to wear a helmet when you're just walking around? These were just isolated freak accidents?

Yes. They were. For some reason our society doesn't like to say it, but sometimes crap happens and people get hurt for no good reason at all. It happens when we're walking, when we're swimming, when we're driving, when we're sleeping, when we're making love and eating and working and taking a crap.

Sometimes life sucks. Sometimes accidents happen.

Running around your whole life in padding because you're afraid of getting hurt is the wrong response.
Good grief.......If you are riding a bike or skiing the odds of having crap happen are a lot higher than sitting in a chair or walking around.
Wearing a helmet does not guarantee than crap won't happen but does improve your odds of not being seriously brain-injured.
I don't spend my life in padding but I do take easy precautions like wearing a bicycle helmet, wearing safety glasses when using a circular saw, using seatbelts when in a car, or, transferring blood from a syringe to a lab tube by using a protected needle safety transfer device instead of holding the syringe with a needle on it in one hand and the empty tube in the other and then sticking the needle into the tube, hopefully, and not into my hand.

The ski accidents that kill in Colorado are mostly NOT falling on the snow, but running into trees or tree wells. Always get a handful of folks killed (and many critically injured) in our ski areas this way each year.

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11 of the 16 known residence locations were out of state (1 not known).

Gee, I'm glad I'm not American, it's dangerous - all them poor bods was American apart from the token Brit. No Aussies killed so I'm obviously safe skiing in Colorado :D

Richard
getting the message from the statistics :D

Seriously, wear your helmet, I was wearing one years before they became compulsory here ;)

BE AFRAID! BE VERY VERY AFRAID!

sometimes crap happens

when we're making love



Err . . . I think that's why condoms were invented! - the worlds' first safety "helmet?" :D

Gee, I'm glad I'm not American, it's dangerous - all them poor bods was American apart from the token Brit. No Aussies killed so I'm obviously safe skiing in Colorado :D

Richard
getting the message from the statistics :D

Seriously, wear your helmet, I was wearing one years before they became compulsory here ;)

I didn't know Aussies were allowed to ski in Colorado?

I didn't know Aussies were allowed to ski in Colorado?

To be honest, I'm still trying to work out what this 'ski' business is :(

On helmets, we've had compulsory helment wearing for a couple of decades here. The problem is, it only says 'thou shalt wear thine helmet' and so you see lots of people wearing rubbish helmets, wearing them incorrectly, wearing them not done up or so loose that they're more likely to cause problems than solve them. What's the point? If you have to wear the thing, at least make an effort to wear it properly. [/rant]

The best I've seen was an old Italian gent on a bike that looked like a family heirloom laden. For a 'helmet', he was wearing a plastic icecream tub tied on with string. I couldn't get close enough to see if it had the compulsory standards sticker :rolleyes:

Richard

Good grief.......If you are riding a bike or skiing the odds of having crap happen are a lot higher than sitting in a chair or walking around.
Wearing a helmet does not guarantee than crap won't happen but does improve your odds of not being seriously brain-injured.
I don't spend my life in padding but I do take easy precautions like wearing a bicycle helmet, wearing safety glasses when using a circular saw, using seatbelts when in a car, or, transferring blood from a syringe to a lab tube by using a protected needle safety transfer device instead of holding the syringe with a needle on it in one hand and the empty tube in the other and then sticking the needle into the tube, hopefully, and not into my hand.

Ok, so you conduct your life in a careful manner. You use caution when you determine it's necessary.

Common sense is a good thing.


But that's not what this thread is about, and it's not what any of the umpteen "start wearing a helmet NOW" threads and articles and news items are about. None of them are saying, "hey, be careful, sometimes things go wrong and you should try to take care of yourself." They're saying, "LOOK OUT! MAKE SURE YOU WEAR A HELMET ON THE BUNNY SLOPES! IF YOU DON'T, YOU'RE GONNA DIE!"

In this short little two-page thread, at least two people have commented on how the lack of a helmet (in a situation where NO ONE would wear a helmet) *could* have prevented an injury. Like I said earlier, nobody's going to start wearing a helmet when they're walking around a building just in case something falls off and hits them. Nobody's going to start wearing a helmet when they're climbing a stepladder just in case they fall off. Why not? Because it's not being sensationalized.

If you want to wear a helmet, great, good for you, protect your brain. But do it because you've weighed the risks, you've looked at your behavior, and you feel it's necessary for you. Don't do it just because somebody famous suffered a freak accident.

Don't do it just because somebody famous suffered a freak accident.

I would suggest that any reason you use to justify wearing a helmet is a good reason.