Advocacy & Safety - Bike Helmets Go Unused in Movies Aimed at Kids

Because, I know how much this forum loves a good helmet debate:

http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/634821.html


The study found that just 56 percent of motor vehicle passengers on the silver screen wore their seatbelts, while a mere 25 percent of people bicycling wore helmets.

Discuss.

Discuss.

No.

Discuss.

I wonder how those usage rates compare to "real world" rates?

Not that I'm particularly concerned about these things, but when I am watching a movie, what I tend to notice is the large number of smokers.

Speedo

Discuss.

Oooh! Just what we need in an era of 10% unemployment and nearly complete loss of our manufacturing base!
Yet another taxpayer funded expedition of legislature hangers-on to the theaters and movie houses with notepads in hand!
I am soooooo proud of our representative democracy!

I'll just say that more than 56% of motor vehicle passengers wear seatbelts, while less than 25% of bicyclists (here on campus, at least) wear helmets. I'll leave it at that.

Bikes aren't as dangerous as cars.

I'd prefer everyone wear a helmet when biking, but if the choice is between not having someone exercising and someing exercising by riding a bike without a helmet, I'd bet that we wind up better off overall as a society by having unhelmeted cyclists.

I'm also not so sure that a cycling helmet law is an acceptable infringement of personal freedom.

Guess what? Some percentage of people on the silver screen can fly. Some percentage of people on the silver screen turn into werewolves when they see a full moon. Some percentage of people on the silver screen can defeat a group of ten martial arts specialists and not receive a single injury themselves.

Bottom line: Movies are not real life and are not supposed to be!

I never even saw a bike helmet until I was almost 30 years old...

I suppose one of the things that bugs me about this article is that it equates wearing a helmet with safe behavior; that crash mitigation is on par with crash prevention.

It doesn't equate safe behavior with what one does on a bike. Wear a helmet = safe; move left without looking to see if it's clear - no problem, a helmet is on in case it isn't.

Oddly enough, American movies are full of crashing cyclists. If a character is introduced as a cyclist at the start of a movie, it's rare for them not to have had a collision by the end of the movie.

I think we all realize, Hollywood is not always a representation of real life, it often deals with extremes. Cyclists are rarely portrayed as average people who happen to ride bicycles; because they ride a bicycle, they must be different. A cyclist is usually represented as one of 2 extremes. 1, a geeky, timid and cautious sort, or 2, a risk taking, daredevil, outcast rebel.

found this page on the laws of Bicycles in Popular Culture. (http://bicycleinpopularculture.blogspot.com/2007/01/law-of-bicycles-in-popular-culture.html)

I'm more concerned with the way I constantly see drivers looking over at their passengers while driving in movies and TV shows. Totally irresponsible. And yes, I know the difference between real life and movies.

I'm more concerned with the way I constantly see drivers looking over at their passengers while driving in movies and TV shows. Totally irresponsible. And yes, I know the difference between real life and movies.
Every time I see that, I think, "NO! Look forward! You're gonna crash!"

Inevitably, they never do crash.

Inevitably, they never do crash.Oh, they occasionally crash. (Of course, when they do, it's a major part of the plot ...)

Every time I see that, I think, "NO! Look forward! You're gonna crash!"

Inevitably, they never do crash.

It's the magic of movies and TV. How come fictional action stars such as Jack Bauer can take multiple blows to the face, delivered by a very angry NY cop, and not have so much as a bruise, or even the slightest hint of a black eye or swelling? (Yes, I have heard all the Jack Bauer jokes.)

No, they never crash. And kids in movies and TV wear the coolest clothes, and ride their bikes all over the place, and rarely is a helmet ever seen.

It's the magic of movies and TV. How come fictional action stars such as Jack Bauer can take multiple blows to the face, delivered by a very angry NY cop, and not have so much as a bruise, or even the slightest hint of a black eye or swelling? (Yes, I have heard all the Jack Bauer jokes.)

No, they never crash. And kids in movies and TV wear the coolest clothes, and ride their bikes all over the place, and rarely is a helmet ever seen.

Not ALWAYS.

Airplane.

Anyone know if the cyclist that gets run over in Airplane is wearing a helmet? :D

Of course, you could probably make a case that citing Airplane as an example make it the exception that proves the rule.

No, they never crash. And kids in movies and TV wear the coolest clothes, and ride their bikes all over the place, and rarely is a helmet ever seen.(The first "they" = motorists who are looking at their passengers, just so there's no confusion.)

And of course they occasionally crash. They (the film makers) usually make a big deal out of it, where you see the driver looking at the passenger, like in "The 40 year old Virgin" (she's drunk and trying to make out with him). And it's quite common that you see the driver and passenger talking to each other and they'll show you them talking and as they yap you'll see them run a red light, or they'll show a view out a side window where you see a car about to T-bone them -- the film makers like to let you know that an accident is imminent before the people in the car know.

Other movies with this type of crash? Adaptation, Yes Man, and plenty of PSA type videos that tell you to drive safely.

I want one of them movie guns that never runs out of bullets.

I want one of them movie guns that never runs out of bullets.

One of my favorite movie lines ever from I'm Gonna Git You Sucka:

Willie:Now, you got a .45 revolver that holds six bullets! Now, I counted at least twenty shots and you never reloaded!

Slammer:That's right.