Advocacy & Safety - A reasonable helmet discussion

There's obviously been a lot of argument about the usefulness of helmets, though most of what I've seen here has just been "panacea vs. silly styrofoam hat" garbage.

My personal feeling is that the truth is somewhere between those two extremes (it usually is). Those who think they help prevent impact and abrasion injuries may have reason to think so. Those who think they may contribute to increased risk-taking (via risk homeostasis) and rotational injuries may also have reason to believe so. I don't hate on either side.

I'm not trying to convince anyone either way, but can anyone post evidence-based arguments for either side, please? Arguing via "common sense" won't do; that's just an assumption that's widely believed. Before I really thought about it, I felt sure helmets made me a lot safer. The animosity with which some on this board approach helmet use made me consider whether that is true. I still think they help in some instances, but I was wondering what the evidence is for either side. For example, is there any actual evidence for helmets increasing risk-taking or risk of a particular injury, or is that simply an assumed effect?

I'd like to have an actual discussion on this, rather than the insults we usually get out of it.

I'll start. (http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/276/24/1968.short) The writers think helmets offer significant, though not perfect, protection in the event of an incident.

Best of luck, but calm logic has about the same role here as in your average departmental meeting at Northwestern. <G>

I'll start. The writers think helmets offer...
I'll end. All the posters on BF helmet threads think they have the reasonable answer about helmets, just like you.

Take it here: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/678939-Helmets-cramp-my-Style-part-n-1

What discussion is there? Find a helmet that fits and works for you and wear one if you want. It's a personal decision if you are over 18.

All helmets satisfy some basic minimum standard somewhere. Figure out what that standard is, figure out if you are likely to hit your head in that manner (as specified by the standard) and if a helmet is for you.

Don't get overzealous and think that you become superman with some foam hat or even kevlar shell on your head... you don't. Ride as if you have a bare head.

Ride with a bare head if you so choose.

End of discussion. Everything else is about style... which again is personal. Nothing left to discuss.

If you have an overwhelming need to discuss ad nauseum some minutia regarding specific helmets or anecdotes... please take it to any of the pre-existing helmet threads.

No such thing as "reasonable helmet discussion" in A&S...

Without bitter conflict, this is boring.

Wake me when it gets heated.

I tried to copy a response I had made at the link posted by the OP. But the website(Bicycling.com) didn't save any comments about the story.

I had mentioned there that, just like the seat belt of an automobile, they both have a point-of-failure. That point is when inertia in an accident is so great, any safety built into the item/product will be rendered useless. To know when that point-of-failure is, is impossible. But to say because of not knowing the point-of-failure, a person should not use a safety measure because of its' fallibility in extreme cases, is just plain foolish.

Wouter Weyland was killed when he hit his head on a downhill stretch of this years' Giro d'talia, when he was going 40-50mph. Inertia at that speed nullifies the safety of the helmet. Just as with Def Leppard Drummer Rick Allen who lost his left arm when his arm was cut off by his seat belt, when he crashed into a wall. Inertia(force) played a part in both accidents.

No such thing as "reasonable helmet discussion" in A&S...


This has been proven countless times, which is why the "Helmets Cramp My Style (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/678939-Helmets-cramp-my-Style-part-n-1)" thread is a sticky. All pro/con helmet arguments whether reasonable or unreasonable go in that thread.

Closed.