cyclintom

Of course no one has paid for a study of why people have stopped riding bicycles. Who would profit from that?

One theory has it that PR campaigns making cycling look unsafe discourages people in the "parental" age bracket of 25 to 40. If they're nervous about riding a bicycle they certainly aren't going to allow their kids to do so.

As for school kids - that's pretty plain - what do they do with an expensive helmet? No more school lockers because of drugs and bombs. Can't leave them on the bike because theft and vandalism is considered cool. Not to mention that helmets look downright geeky and kids in that age group are frightened about looking out of place.

Why do you suppose that in states where children's helmet laws have been passed kids either ignore them or stop riding?

****, almost no one cares at all. The helmet promoters would rather see children 200 lbs overweight and dying from gross obesity than have them risk riding a bicycle without a helmet. The medical community will testify to the negligence to physical fitness among todays children and yet helmet promoters chime in that there's no reason that children can't wear a helmet even though in every single place where helmet laws were enacted, bicycling or motorcycling has taken a tremendous drop.

Hell, in Oakland, CA, they had about a dozen motorcycle shops. Within two years of the helmet law being passed there were 4 and now there's only two I believe. Statewide thousands and thousands of people WHO HAD ALWAYS WORN HELMETS stopped riding motorcycles rather than be dictated to or preached to by people who cannot keep their noses out of other people's lives. This is the cost of safety lies.

I was climbing an extremely steep climb at something like 2 mph and having to stop every 200 yards or so because it was over 100 degrees. I caught up with some clown who began to tell me that I should always wear a helmet no matter what. Then he proceeded to tell me that he had been riding DOWN this same cliff face, slid into the next lane where a car was coming straight at him. The car veared off the road and down into the creek and this guy fell ON TOP of the car completely unhurt never hitting his head or sustaining any injuries at all but the car was totaled. This, he concluded, was why I should always wear a helmet.

You can look at virtually ANY "safety" web site or read any "safety" brochures and virtually EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM will quote the discredited Thompson, Rivara, Thompson study that claimed 86% reduction in head injuries by helmets. Not ONE of them is interested in truth. All are interested in pressing their agenda regardless of the cost to anyone else.

You know what, I don't give a **** what the reasons are that people prefer to stop something rather than be told when and how to do it by stupid fools. The fact is that is EXACTLY what happens.