Originally Posted by
Liddy
Well, it was an innocent enough question. An invitation for a mutually respectful discussion of the evidence and yet so many replies are characterised by sarcasm! I don't have a closed mind. Quite the contrary. I am a scientist and I tends to make a lot of my decisions based upon evidence.
What is your real evidence (not anecdotal accounts of what you think might happen without a helmet) that wearing a helmet for the different types of riding significantly reduces risk?
Hello Liddy, and firstly, congratulations on entering the world of cycling. Good luck, many safe miles to you
Secondly, you couldn't have chosen a hotter whirlpool of opinion to explore!
I have a point of view. I hope I can express it without seeming any kind of unreasoning advocate, I hope this has a healthy 'signal to noise' ratio. Here goes.
- I think I count as 'some kind of experienced' - used to be a keen schoolboy racer, national finalist, raised the kids on the back of tandems, bike touring holidays every year, bike commuter in London, Paris, New York and Jakarta.
- Only serious injury on a slow family ride. I'm Mr 2 mph broken leg
- Location and speed, in my experience, doesn't predict likelihood of unforeseen incident (like your garage topple?)
- I have both sides of my son's helmet. He was going to college on a rainy day, foot slipped off a pedal as he was pressing hard from a stop, head (helmetted) hit a Curb. Helmet was a goner, he wasn't
Your choice, of course, but in my view exposure to traffic isn't a variable that I'd include in my 'helmet or not' choice.