Originally Posted by
PunkRockMD
Ok, so I am new to this sport and am curious about helmet use. Working in the ER for a few years now shows me anecdotally that more head injuries occur without a helmet. As a scientist, I dont take these personal figures to heart. I started reading this thread in hopes of some scientific data that presented the case for or against helmets based on a study of head trauma and helmet use, but after reading a few pages I was seeing that that was not the direction the thread was heading.
The best source I foudn supporting helmet use was this, http://www.iihs.org/research/fatalit...cles&year=2009, which I hope has already been posted. I was unable to find any reliable sources in which helmets were deemed an accessory with little impact on rider safety. Rather than read these 180 pages of bickering without sources, are there any arguments against the IIHS data? If so, are there sources for this argument?
It looks convincing but the major issue I have with this is that it does not speak to the actual level of risk. Another way to put it, if 37 is the most common winning lottery number and 54 is the least common, how does choosing one or the other affect my chances to win? What are my chances if I choose 37, good enough to warrant a dollar? Good enough to warrant the time spent checking the ticket, even if it's free? Without knowing the odds of winning in the first place, the statistic is almost meaningless.
Or put it another way. I've seen fatality statistics with respect to lighting strikes, and enough people who are struck die that I believe it would be a good thing to avoid. I could carry a lightning rod wherever I go, and when I see clouds gather a few miles away I'll ground it and stand some ways away. This would reduce the chances of being struck by lightning. Would it be worthwhile? Not if my chances of being struck at any given day are one in 10 billion. One in a hundred, probably so. It depends on the actual risk.