I missed the episode. I've always enjoyed 20/20 but I have not watched it in quite some time now.

I do agree with the idea that in America we have too many fears about stuff that just ain't gonna happen.

In any case, whether or not a bike helmet will do what it's supposed to do, I can tell you that if I hit my head with a big rock and I'm not wearing the helmet it hurts more than if I am wearing it, so in the interest of pain, I'll keep wearing it. It's also a handy place to put more blinking lights.

I think the show had more to with worrying about something that might happen as opposed to not worrying about something that is much more likely to happen. Trying to eliminate all risks (but it'll never happen)

1. Pulled off a bike by a dog that was afraid of drainage grates (I didn't know it until I hit the ground when she stopped).

2. Jumped off a water check on a mountain bike. Forgot to hold on to the left handlebar grip. Dirt hurts worse than pavement.

3. Standing and charging up a hill, the chain slipped and smacked me into the ground.

4. Blown by a 35+ mph tailwind, I missed a corner and hit a curb at around 30 mph. My bike stopped, I didn't. I smacked the ground on my helmet above my right eye, rotated around that point and landed flat on my back, looking at a beautiful blue sky. Ow!

There were also a couple of slide outs on gravel that I ended up tapping my helmet on the ground.

The only time I was ever hit by a car, I didn't even come close to hitting my head...even after doing my very best superman across his hood. Go figure.

I liked the end part of the show where they showed the "risk takers" and their lust for life. How about the base jumper, driving like a "grandma" and saying the most dangerous part of his day is the drive to the jump.

Ending off with the obsevation that there has never been a safer, more advantaged time in history contrasts all those who worry about anything and everything, with no basis in rationality.

Propaganda, slander.

Thank you, I didn't see the first video when I watched that one, but when I did watch the first one I stopped half way and watched your's again.

Some dumb people at 20/20.

Here's another case of a dumb journalist, but this doesn't surprise me coming from John Stossel! Man, don't take the word of a village idiot about helmets, in fact don't take his word for anything; go down to your local emergency room, your local EMT or firestation, your police and ask them about the validity of wearing a helmet. You will find an overwhelming support for helmets because they've seen them work and they've seen those die or suffer major brain trama that would not have been all that serious if they had worn a helmet.

If you think that John Stossel is correct then go ahead and ride without a helmet...but I wonder if John Stossel would be willing to face a lawsuit should someone be seriously injured or killed because they followed his advice?

Would anyone here give up riding your bike to work because there might be a possibility of being hurt badly by an injury? (non-head)

I'll go you one better - would anyone here give up riding period if helmets were illegal?

Don't worry about him. I ride, lots. I ride hard. Stuff happens. Stuff happens unexpectedly which is why I wear a helmet when I ride, safety glasses in the lab, a hard hat in hard hat areas and birth control Anybody who says they've never crashed isn't trying hard enough.

I commute on a bike whenever the weather is decent, and have been doing so for over 30 years...do you think I'm concerned about being injured? No, but I'm not reckless either, thinking that could never happen to me.

Ok now lets play fantasy land, if helmets were ever made illegal I would probably stop riding! Why? Because I've had enough accidents and seen enough accidents and know people who had accidents to know that helmets save lives.

But fortunately helmets will never become illegal because common sense prevails over the likes of an idiot like John Stossel!!

Ok but, I'm trying to get an idea where peoples fear resides.

A life altering brain injury?

Or will the fear of falling down, skinning an elbow or knee keep you off a bicycle?

Neither the possiblity or a brain injury or skinning an elbow or breaking a collar bone whatever would keep me off the bike. Even though I wear a helmet that is not a guarantee that nothing will ever happen to my head as long as that impenetrable "force shield" is surrounding my brain. But if helmets in the make pretend world of yours became illegal then I would probably not ride anymore, because I know that even a seemily minor accident can cause major problems if you wack your head. I had a cousin that wacked his head on a curb without a helmet doing about 5mph because a car struck his bike but not him...he is on permanent disability and has been for 20 years. I wear a helmet because I think my brains are worth the expense, heat and weight of the helmet; without the helmet my brains are worth not riding the bike, and I would find something else to do.

so...does it matter how someone ends up with a brain injury?

From riding a bike, motorcycle, birth defect, illness? Would it matter more or less to the family of the victim how their loved one ended up in the state they're in?

Is it important that if it is possible to easily prevent the condition in the majority of cases, those measures should be taken?

(remember, the show and this particular segment, has a point)

Yes it is important because the majority of cases is that those without helmets suffer major to grave injuries when the head is involved vs those with a helmet. As far as the possiblity of a major or grave head injury with a helmet, of course that would be devasting to the family of the victim...but so would a car crash if grave injuries came about even though the victim wore seatbelts and the air bags deployed. You cannot be protected from every possible hazard-it's impossible; but you can at least try to reduce the chances of severe injury or death, and that's what helmets, seatbelts and airbags do.

Personally I disagree with airbags in cars when a harness system much like race cars except made simplier to apply, could be used at a far lower cost to the price of a car new or to repair after an accident; but that's another subjuect.

so, if it is possible to make a significant reduction in the majority of brain injury victims, that's a reasonable course to take? If you can be protected from brain injury, you should take it?

ALWAYS wear a helmet while bicycling.

thank you for that socalrider.

Yes, that's why I wear a helmet, and thats why anybody who knows anything wears a helmet, and that's why a lot of states require helmets to worn while riding on motorcycles, because safety officials, consumer unions, insurance companies, medical community all know that helmets make a significant reduction of the majority of brain injuries.

I have read the Culture of Fear. It is definitely an interesting take on our culture and how the news realizes that fear sells. Good book and one that I would reccomend to others.

As to its implications on bike helmets, I leave that up to each of you to decide after reading.

Thats an interesting take because the show focuses on misguided views with the best of intentions. Unintended consequences. People driving instead of flying, avoiding inoculations and contracting diseases.

80% of brain injury is due to aquiring brain injury, primarily through heart attacks and strokes. Something simply riding a bicycle can have a signficant effect in reduction. Around 1% of brain injuries are due to bicycle accidents, so what could be most effective in reducing brain injury? Even if the most optimistic estimates by the most enthusiastic promoters are true, the best bicycle helmets can do is reduce brain injury by 1%, whereas simply riding a bike could reduce brain injury by many times that amount.

https://www.elbowvalleycc.org/evccbhl.html

Mayer Hillman explains the benefit from the health far exceeds the risks

https://ourworld.compuserve.com/homep...fety/mayer.htm

The Irish Medical Times says the same

https://www.magma.ca/~ocbc/keating.htm

Accident Analysis & Prevention has a view about brain injury and bicycle helmets

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science...069370d1e6f59f

as does the Snell Memorial foundations founder, Dr. George Shively,

". . . it is impossible to build a helmet that will offer significant impact protection."

The show is about looking at things in a different way. To think critically. See what has been missed.

I've seen reference to that study (the one that shows motorists driving closer to a cyclist wearing a helmet) on here for almost two years now. I even read the in depth study itself, though I can not find a link to it any more. But the study is somewhat one sided and really has no control to it.
Take a cyclist, slap a helmet on him, and stick him on a suburban arterial thruway in the middle of rush hour... yeah, people are going to pass closer just because of their frustration.
Now take the same cyclist, leave him helmetless, and place him on a residential street in an area why cyclists are plenty at thee o'clock in the afternoon... people are used to cyclists and give him a wide birth.
see the problem with this study?
They should have performed it at the same place and time using the exact same drivers under the exact same circumstances, though this is somewhat impossible.
My point being, this study, and all like it, have really never had any consistancy to them.

Thermite isn't a "media fabrication", it's a real thing. Maybe the media in the States have made wild claims for it, but it's pretty fun stuff. A small pile of thermite, lit on the hood of a car, can melt right through the engine block. The thing is, lighting thermite is very difficult, and requires (usually) a magnesium fuse.

That articre started off being about helmets but wandered off on some vague sidetrip about kids getting poisoned with aspirin and contracting asthma because their house is too clean, all too confusing for this simple mind.

So what's the conclusion? do we wear helmets when riding in the dirt so we dont get asthma, and if we do get asthma don't take aspirin because it might poison us even if we're wearing our helmet when taking it? and what about wearing a wig, what's that all about? do we have to wear wigs to ride our bicycles now? and will we get asthma if we wash our wigs too often? I'm confused.... I'm going for a bike ride, where's my wig... oh no it's in the wash! better take my inhaler then.

I think it's a shame that you think cycling is that dangerous that you wouldn't ride if they outlawed the things. There's nothing wrong with wanting to INCREASE your safety, but this perception of cycling being so dangerous that it should not be risked without a helmet is probably a big reason why it never will be a serious transportation option to more than a tiny percentage of Americans.