One argument for helmets....
 

Hi folks,

My intent isn't to re-ignite the whole should you vs. shouldn't you debate, that ship has sailed.
Those who don't want to, aren't going to. Those that do, will mostly continue to do so.

For those on the fence, this is perhaps something to consider. Was this cyclist engaging in risky behavior?... absolutely. Is it possible that during a commute, we also might find a piece of sketchy pavement, loose gravel/sand, or puddle hidden pothole? For sure. Would this girl have been similarly injured even if she was wearing a helmet?.... we'll never know. After reading her post, I believe she'll be wearing one from now on.

gruesome photo

http://southerndecay.com/post/172380315

Good Post.

:popcorn

I knew someone would show up with popcorn... is it real butter, or the fake yellow fluid from the theater?

I hate to disappoint ;)

Fake if the page count ends up being less than 3, - real otherwise.

An interesting poll might be to ask how many people are on the fence enough that they could be convinced one way or another.

Ooh! Thanks for bringing the popcorn!

I always wear a helmet... because that's where my mirror is attached!

Doesn't matter if it is real or fake as long as it tastes good!

I'm pro-helmet, but I would say that there's a difference between racing like rebecca rae was and more careful riding.

Just sayin'.




And I like the cheap imitation butter.

I'd say I'm on the fence, but it's more accurate to say that I'm trying to determine what situation require wearing a helmet. I always do when commuting, but if I was touring in the middle of nowhere with no traffic? I don't know.

Good post.
I'm definitely on the fence here and need more information.
Is real butter better for you? Or is the fake yellow oil healthier? Which has more cholesterol?

I'm pro helmet although if I hadn't found a helmet that fit properly and comfortably, I probably would have ended up riding without a helmet. The first 5 or 6 helmets I tried fit so badly each of them gave me a headache. My current summer and winter helmets fit perfectly and I happily wear one of them on every ride.

aren't paramedics great? when I did my head plant the paramedic drew a picture of what my head looked like. "you know what an orange looks like when you squish it and the skin cracks open?"

Increasing Cranial Pressure, bad odds.

I know one thing, I wasn't prepared for the photo.

+1
-Gene-

I did put in the warning, it's not for the squeamish. I've altered my warning so that it won't be overlooked.

One other thing, I hope Ms. Rebecca Rae is fine and that she lives a long and prosperous life... but I'm sure glad that's not my scalp.

:roflmao2:

...well played!


edit- to keep on topic, it's amazing that she's able to tell a cohesive story, let alone type it out, considering the extent of her injuries. I'm team helmet, with the full understanding that many accidents will still hurt me...but also, as mentioned earlier, I prefer my mirror mounted to my helmet than to my sunglasses (especially at night time)

I was expecting a LOT worse, to be honest.

Seriously, I was thinking something ridiculous.

If you are mountain biking/racing you NEED a helmet. All other riding, it's pretty optional.

I ride with a helmet. Have been doing so for the last 5 years. I haven't needed it yet, but a guy I frequently ride with did land on his head after getting a small stick hooked up in his front wheel.

Until you need it.

What's amazing is that this kind of bull$hit is spouted by people who're supposed to know something about brain injuries, like doctors. Any honest person with an IQ of over 70 would have to admit that he or she has NO clue what kind of injuries would have resulted from just seeing a smashed up helmet. There simply isn't sufficient information. Those brain surgeons are not as smart as the sayings would have us believe.

It doesn't matter if he dealt with those injuries before. The point is that he treats a helmeted rider, he does not know what his injuries would have been had he not had a helmet. And when he treats a helmetless rider, he has no idea what his helmet would look like had he been wearing one.

If he treats a helmeted rider and next a helmetless rider, and the helmetless rider has worse injuries, he can't say whether that's due to not wearing helmet or just because the helmetless chap got into a more severe collision. Even knowing circumstances of the crashes does not always help, because two very similar-sounding crashes can produce drastically different injuries. Moreover, even consistently seeing helmeted riders with less significant injuries on average is no proof for anything. The answer could be as simple as the fact that riders who wear helmets are more likely to have average or above average income (and thus have health insurance) and concerned with their health in the first place, while helmetless riders are more likely to be poor (no insurance) and not as safety-conscious. As a result, the former will see the doctor even when their injuries are relatively minor, while the latter are more likely to avoid a visit to the doctor unless things are really bad.

That's all fine, of course. But you're using a completely unsubstantiated claim to support your view, that's all I'm pointing out.

Just like carrying a loaded gun while biking in the big city, eh?

Not wearing a helmet is unamerican!

Which is basically the logic the anti-helmet crowd uses to support their views.

Think about it though. A smashed helmet has to absorb a given amount of energy during the crash, that goes witout saying. The larger question is what would have absorbed that energy had the helmet not been present and would that noggin have been able to without serious injury.

There's also the matter of friction. Bare skin against hot asphalt certainly doesn't have the slick friction coefficient that a smooth helmet does either. Subsequently... and barring an engineering study of the exact amount, it's pretty easy to surmise that a certain amount of protection is provided by a helmet.

Now I'm with you on the speculation part, but a certain level is just plain common sense.

I wear a helmet for my family. If I get in an accident and they're left spoon feeding a drooling old man it won't be because I didn't try.