helmets increase danger
in [UK Drivers]
|
Prev: Proposed Motion of No Confidence in URCM Moderation
Next: Ok cyclists - is this reasonable behaviour?
From: Roland Perry on 12 Apr 2010 08:03 In message <RADwn.98886$Yx6.36653(a)newsfe29.ams2>, at 12:36:14 on Mon, 12 Apr 2010, soup <1(a)2invalid.com> remarked: > The only accident you told us about is one where your face struck the >kerb injuring your teeth and your jaw, so I take it the type of helmet >you wear is the kind that covers your teeth and jaw. No, that sort isn't much use for cyclists. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1092/1120961779_035df9092b.jpg -- Roland Perry
From: Roland Perry on 12 Apr 2010 08:21 In message <37f5cde3-d86f-4c10-af4c-e84f5a288d1f(a)w42g2000yqm.googlegroups.com>, at 05:05:33 on Mon, 12 Apr 2010, Derek C <del.copeland(a)tiscali.co.uk> remarked: >> � The only accident you told us about is one where your face struck the >> kerb injuring your teeth and your jaw, so I take it the type of helmet >> you wear is the kind that covers your teeth and jaw. > >At the time I was 10 years old, back in the 1950's, and I don't >remember there being such things as cycle helmets available then. It >is quite possible that if I had being wearing a helmet, it would have >hit the kerb stone first and reduced or prevented my injuries. Or it could have acted as a lever and twisted your head, causing a significant neck injury. -- Roland Perry
From: Derek C on 12 Apr 2010 08:40 On Apr 12, 1:21 pm, Roland Perry <rol...(a)perry.co.uk> wrote: > In message > <37f5cde3-d86f-4c10-af4c-e84f5a288...(a)w42g2000yqm.googlegroups.com>, at > 05:05:33 on Mon, 12 Apr 2010, Derek C <del.copel...(a)tiscali.co.uk> > remarked: > > >> The only accident you told us about is one where your face struck the > >> kerb injuring your teeth and your jaw, so I take it the type of helmet > >> you wear is the kind that covers your teeth and jaw. > > >At the time I was 10 years old, back in the 1950's, and I don't > >remember there being such things as cycle helmets available then. It > >is quite possible that if I had being wearing a helmet, it would have > >hit the kerb stone first and reduced or prevented my injuries. > > Or it could have acted as a lever and twisted your head, causing a > significant neck injury. > -- > Roland Perry As my head probably twisted anyway, as I went on to explain, I doubt that it would have made any difference. I have fallen off a motor bike in a big way wearing a crash helmet, and also had a couple of big car rallying accidents wearing a helmet without injuring my neck in any way. I have also had several whiplash type injuries to my neck in accidents when I was not wearing a helmet. Only 2% of cyclists involved in accidents have significant neck injuries (DfT road accident statistics). Derek C
From: Roland Perry on 12 Apr 2010 09:00 In message <b4665764-4e5e-4624-b318-854931225fa1(a)g30g2000yqc.googlegroups.com>, at 05:40:25 on Mon, 12 Apr 2010, Derek C <del.copeland(a)tiscali.co.uk> remarked: >> >> � The only accident you told us about is one where your face struck the >> >> kerb injuring your teeth and your jaw, so I take it the type of helmet >> >> you wear is the kind that covers your teeth and jaw. >> >> >At the time I was 10 years old, back in the 1950's, and I don't >> >remember there being such things as cycle helmets available then. It >> >is quite possible that if I had being wearing a helmet, it would have >> >hit the kerb stone first and reduced or prevented my injuries. >> >> Or it could have acted as a lever and twisted your head, causing a >> significant neck injury. > >As my head probably twisted anyway, as I went on to explain, I doubt >that it would have made any difference. It's difficult to say it would had no effect. The leverage of a cycle helmet is quite considerable. >I have fallen off a motor bike in a big way wearing a crash helmet, and >also had a couple of big car rallying accidents wearing a helmet >without injuring my neck in any way. Those sorts of crash helmet are much more spherical than a typical cycle helmet. And in any case, maybe you were just lucky. >I have also had several whiplash type injuries to my neck in >accidents when I was not wearing a helmet. Only 2% of cyclists >involved in accidents have significant neck injuries (DfT road >accident statistics). Maybe that's because many of them aren't wearing helmets? Do the figures say how many of that 2% were and weren't? -- Roland Perry
From: Derek C on 12 Apr 2010 09:19
On Apr 12, 2:00 pm, Roland Perry <rol...(a)perry.co.uk> wrote: > In message > <b4665764-4e5e-4624-b318-854931225...(a)g30g2000yqc.googlegroups.com>, at > 05:40:25 on Mon, 12 Apr 2010, Derek C <del.copel...(a)tiscali.co.uk> > remarked: > > >> >> The only accident you told us about is one where your face struck the > >> >> kerb injuring your teeth and your jaw, so I take it the type of helmet > >> >> you wear is the kind that covers your teeth and jaw. > > >> >At the time I was 10 years old, back in the 1950's, and I don't > >> >remember there being such things as cycle helmets available then. It > >> >is quite possible that if I had being wearing a helmet, it would have > >> >hit the kerb stone first and reduced or prevented my injuries. > > >> Or it could have acted as a lever and twisted your head, causing a > >> significant neck injury. > > >As my head probably twisted anyway, as I went on to explain, I doubt > >that it would have made any difference. > > It's difficult to say it would had no effect. The leverage of a cycle > helmet is quite considerable. > > >I have fallen off a motor bike in a big way wearing a crash helmet, and > >also had a couple of big car rallying accidents wearing a helmet > >without injuring my neck in any way. > > Those sorts of crash helmet are much more spherical than a typical cycle > helmet. And in any case, maybe you were just lucky. So would a more spherical design satisfy the psycholist critics of helmets? > >I have also had several whiplash type injuries to my neck in > >accidents when I was not wearing a helmet. Only 2% of cyclists > >involved in accidents have significant neck injuries (DfT road > >accident statistics). > > Maybe that's because many of them aren't wearing helmets? Do the figures > say how many of that 2% were and weren't? > -- All cyclists taking part in bicycle races and triathlons wear helmets, and I would estimate that nearly half of the bike commuters in Greater London also do so. Derek C |