Public service announcement: wear a helmet

[OzzieandHarriet]

My DH had a bike accident yesterday that landed him in the ER. He and a friend were on a long bike ride around the city, mostly on trails. On the last leg of their ride, the trail was crowded with runners, walkers, and bikers, and when the friend slowed down to avoid colliding with some people, DH's bike clipped his and they both went down. DH hit his head and was knocked out for a few seconds, and when he came to was confused (though he was able to remember our phone number so his friend could call me). He was whisked to the nearest hospital by ambulance where they checked him out and said he'd had a concussion but was otherwise okay. He seems fine today. Helmet didn't crack but has a dent in the side where it hit the ground (a gravel path). His worst injury is a big scrape on his elbow.

He had another fall a few years ago when someone doored him (accidentally) on a street and he fell backward off the bike. That time, the helmet cracked, but because it hit directly on the back I think it absorbed more of the shock, and he wasn't injured at all.

So for all you kids out there who don't think you need a helmet … think again. You're welcome.

[taekvideo]

Had an incident about a year and a half ago... was riding down a hill in the winter when the ear warmer on my right side was about to fly off from the wind... natural reflex of course I grabbed it with my right hand to prevent that.  Then as luck would have it, I needed to stop suddenly, which I did... using my left hand brake.  For those who don't know, using your front brake while going at a decent speed with only one hand on the handlebars is a bad idea.  It all happened in under a second and I didn't realize what had happened until a few seconds later when the pain started.

Luckily, my helmet's front guard absorbed the shock when I landed literally face first into the pavement... can't say the same for my arms/knees, but those healed in a couple weeks no problem.

PS. I haven't worn those stupid ear warmers since then... I think I gave them away and got a pair that clamps on tight hah.

[sarah8001]

Not biking related, but helmet related: many years ago we had a kid come into the ER where I worked. He had been in an accident during football practice, not wearing a helmet. Coach (volunteer EMT) checked him out, he seemed fine, sent him home, telling his parents to watch him closely. All seemed well. Three days later, his mom found him on the floor in his room. He didn't know his name. He didn't know where he was. He didn't recognize his mom. They got him seen right away, but that kid will never be the same.
Not a single person I treated thought it could happen to them. Every single one thought the odds were on their side. Nobody thinks they will have a serious accident until that sickening, gut wrenching second when their futures are rewritten. Protect your brain.

[Captain and Mrs Slow]

While I do agree for the most part in wearing a helmet I strong oppose making them mandatory and for two reasons. One it's reasonably well known, especially with kids, the more safety gear they get the more indestructible  Alberta Canada just made helmets mandatory and guess what ER visits went up. l they think they are, but that's a minor reason. The real reason is what makes biking safe is pure numbers.

The more bikers the more non bikers pay attention. This plays out every spring in Munich Germany, biker heaven, but the first few days of warm weather the near misses mount until drivers get used to bikers again. Bike helmet laws means fewer people bike thus making it less safe.

[SnackDog]

Wearing a helmet is a no-brainer, so to speak.  Taking extra care on busy paths and avoiding cars are also good advice.   We all know people who have been very seriously injured or killed on bikes, with and without helmets.  I don't know a cycle commuter who has not been hospitalized.  The prevalence of texting motorists (and cyclists!) has made cycling on roads particularly dangerous.  I know cycling deaths are up 40% in Australia, for example, with a high prevalence of crossing traffic turns into (over) cyclists.  Distracted drivers don't see you. If you don't have confirmation that they see you, assume they don't!

[Captain and Mrs Slow]

Regarding Australia again the mandatory helmet laws, want to kill more cyclists make sure they're forced to wear helmets, unlikely but maybe one day the politicians will wake up and realized they screwed badly and revoke the law.

Contrast this NYC and other American cities with brand new bike rental programs, some 40 MILLION rentals to date and not a single death. I'll post if I can find the link.

So wearing a helmet is a great idea as long as it's not made law!!!!!!

[Captain and Mrs Slow]

Sorry my bad, only 23 million, guess the jury is still out

https://news.yahoo.com/23-million-rides-no-deaths-u-bike-share-130952525.html

In fact, experts say no fatalities have been logged in any U.S. public bike share program since the first one launched in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2007. There are now programs in 36 cities, including Chicago, Minneapolis and San Francisco, with new services planned in Tampa, Florida, Boise, Idaho, Portland, Oregon, and elsewhere.

Again contrast that experience to what you just posted, so before you go make sure you write your MP and tell him to cancel the bike helmet law

[LibrarIan]

Nothing wrong with a safety reminder. I wear a helmet as often as I remember to and I hope I never have to use it. Keep riding!

[eyePod]

Use your judgement. If I have to go to CVS which is 1.5 miles away and I'm only riding through the townhome development, not wearing a helmet. Commuting to work 9 miles? Helmet.

Fluke accidents suck and they will continue to suck when they happen. Helmets don't stop fluke accidents.

[OzzieandHarriet]

You can have a fall on even a short ride. Helmets don't stop accidents but they keep them from causing major head injuries.

[horsepoor]

Use your judgement. If I have to go to CVS which is 1.5 miles away and I'm only riding through the townhome development, not wearing a helmet. Commuting to work 9 miles? Helmet.

Fluke accidents suck and they will continue to suck when they happen. Helmets don't stop fluke accidents.

It's always when you least expect it.  I'm not much of a cyclist, but there are so many examples of world-class horseback riders doing something mundane on a highly trained horse, and a freak accident results in a horrid injury or death that could have been mitigated by simply having a helmet on.

Also, helmets are made to absorb the impact so your head doesn't have to.  If you hit your head, destroy the helmet and replace it, even if it doesn't *look* damaged.  The damage can be internal and it won't provide the same protection in a subsequent crash.

[innkeeper77]

I'm a bike commuter, and REALLY need to replace my (10 year old........) helmet. Does anyone here know of which helmets are the best? Best in terms of value, and/or comfort and/or safety? The array of options out there is rather large. My wife and I both bike commute, and wear helmets when we will be around traffic. Better helmet ventilation would be very nice to have, and both helmets are rather old and may not be structurally sound.

[eyePod]

You can have a fall on even a short ride. Helmets don't stop accidents but they keep them from causing major head injuries.

I can trip when walking to the car. I'm not wearing a helmet while walking. We all have to draw lines at some point or else we'll end up in a bubble.

[eyePod]

Use your judgement. If I have to go to CVS which is 1.5 miles away and I'm only riding through the townhome development, not wearing a helmet. Commuting to work 9 miles? Helmet.

Fluke accidents suck and they will continue to suck when they happen. Helmets don't stop fluke accidents.

It's always when you least expect it.  I'm not much of a cyclist, but there are so many examples of world-class horseback riders doing something mundane on a highly trained horse, and a freak accident results in a horrid injury or death that could have been mitigated by simply having a helmet on.

Also, helmets are made to absorb the impact so your head doesn't have to.  If you hit your head, destroy the helmet and replace it, even if it doesn't *look* damaged.  The damage can be internal and it won't provide the same protection in a subsequent crash.

Having a ~1 ton animal come with sharp/hard hooves clomping around/continuing to run away while you're being dragged behind it is probably the issue. The fall alone isn't as dangerous. Now, most times people riding horses are in softer spaces than people riding bikes, but I guess this is all besides the point. I don't force people to wear helmets when they don't want to, and I don't want to try to guilt them into it either.

I do appreciate the reminder that we're not here that long and we should appreciate our time alive while trying not to actively hurt ourselfs.

[horsepoor]

I'm talking about a horse slipping and the rider falling off on concrete at a walk.  Higher up than from a bicycle, but low speed accident on hard ground, no dragging of the rider or horse rolling over rider needed for a traumatic brain injury.

[protostache]

A related PSA: If you damage a helmet in any way, even if it isn't cracked, throw it out and buy a new one. I know it seems consumerist and anti-mustachian, but the way the foam is arranged in those things, they can be completely worthless inside and you'd never know it. This also applies if you drop your helmet from a height of more than a few feet onto something hard like concrete.

[eyePod]

Regarding getting helmets on the cheap, in Philly, CHOP would sell them at really discounted rates due to some $$ from Kohls.  http://www.chop.edu/service/injury-prevention-program/safety-center/bike-safety-products.html
I believe this is common in most large cities. And yes, I do have one, but no, I don't wear it all the time and I'm OK with that.

[austin]

How many people here that drive wear helmets? In the Army you must always wear a helmet when driving or riding in a military vehicle. I've personally taken what would have otherwise been some pretty nasty bumps to the head that were nothing because I had my helmet on.

[Glenstache]

How many people here that drive wear helmets? In the Army you must always wear a helmet when driving or riding in a military vehicle. I've personally taken what would have otherwise been some pretty nasty bumps to the head that were nothing because I had my helmet on.

My car has  a few safety features like seatbelts, antilock brakes, air bags, and a giant steel cage that my bicycle doesn't. I've broken a number of helmets in various crashes, and always wear one when I ride. For the reasons above, I don't think they should be mandatory, though. In some situations, I expect wearing a helmet inside a vehicle would be a good idea (military, construction, racing, etc).

[Runge]

You can have a fall on even a short ride. Helmets don't stop accidents but they keep them from causing major head injuries.

I can trip when walking to the car. I'm not wearing a helmet while walking. We all have to draw lines at some point or else we'll end up in a bubble.

Not sure OzzieandHarriet is advocating for wearing helmets ALL THE TIME. Let's not get carried away here.

[OzzieandHarriet]

You can have a fall on even a short ride. Helmets don't stop accidents but they keep them from causing major head injuries.

I can trip when walking to the car. I'm not wearing a helmet while walking. We all have to draw lines at some point or else we'll end up in a bubble.

Not sure OzzieandHarriet is advocating for wearing helmets ALL THE TIME. Let's not get carried away here.

When walking, you are (a) not going very fast and (b) not so far off the ground and ( c) not balancing on two skinny pieces of rubber and a metal frame that can tip over at any time. Also, when walking what's likely to hit the ground first is not your head.

Somewhat OT, but I read somewhere that we have helmets for cycling now because of T.E. Lawrence's fatal motorcycle accident. He probably wouldn't have died if he'd been wearing a protective helmet (not available at the time).

[JoJo]

I have a step nephew who learned the hard way - riding his bike without a helmet at age 15.  Got hit by an unlicensed, uninsured driver at an intersection.  In addition to broken bones and collapsed lung, his longest lasting injury is the brain injury he got.  Luckily he was able to graduate this year but it was a tough 3 years.

[going2ER]

A local man recently died due to falling off his bicycle and not wearing a helmet. Its so sad since it could have been easily prevented.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1230178-man-dies-after-falling-off-bicycle

[jordanread]

I used to almost never wear a helmet, especially when riding on the street. Since I make it a point to own my space, people are usually very careful when they see me. Not as big of a deal here in Colorado Springs, especially during the summer, though. This city is awesome for bikes. That being said, I almost always wear one now, but not for the standard safety reasons.

1. It's the best place to mount the GoPro (handlebar mount wasn't as smooth).
2. When we take the bikes somewhere, I always put my helmet on before unloading them. I bash myself on that bike rack every time. Not so bad with a helmet.

:-)

[wizlem]

Not to bash on all the anecdotal evidence being provided in this thread but according to this article knowing how to ride safely is so much more valuable.

http://bicyclesafe.com/helmets.html

Helmets are not the safety device that seatbelts are. I'd definately recommend helmets for most riders in america as most do not take the time to educate themselves or just ride in a reckless fashion anyway. I always wear a helmet but I can say that every time I've hit my head when falling from the bike(mostly in icy weather), the helmet being there was the only reason my head contacted the ground.

[Abe]

From my trauma experience, I can say that a low-speed collision with a fall from standing / biking height can cause significant injury, mostly from neck (cervical spine) trauma. Helmets will not prevent those types of injuries. They will help with mitigating the severity of concussions, which can have long-term consequences even if the initial trauma appears minor. If wearing a helmet makes you do dumb things you wouldn't do without a helmet, can't help you there. Bicycle safety lessons are the most important, then the helmet.

[GuitarStv]

I recommend that everyone wear a seatbelt when in a car . . . that doesn't mean that I condone driving the wrong direction on a freeway.  The bike safety argument is of course true.  But stupid.  Nobody here is recommending wearing a helmet over safe cycling.

I'd recommend helmets for every cyclist regardless of risk taking and training.  Sometimes shit happens that is beyond your control.  Preparing for the shit that will eventually happen is just good sense.



(Yes, that's a picture of an antelope jumping into a mountain biker.  He was happy to be wearing a helmet.)

[Carolina on My Mind]

I find it amazing that so few people -- on this forum, of all places! -- bother to learn anything about bike helmets before making pronouncements about how stupid it is to ride without one. 

[Jack]

I find it amazing that so few people -- on this forum, of all places! -- bother to learn anything about bike helmets before making pronouncements about how stupid it is to ride without one.

I find it amazing that so many people -- on this forum, of all places! -- are so damn full of themselves that they assume anyone with the audacity to disagree with them is obviously a drooling moron, which then somehow entitles them to become complete and utter assholes!

(Actually, it's not that amazing.)

[Blindsquirrel]

  Helmet or no is up to you, your choice.  Personal exp is I got hit by a car all most 30 years ago that merged/changed lanes into me at very high speed while riding a motorcycle on the freeway. I remember nothing at all of what happened, just what I was told after the fact.  3 days in a coma, weeks in the hospital, multiple surgeries etc, I would have been 100.0% dead without a helmet. Not a motorcycle rider anymore. :)

[hybrid]

I just got back from a few days visiting an old friend in NJ. On Sunday we rented bikes and rode around Central Park in Manhattan. I almost always wear a helmet, but on my rented bike that day far from home I went without. I rode safely and nothing happened. But I did witness the aftermath of an asshole speed rider - with helmet - after he took out an eight year old who was not wearing a helmet. The eight year old of course never saw it coming. The kid was shaken up pretty badly, but fortunately no one was seriously hurt. Stuff happens everywhere folks, even in the middle of the park on a clear day with no cars. Wear your damn helmet.

[Huffy2k]

Use your judgement. If I have to go to CVS which is 1.5 miles away and I'm only riding through the townhome development, not wearing a helmet. Commuting to work 9 miles? Helmet.

Fluke accidents suck and they will continue to suck when they happen. Helmets don't stop fluke accidents.

I had a very good friend who died of head injuries from a bike accident in his neighborhood.  He was an avid rider and in very good shape. He was riding alone without a helmet.  Nobody saw what happened but an autopsy ruled out any physical ailments (stroke, heart attack, aneurysm, etc).  Perhaps a small animal or deer ran in front of him and he swerved to miss?  Nobody will ever know.

I never ride anywhere or any distance without a helmet.

[BlueMR2]

How many people here that drive wear helmets? In the Army you must always wear a helmet when driving or riding in a military vehicle. I've personally taken what would have otherwise been some pretty nasty bumps to the head that were nothing because I had my helmet on.

On the racetrack yes.  On the road no, because they're illegal.

It is kind of interesting that on the road "safety" means no helmet allowed, airbags yes, and 3 point shoulder harnesses.  "Safety" on the racetrack means helmets yes, airbags no (must be disabled and/or removed before entering the track), and depending on the series, 5, 6, or 7 point harnesses required.

[Captain and Mrs Slow]

I like the approach I'm seeing around Germany. There is no helmet law but it's really unusual to see children without them. Adults it depends. Biking around the city hit and miss (no pun intended) but still not too common. Road cyclists and Mountain bikers rare to see someone without a helmet.

This is the best approach as what makes cycling safe is numbers, the more bikers the more cars are aware. And the more people wear helmets the more acceptable it becomes and the more people will wear them

BTW are their any statistics to show that helmets make biking safer for kids, I mean this is a very recent phenomenon. The baby boomer generation certainly never made kids wear helmets, it's only the grandkids that are being made to wear them.

[cowboysgirlfriend]

I don't bike much any longer, but when I learned as a kid, it was just a given that I had to wear a helmet if I wanted to ride my bike anywhere other than the garden lawn. My parents didn't even suggest that I could ride without one, and the thought never crossed my mind. Bike = helmet.

The same mentality applied to horse riding. In the UK, every riding school will require students to wear a helmet that adheres to EU standards, so the notion of getting on a horse without a helmet just didn't register with me. Then I went to the US where people with no horse experience seem to happily jump on a horse and go up the trails without a helmet, which terrifies me. I am often the only person at our local equestrian events in the US who is wearing a helmet.

It's not that I feel that I'm bulletproof when I wear a helmet, and am thus more reckless because I think I can get away with it, it's just my insurance policy. I do feel safer with a helmet on, but that doesn't automatically make me a dangerous rider. I like to think it just makes me a smart rider. When I wear a helmet on a bike, it doesn't make me feel invincible, it's just comforting to know that if something were to happen, my skull has a sporting chance of staying intact. It actually feels strange not to wear one.