Should we be forced by law to wear a helmet when cycling?

[RootsBooster]

Its never the fault of the cyclists isnt it. So when a cyclist is crushed by a lorry when riding into their blind spot, it's the lorry drivers fault. When a cyclist jumps a red light and is hit by a car, it's the car drivers fault and when a cyclist hits a pedestrian, it's the pedestrian's fault.

Its exactly this lack of humility that causes the rest of those who use the roads to despise cyclists. You refuse to change anything and blame everyone else. There is no need for irrefutable evidence to back up a new law, just there is a chance that whatever the law is trying to stop, happening.

 

Get a helmet, get a high vis jacket and stop jumping onto the footpaths or jumping red lights and you will start to get some respect by other road users. Remember you are a squashy bag of meat that will never win in an accident involving other road users. Stop thinking you are invincible.

 

What you've just done there is given a false premise and then complained about it. You are your own cure for your issues.

[WestTinsley]

I'm not a road cyclist .. but serious off road and road cyclists all wear helmets thesedays .. I think leisure cyclists would be better off using a cycle helmet just for piece of mind..

[Cyclone]

Why must everyone share an uninformed opinion instead of finding out what the evidence actually shows?

 

---------- Post added 14-10-2016 at 13:55 ----------

 

I don't care either way personally, i cycle and don't wear one. But then again a 15 mile pootle on a man made trackway makes me a little blase.

 

I just wondered why all professionals wear helmets,road,MB,triathlon even indoors on tracks. In a sport of potential extremes wouldn't it be more streamlined not to wear one, so the wearing of one must be down to safety ?

 

In motorsport all the cars have roll cages in them, does that mean that your road car should?

 

In sport the issues are very different, there is no traffic for a start, so any argument about helmets causing drivers to pass more closely is negated. Speeds will often be higher. Many bikes riding close together in a competitive fashion. The risk of a fall down to the cyclist themselves is much higher (whilst the risk of a vehicle collision is much lower).

It's not really comparable is it.

 

Personally I ride a helmet when mountain biking, and I don't when commuting. And I've made those decisions after actually looking at the evidence and factors involved.

[willman]

Why must everyone share an uninformed opinion instead of finding out what the evidence actually shows?

 

---------- Post added 14-10-2016 at 13:55 ----------

 

 

In motorsport all the cars have roll cages in them, does that mean that your road car should?

 

In sport the issues are very different, there is no traffic for a start, so any argument about helmets causing drivers to pass more closely is negated. Speeds will often be higher. Many bikes riding close together in a competitive fashion. The risk of a fall down to the cyclist themselves is much higher (whilst the risk of a vehicle collision is much lower).

It's not really comparable is it.

 

Personally I ride a helmet when mountain biking, and I don't when commuting. And I've made those decisions after actually looking at the evidence and factors involved.

 

Is a motorsport car going to be seen driving down my road?

(Although one of my cars has technically got a roll cage design in it.)

 

I accept your assertion about large groups - but the Brownlees train and cycle in a pair and wear a helmet on the roads in traffic ?

 

So do we think they're not aware that its safer to be bare headed or that they're uninformed.?

 

You have to admit its misleading, do we encourage a helmet viz a vie the Brownlees or do we say well it's proven that my child is safer without a helmet so send him off his bike without one.

To be taught at cycling proficiency at school that they have to wear a helmet.

Edited October 14, 2016 by willman

[Cyclone]

About as likely as a velodrome bike I suppose.

 

I think that as I said, they're doing something very different to commuting.

 

It's not my evidence that helmets don't reduce head injuries though, do you think that the studies that showed this were flawed? Your argument is basically an appeal to authority/popularity versus the actual evidence.

 

Do what you like with your child of course, we're discussing a change in the law that would apply to adults as well as children, not your behaviour as a parent.

[willman]

About as likely as a velodrome bike I suppose.

 

I think that as I said, they're doing something very different to commuting.

 

It's not my evidence that helmets don't reduce head injuries though, do you think that the studies that showed this were flawed? Your argument is basically an appeal to authority/popularity versus the actual evidence.

 

Do what you like with your child of course, we're discussing a change in the law that would apply to adults as well as children, not your behaviour as a parent.

 

It isn't an argument ,it's a question. And we aren't simply discussing commuting, we're discussing cycling on the roads.

The op didn't mention her son commuting.

 

I'm simply asking why it appears that an example is always made of wearing a cycle helmet by "role models",tv presenters and by educators when evidence shows that they aren't needed.

(In day to day scenarios - not high speed racing, but day to day cycling and commuting.)

 

I don't doubt or question the evidence presented btw.

[Cyclone]

It's a question I can't answer since I can't read the minds of the people you mentioned and I have no idea what level of knowledge they have of the research surrounding cycling helmets.

 

I also think that they're doing something very different to most cyclists and that a change in the law would be entirely inappropriate for all the reasons that have already been given.

Edited October 14, 2016 by Cyclone

[apelike]

Any barriers to cycling (like compulsory helmets, or registration, or VED or insurance) have an ongoing effect of making the road more dangerous.

 

Can you explain in what way?

[WestTinsley]

maybe some food for thought

 

 

Should I Wear a Bike Helmet?

http://www.bhsi.org/shouldi.htm

 

MIPS and Sliding Resistance of Bicycle Helmets

http://www.bhsi.org/mips.htm

[andrejuan]

I still have not seen or read any evidence that cycle helmets are not beneficial, only evidence that the wrong type or design of helmets worn may not be as beneficial as they could be (but mostly inconclusive or too small a study to be relevant)

 

Motorcyclists do not seem to complain about the design/effectiveness of helmets, but cyclists are very rarely seen wearing that type of helmet, why?

 

It is compulsory to wear a lap type seatbelt in the back of some cars, these are known to cause broken spines in some types of collision. So scrap the wearing of seatbelts in cars? of course not, because a well designed seatbelt will help in most cases.

 

---------- Post added 14-10-2016 at 20:19 ----------

 

Why must everyone share an uninformed opinion instead of finding out what the evidence actually shows?

 

---------- Post added 14-10-2016 at 13:55 ----------

 

 

In motorsport all the cars have roll cages in them, does that mean that your road car should?

In sport the issues are very different, there is no traffic for a start, so any argument about helmets causing drivers to pass more closely is negated. Speeds will often be higher. Many bikes riding close together in a competitive fashion. The risk of a fall down to the cyclist themselves is much higher (whilst the risk of a vehicle collision is much lower).

It's not really comparable is it.

 

Personally I ride a helmet when mountain biking, and I don't when commuting. And I've made those decisions after actually looking at the evidence and factors involved.

 

My bold

All cars sold in this country have a roll cage, side impact beams and front and rear crumple zones.

So yes is the answer to your question.