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The hierarchy of helmet need is #1 motorcyclists, #2 drivers, #3 pedestrians–pedestrian head injuries are incredibly common–, and #4 cyclists.
Interesting. I would have assumed cyclists are second given how fast road bikes go and the fact that they normally ride on major roads where cars speeds are well above 60 km/hr.
How did you arrive at your ordering? Was it from an unlinked source?
I'm just going from national injury stats you can find in CDC WONDER and derived reports. Head injuries among American cyclists are a non-issue, far behind practically all other causes of head injuries, and using government powers to force cyclists to wear helmets is a complete waste of everyone's time.
I appreciate the link, but I can't tell if those number are per capita or just raw numbers.
It would make sense that bike numbers are smaller if they are just the raw numbers given that there are probably 100x more cyclists and 1000x more pedestrians than bikers.
If those numbers aren't adjusted for usage then it makes bikes look even more dangerous when you adjust for how often each form of travel is used.
I am both a motorcycle rider and a bicycle rider for decades. While I never-ever got on the motorcycle without a helmet, half of my bicycle rides on the road are without a helmet and the only reason I wear one ever is because it has better venting than a regular cotton cap. I always wear a helmet offroad on the bicycle.
The day the helmet will be mandatory on a bicycle I will sell by bikes, it means cycling is too dangerous to be on a street and the government is incapable of protecting cyclists but by mandating helmets. It's like mandating bulletproof vests in Philadelphia or Baltimore instead of solving the gun violence problem in the cities.
> While I never-ever got on the motorcycle without a helmet, half of my bicycle rides on the road are without a helmet and the only reason I wear one ever is because it has better venting than a regular cotton cap. I always wear a helmet offroad on the bicycle.
Interesting, why don't you wear a helmet on the road?
I assume the reason you always wear a helmet off road is because of all the falls on trails?
I think that cycling on road (not road racing) should be safe enough not to need a helmet; if it does, I don't go on that trip. If I cannot safely use a bicycle around town without a helmet it means a child cannot ever use a bike safely.
Offroad I voluntarily take moderate risks, so I always wear a helmet and gloves (gloves are more for comfort) and sometimes an enduro "light armor" to protect me from tree branches on a single trail. But the equipment I wear is 100% my decision and I want to stay that way.
I appreciate that response. The only thing I have issues with is this statement.
> I think that cycling on road (not road racing) should be safe enough not to need a helmet; if it does, I don't go on that trip.
Would you say the same thing about seatbelts in a car? I just can't figure out how to wrap my mind around not taking a trip if you need safety gear with one mode of transportation and not another.
Fully agree about it should be each person's individual decision.
And nice to run into another cyclist on this site!!
Well, the seatbelt is a complicated situation; I ride motorbikes at 100 mph (160km/h) with no seatbelt (in places where that speed is legal) and I don't feel the need for one, but I wear a seatbelt in the car at 50 km/h. Why? The seatbelt is just there and it has almost zero inconvenience for me to put it on, so I do. Not because I feel safer with a seatbelt at 50 km/h - I do appreciate airbags at that speed.
Bicycle helmets, on the other side, can be inconvenient; also you don't have one with you at any time, like any car has a seatbelt. Bikes are relatively slow, so having a helmet "just in case" mandatory at all times does not make sense for me, maybe for small children to some extent. Just ask yourself: what is next, helmets, balistic armor and knee protectors mandatory by law for pedestrians just because they may be hit by a car, bicycle or fall on the ice? There should be a limit and for me the limit is the mandatory helmet on a bicycle. Yes, I encourage beginners to wear helmets on bicycles on the street, but I would not mandate it, that gives the wrong message that the streets are not safe.
Interesting. I would have assumed cyclists are second given how fast road bikes go and the fact that they normally ride on major roads where cars speeds are well above 60 km/hr.
How did you arrive at your ordering? Was it from an unlinked source?