Why don't you wear a helmet?

[ephany]

Obviously, if you're a regular wearer of your brain bucket, then I'm not talking to you. But I see soooooo many people every day riding without a care in the world when their brains could be splattered across the pavement at any time! Granted, there are no guarantees in life, but it seems like such a simple precaution that could save so much grief. Just ask Dawn Slawta. (Anyone know how she's doing btw?)

On a recent trip up the Eastbank/Springwater, we saw just about every manner of stupidity there is including but not limited to:

*The unstrapped helmet

*The helmet swinging from the handbars
(These first two really baffle me, as it's obviously not a financial issue keeping them from owning a helmet in the first place and they thought about it enough to bring it along...)

*The kids with helmets, parents without (I call this one 'future orphans of America'-- nice modeling mom and dad!)

*The trifecta (no helmet, no lights, dark clothes at night--and after last night I'll have to think of a new term for the trifecta who's also wearing headphones. Any suggestiong?)

I never feel like I can ask/comment out on the road, so I'm resorting to the forum.

If any of you non-helmet wearing riders are reading this, what is your deal?

[tfahrner]

do you wear a helmet when walking, jogging, driving, or bathing? why or why not?

can you present statistical evidence (instead of anecdotal accounts) that riding a bicycle poses a higher risk of head injury per hour or mile of exposure than these other activities?

when bicycles and cars come into violent contact leading to injury or death, do you ascribe danger more to bicycles or to cars? do you believe in making dangerous activities safer, or in compensating to make safe activities even safer so the dangerous activities can continue unchallenged?

can you present evidence that a higher helmet-wearing rate is correlated with a lower head-injury rate among cyclists? i can present evidence of a strong inverse correlation, incidentally.

do you believe that shooting victims, or those living in areas with high rates of gun crime, would be well advised to wear bullet-proof vests? do you believe that women in afghanistan who don't wear burkhas and who are raped or killed are at least partly to blame for their fate? or do you believe instead that those societies or communities need reform?

do you feel threatened by cars? do you drive one? how many tens of thousands of miles have you ridden in the last decade? do you have a tendency to project fear and guilt onto others? do you regard people who fail to mow their lawns, shave their armpits, or otherwise fail to conform to local norms in the disposition of their property, time, and bodies as in need of public pressure tactics to get with the program?

[nishiki]

I decided to wear my helmet everywhere I go now mostly because I don t want to look like a newbie anymore.

[wsbob]

ephany, maybe you could do a little research and provide current specifiactions for the level of protection that bicycle helmets are designed to offer wearers (I'm kind of too lazy to do that). People might benefit from this information as they go through various lines of thought about whether they should or shouldn't have to wear a helmet.

Years back, I understood that Bell bicycle helmets were designed to protect their wearer from the equivalent of a 6' drop, bearing a mass comparable to a specified body weight. That may not seem like much, but if for example, if a person is traveling 15 or so mph, and finds theirself propelled or dumped from a bike, by the time their body makes impact with something, relative speed and the resulting force, possibly being reduced by other less delicate parts of the body breaking the fall first, may, luck willing, fall somewhere within the helmet manufacturing specs.

At any rate, a cyclists chances of coming out of a fall or crash in better condition while wearing a helmet seem likely to be far better than without one. Also, modern helmets, as opposed to those of 20 or so years ago, fit far better, and the ventilation they offer is quite good, even on fairly low priced models.

[Attornatus_Oregonensis]

Folks, it's a really simple question: Why don't you wear a helmet?

It doesn't require detailed inquiries of risk levels of other activities, statistical estimates of traumatic brain injury rates from cycling, or elaborate discussion of one's worldview. It requires only saying why you don't wear a helmet. If you don't want to say, you don't have to. And I don't mean to dissuade you from starting discussion on whatever you want, of course. I only want to point out that it's a really, really simple question.

FYI, I always wear a helmet when I'm on a bike. I evaluate everything I do according to the classic risk-benefit formula (which is also used frequently in setting legal policy): B < P*L

B = Burden of taking a precaution that decreases the risk of loss
P = Probability of a loss from the risk undertaken
L = Size of the loss from the risk undertaken

When, B < P*L, a precaution is justified economically and, in my view, logically.

When B > P*L, a precaution is not warranted. It's economically unprofitable and, given that there are a myriad of risks we expose ourselves to everyday, would produce too great an impediment on the activities of daily living.

IMHO, wearing a helmet while riding a bike: B <<<<<< P*L. Of course, I'm not concerned about my hair and I suspect that explains a lot. An example where B > P*L would be wearing a helmet around the house.

So, why don't you wear a helmet?

[Coop]

I was very happy to be wearing my helmet when I was hit by a car while approaching SE Division on SE 23rd by a car speeding around the corner from Division. I didn't want to make a statement about our reckless car culture by impacting by skull (however thick) on the asphalt. Statistics aside, I was very glad that my helmet was strapped to my noggin. The stakes are too high when the old brain is involved.

As far as wearing a helmet in the bath, I would consider it if there was a possibility that someone would come into my house and slam my head against the wall. Or else I would just pad the walls...

That said... to each their own.

[tfahrner]

Originally Posted by Attornatus_Oregonensis

So, why don't you wear a helmet?

I don't wear a helmet often because I don't believe that non-sport-oriented bicycling on quiet routes about town is sufficiently dangerous to warrant such precautionary measures. I am particularly averse to instilling or reinforcing in the minds of others the ideas that (a) bicycling thus conceived is dangerous enough to require body armor and (b) any dangers that exist in public space are the responsibility of the potential victims to compensate for. I tend to wear a helmet more in the cold/wet months and in the hottest for the hat value. I do think they look rather dorky, and I resent how helmets slow down facial recognition among my neighbors and friends. I think a way forward for our society is to come to resemble those of Northern Europe where bicycling is most common, bicycling casualties are lowest, and helmets are virtually unknown.

[tao]

Originally Posted by tfahrner

...I think a way forward for our society is to come to resemble those of Northern Europe where bicycling is most common, bicycling casualties are lowest, and helmets are virtually unknown.

Well said, I hope I can see this happen in my life time in Portland. I am going to wear my helmet for now.

Stay safe everyone.

[Attornatus_Oregonensis]

Originally Posted by tfahrner

....I think a way forward for our society is to come to resemble those of Northern Europe where bicycling is most common, bicycling casualties are lowest, and helmets are virtually unknown.

That sounds like less of a way forward and more of a goal state. The real issue, of course, is how we get from here to there.

[Tbird]

Originally Posted by Attornatus_Oregonensis

... The real issue, of course, is how we get from here to there.

Easy, start building safe separated bike lanes, and enact "cyclist first" Right of Way Laws designed to protect cyclists against motorists. Let's face it, if it weren't for having to mix in with auto traffic on the open street most folks would feel safe enough to ride anywhere without a helmet.

The real issue is SAFETY. At least perceived safety. Most folks in inner PDX could easily ride a bike to almost anyplace within the city. The fact that only 3.5% actually do ride says that even here in velo-mecca, a vast majority of these folks don't feel safe. Remove cars from the equation, or at least separate them from the equation= BOOM: a greater perception of safety, more folks on bikes and most likely fewer helmets.