GrahamS; I’ve got a crate of Export, a bottle of Mount Gay and 50cl of slivovice (Czech plum evil), is this the thread for me? 😀

After a crate of Export I’ll be impressed if you manage to mount that gay, but have fun trying 😀

Looks like a vocal majority of road.cc members are all for compulsory helmet legislation 😕
At least the ones that comment on Facebook posts anyway:

Wiggo entered the helmet debate today, he reckons they should be made compulsory. Let's have a quick vote, who here…

Posted by road.cc on Friday, August 23, 2013

Not sure what that says about mountain bikers versus roadies and the understanding of risk.

You realise while we’re all talking about helmet compulsion we’re not talking about the shocking driving standards that put cyclists in morgues?

Just saying, it’s a very effective diversive technique to avoid the real issue which is most cyclists end up dead because some sad sack can’t drive and should be removed from the road. Lets stop talking about this helmet crap and lets start talking about what will really save lives. Good infrastructure, education, stricter regulation.

but samuri your suggesting that drivers actually have a duty of care to those around them!

that is a really stupid idea, it is every drivers right to speed, use the phone, and kill the odd cyclist!!!

And even more shockingly that government should spend money on cyclists!!!!! that don’t even pay road tax!!!! that don’t buy petrol and pay tax! will never catch on!

I’m right with you samuri. Helmets are a red herring. A smoke screen.

Wearing a helmet doesn’t make cycling safer. It just mitigates a few of the consequences.
It’s not safer to be wearing a helmet when you are hit by an HGV. It’s safer not to get hit by an HGV at all!

I pretty convinced that if a compulsory helmet law was introduced then attention would very quickly switch to another easy smokescreen, like insisting all cyclists should wear high-viz flouro vests.

If we did that they’d start talking about pedal and wheel reflectors or having wing mirrors.

And so on.

Something tells me TJ is reading this thread 😉

This thread’s gone round the same old cycle repeatedly and we seem to just be descending into the same old points scoring and personalisation that it always seems to.

The one thing I have noticed is that the majority of those not in favour of compulsion do still seem to be helmet users based on their statements. Same here.

So the standard “idiot” labelling doesn’t really apply to most of the anti compulsion lot IMO. Blind acceptance of compulsion without addressing driving standards to my mind feels like a large swathe of the population have missed the point.

Shite driving is more accepted by the majority than allowing someone not really engaged in anything particularly dangerous a choice over wearing a polystyrene hat.

The one thing I have noticed is that the majority of those not in favour of compulsion do still seem to be helmet users based on their statements.

Just like last time.

I was going to type something intelligent but then i realised theres only a handful of people posting on this thread that have the intelligence to understand it. Fortunately they protect their intelligence with a helmet.

Here’s my main reason for wearing a helmet anyway:

Nerver had a bad injury walking/running/etc
Been to casualty from a bike accident without a helmet.
Worn a helmet since and hit my head just as hard and never been to casualty since.

Believe what you like / wear what you like.

I have an opinion on this subject, it makes me so mad and upset.

I was going to type something intelligent but then i realised theres only a handful of people posting on this thread that have the intelligence to understand it. Fortunately they protect their intelligence with a helmet.an ad hom would do

Nerver had a bad injury walking/running/etc

Gamblers fallacy – past events do not predict future events
Statistically its as likely as on a bike

The first sentence of my previous post speaks for it’s self.

I’m now off climbing, should I wear a helmet ?

I was going to type something intelligent

So why didn’t you?

Did you bother to read the rest of this thread, mjsmke, or did you just think that your gem of a post was so useful to the debate that you’d post anyway. IME anybody posting something like “Fortunately they protect their intelligence with a helmet.” isn’t actually quite as clever as they think they are.

Is it time for anecdotes now then?

I know/knew somebody who was killed by a head injury whilst walking in the mountains. I don’t know anybody who’s been killed as a result of a head injury on a bike.

Always wear a helmet. Unless they are friends or family I don’t care in the slightest if anyone else does.

What I always find staggering however is the folks that seem to spend their entire lives on this forum. Everytime there is an argument or debate on any topic the usual suspects come out to play.

Serious question, but how do you find the time to continually post on here?

I’m pro helmet, pro compulsion.

The other day I was bringing the kids back from school in their trailer. I had to stop quickly because some folk had stepped out in front of me. Front wheel locked up, slid out and deposited me on the ground unceremoniously. Knee hit first, then hip, then elbow and hand, then my helmet hit the deck. I got that white flash you get when something hits you on the head.

Got up – helmet was knackered, but thankfully my head wasnt.

I am fine today, if a little stiff.

Last year, my father inlaw came off his bike – probably doing a similar speed – he wasn’t wearing a helmet. He died.

To say that one sort of cycling is safe is bit daft.

I get the pro helmet bit (can’t be bothered following TJ’s advice about your anecdote), but how do you think compulsion will improve things? Reference to all the reasoned arguments against compulsion in this thread rather than another anecdote to support your opinion would be handy.

tpbiker. I keep thinking the same thing ?

How can there be so many riding gods that we owe so much to continually posting bollox that no one is interested in !
And then it goes around again and the bollox is re gurgitated by the same boring bastards that keep talking drivel in their self righteous belittling way !

I’ll add my 2 penneth worth and couldn’t give toss what shite others think or do, all this PPE and risk assessment crap is bewildering and in my opinion another form of making riding bikes elitist ! Ooooohhhh look at me I’m so pro I wear a helmet ! Snap out if it !!!!!! It’s riding a **** bike ! A 3 year can do it !

If your exposed to no risk or danger then I can possibly see why your scared not wearing a helmet but if you’ve been shot at and been IED’d a couple of times your exposure to less worrying things become lesser, crossing the road for some is a major obstacle on the way to the office whilst some other may walk straight out into the road and wait in the middle stood on a white line waiting for a gap in the traffic,

This mothering of other people is quite frankly pathetic !
Concentrate on what your doing and **** everyone else, its always the ones who know **** all and do **** all that shout the loudest !

That’s the STW way I think, all mouth and no **** action !

And then it goes around again and the bollox is re gurgitated by the same boring bastards that keep talking drivel in their self righteous belittling way !

I am sure they admire the respect and moderate tone within that post

Concentrate on what your doing and **** everyone else, its always the ones who know **** all and do **** all that shout the loudest !

Oh the ironing

Brilliant post if intentional.

boils my blood when people have an accident then start crying that helmets should be compulsory.
they need to take some responsibility for their own actions instead of shifting blame to the state saying if only it were compulsory.

fwiw i am pro helmet and wear one 99 of the time but forced to wear one that is wrong.
if enforced all that would happen is that it wont be a criminal offence but you will get on the spot fines and even less people will want to cycle..
more people will become obese and the earth will shift off its axis due to fat brits causing cataclysmic repercussions and another ice age..

damn i need to go cycle with a helmet and save the planet

http://www.headinjuryctr-stl.org/statistics.html

Over half the brain injuries were a result of the victim being drunk.
BAN ALCOHOL!

Half the injuries were nothing to do with a motor accident
BAN DOING ANYTHING!

Of the half that were motor vehicle related, presumably quite a lot occurred inside the car and yet they still harp on about cycling helmets. It’s absolute madness!

Wear one if you want (I always do) but knee jerk reactions to media driven hysteria is simply nonsense.

http://t.co/RtAmNc3kCg

Did the pic I posted a bit earlier not work properly, samuri?

I was too busy making my point to look at something you were posting.