I think as mentioned earlier the data is flawed. I fell at CYB destroyed helmet and pretzeled wheel. No report helmet took all the impact. Just online to get a new one. I know from many offs how my helmet has saved me from injury over the years. No amount of statistics will convince me I'm better off without one. Member of CTC as well and I see the same old data trotted out by them as to why you don't need a helmet a cotten race cap is good enough. Interestingly it tends to be the more senior members view.
Member of CTC as well and I see the same old data trotted out by them as to why you don't need a helmet a cotten race cap is good enough.
Do the CTC really say that about riding at CyB?
Next time someone asks me why I don't really use forums I'll show them this thread.
It's like religion.
You're not hurting anyone except potentially yourself so feel free to do what you want as long as you don't force your beliefs on me. It really is quite simple. Why do you lot try to make others come around to share your views?
It's just pointless.
Any thread with 'helmet' in the title and you know tandem fella will be on it. Again.
Stand by for a controversial opinion.
I think that the CTC may be a tiny bit against helmet compulsion and there fore have a very different slant when presenting the findings on the relative merits of wearing or not wearing one.
The CTC were also very creative with stats when it came to motorcycles sharing bus lanes.
I too am against helmet compulsion but not to the point where I would twist stats to strengthen my argument.
TJ, isn't there a slight inconsistency between
You simply do not know what the outcome would be otherwise
and
Makes injury worse in 30% of cases
What is the control group for the worse cases? Case control studies for this type of intervention with matching will be unreliable. I could however design the ideal prospective randomized clinical study of helmet protection, but sadly short of training rats to ride bikes, I'd never get past the ethics committee.
As someone who split my last helmet two months ago in a sideways fall (collarbone fractured 🙁 ), I'm of the opinion that they are beneficial, on balance. And shall continue to wear one off road and in traffic.
djaustin - the 30% rotational injury was found in an experimental study. Dummies in helmets fired from bikes at various trajectories and the resultant rotational accelerations in the skull measured. It found 30% high enough to cause damage. I can't find the reference right now. There have been a few studies done in that way with differing results. but all show the effect even the TRL which is very pro helmet.
You are right - its completely impossible to ascertain after the event if someone gets a DIA (Diffuse axon injury) if the helmet helped or hindered.
Its a shame about the ethic committee thing. a decent study would advance knowledge a lot 🙂
Going waaaay back to page 1...
the neurosurgeon argument is he would rather have a focal injury that (sic) a Diffuse one.
I'd rather get hit in the head with a diffuse pillow than a focal hammer...
I've had a decent look at those ctc studies and also the ones they link to.
its great what you can prove when you are sampling from instances of the result you are trying to prove, innit! 😆
[img] 
[/img]
I do most sincerely hope that the Omniscient Medical Professional never has a crash without a helmet....
Seriously.
