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That is just a correaltion between helmet wearing and head injury overall and does not compare individual /similiar accidents or with ot without a helmet - whic is also less thna perfect. Clearly other factors afect the number and extent of injuries. Did they make loads of new cycle paths away from cars for example? We all know that helmets do not prevent accidents but other factors can and do.
well, indeed junkyard - research into whether, to what extent and under what circumstances, helmets are protective/more dangerous needs to be assessed (you'd imagine that a big study using crash-dummies might just do this if they could measure sensible things)
Regardless, the real data seem to show that there is little or no correlation between helmet %s and death/injury rates (even in that BMA analysis where helmet wearing rose dramatically and rapidly - thus the chances of observing an effect (most particularly if they prevent 60% of deaths!) should be maximised). That is likely hugely multifactorial as you suggest and much harder to analyse.
I don't see why the top bit doesn't get done though
scaredypants - Member
hilldodger - I'm very sceptical wrt metanalysis and case-control studies generally, but esp when the BMA papers & correspondence throw up opposing stuff that challenges their apparent findings:
That's the thing though, "people" will gnash and wail at what they call "anecdotal evidence" (aka it happened to me so I know what I'm talking about) and demand 'Peer Reviewed Evidence', then when PRE doesn't fit their preconceptions gnash and wail that 'it's a flawed study'.
Bottom line (IMO) is that in all circumstances I'd rather be ****ted on a helmeted head than a bare one, rotational injuries be beggerd 😉
don't get me wrong, I wear a hat too
but that evidence is no more peer reviewed than "mine" - though both stirred up minor shitstorms when published, exactly because the data are complex and open to differing interpretations
metanalysis - shit in, precise shit out
Wearing a helmet, I feel safer on the roads and that's good enough for me.
Passed a bloke last night, no helmet, no lights - kinda wish I could be that blase about my safety, but riding amongst all the dickheads in cars that ignore me, don't see me etc. I'll stick with what makes me feel protected.
Regardless, the real data seem to show that there is little or no correlation between helmet %s and death/injury rates
TRUE but commonsense and a piss easy study also suggest tshat this is even TRUER [ did I get to scientific there 😉 ]
all circumstances I'd rather be ****ted on a helmeted head than a bare one
the reason they seem to confer no advantage in those studies is because they are not looking at whether in any ACTUAL accident it made a difference just raw stats of number of helmets and number of injuries. It is intelectually interesting as to why that would be the case though and suggest we need to wear helmets and do something else as well.
Friend of mine fell off in local quarry with no lid, he was having proper convulsions and hospital confirmed he had indeed properly cracked his swede. He wore one after that.
"Cycling is basically safe"
About half the cycle commuters in our office have been in hospital after accidents.