[Closed] kids cycling to school without helmets... is it me or?

Shoes are not always necessary. However I tend to wear them as a matter of course.

The problem I have with deciding when to wear a helmet and when not is that without being able to see the future you might make the wrong decision. You (or your kid) might be tootling along the pavement at 10mph and a car pulls out of a driveway, smack. I don't see the point in conducting a mental risk assessment of the whole journey you plan to make any any other journeys you might make whilst out - just wear the damn thing.

I always wear one, it's no different to wearing trousers now. Just do it, stop fannying about. It might save your life one day. Make it a habit and you'll never forget that one crucial day when something unexpected happens. That's kind of the thing about unexpected events, they are unexpected.

I always wear a seatbelt too. I know people who don't always, and they are often forgetting when driving off onto a road. It's as automatic for me as closing the door.

And I know someone will point out that I don't wear one whilst walking. well walking is slower; there's less wind noise in my ears allowing me to hear things; I can stop much more quickly and I have better peripheral awareness.

I don't see the point in conducting a mental risk assessment of the whole journey

My kids school insists on helmets for kids who ride...I insist on my two wearing them...Mrs doesn't tho!

I always wear one both on and off road and get a bit arsey with the couple of older roadies who dont wear one on club runs...my arguement being "it's one of us who has to tell your Mrs you've had a head injury", so it's not just them it affects

Mates lad had an off at a skate park couple of weeks ago..no lid no brain/skulldamage...BUT will have a big scar across his forehead for the rest of his life...I'd like to stop that happening to mine!

See.. having common sense

Cos that always works!

I find it far better than going around completely oblivious to risk

That's not what I am saying is it?

Cos that always works!

Not for anyone!

Common sense is just a way of saying that you can't be bothered to think things through, imo.

I'm about to go to our staff room for a coffee. A bit of roof fell on someone's head in there once, so I'm wearing my helmet just in case.

My uncle John came off his bike when he was 13, and hit his head on the kerb. He ended up brain damaged and unable to live an independant life - he lived with my grandparents until they died in their late 80s, then had to go into a care home. As a result I'd rather be safe than sorry.

common sense is knowing when to stop 😉

He ended up brain damaged and unable to live an independant life

See, we waffle on about choice til the cows come home, then there are stories like this 🙁

Has anyone pointed out the eagerness of the motor industry to get kids wearing helmets yet?

http://www.motoringassist.com/blog/2011/02/24/compulsory-cycle-helmets-uk-initiative/

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/volvo-promotes-cycle-helmets-for-children-26625

A cynical observer might think that they were out to portray cycling as dangerous and shift the blame for road accidents onto the victims...

See, we waffle on about choice til the cows come home, then there are stories like this

Somebody else's uncle fell in the shower and ended up in the same situation.

Has anyone pointed out the eagerness of the motor industry to get kids wearing helmets yet?

Have you seen the GEM leaflet on safe cycling? Front cover shows family cycling, all very sensibly wearing hi-viz vests and helmets; the little lad at the front has his front brake disconnected.

Somebody else's uncle fell in the shower and ended up in the same situation.

Oh right. So because one thing is dangerous, you don't need to take simple steps to help protect another. I get it.

the little lad at the front has his front brake disconnected.

It's for doing barspins, innit.

[img] http://bmx.transworld.net/files/2009/06/15/4-barspin.jp g" target="_blank">http://bmx.transworld.net/files/2009/06/15/4-barspin.jp g"/> &sa=X&ei=7_d9TY3CBcbpOf7piOUG&ved=0CAQQ8wc&usg=AFQjCNE6-OUyUZcxkg1h4bAMe8ZOFADrzA[/img]

(Incidentally, hope all the "riding without a helmet is suicide" brigade never look at the BMX magazines when they're in WH Smith. They'd probably have an aneurysm.)

Oh right. So because one thing is dangerous, you don't need to take simple steps to help protect another. I get it.

Not at all. But taking one example and using it as a reason for blanket behavioural change is a nonsense.

Statistically, the wearing of helmets makes a negligible effect upon the overall health of the population.

A far greater effect is found from people believing that it is too dangerous to ride or walk, so they'll take the car. Bleating on about helmets has this effect; we then end up with overweight adults dying early.

When I see a kid riding to school, I think it's great. I don't care whether or not they're wearing a helmet, because an inactive lifestyle is far more likely to lead to their premature death than a head injury.

Ditto for parent riding; they're setting a good example by riding. I don't care whether or not they're wearing helmets.

Not at all. But taking one example and using it as a reason for blanket behavioural change is a nonsense.

Actually, I found seeing a man in his 50s with a mental age of 9 to be a pretty compelling reason for me to wear a helmet. A seatbelt might not save me in a car crash, and I might still slip in the bathroom despite using non-slip mats - the fact that bad things can still happen despite being sensible and taking precautions doesn't mean the precautions are worthless, especially when there's no downside to it (apart from helmet hair).

But taking one example and using it as a reason for blanket behavioural change is a nonsense.

You think that's only happened once?

Statistically, the wearing of helmets makes a negligible effect upon the overall health of the population.

Depends how you do the statistics. I would suggest that (if you post the same stupid links again TJ I will brain you) if you take the population having head impacts that it would make a significant difference.

Bleating on about helmets has this effect

I don't bleat on about helmets to anyone ever apart from on STW threads where it comes up.

But really - if someone's all set to get out on their bike and someone says 'you should wear a helmet' are they really going to think 'oh well screw that then' ?

If a person is that easily dissuaded then I'm sure they wouldn't commit to cycling as a means of transport for long.

Actually, I found seeing a man in his 50s with a mental age of 9 to be a pretty compelling reason for me to wear a helmet. A seatbelt might not save me in a car crash, and I might still slip in the bathroom despite using non-slip mats - the fact that bad things can still happen despite being sensible and taking precautions doesn't mean the precautions are worthless, especially when there's no downside to it (apart from helmet hair).

I'm sure it did. I'm not saying anyone shouldn't wear helmets or that helmets are vbad.

My mum did a lot of work in an adult neuro ward. She always cuts grapes in half for kids, after seeing the number of kids with brain damage after choking on grapes. How many people on here cut their kids' grapes in half?

But really - if someone's all set to get out on their bike and someone says 'you should wear a helmet' are they really going to think 'oh well screw that then' ?

The perception of danger does put people off riding. That's a given, isn't it?

You think that's only happened once?

I'm buying a [url= http://www.copenhagenize.com/2011/02/australian-call-for-motoring-helmets.html ]motoring helmet[/url] tomorrow. Far more head injuries in cars than on bikes.

What is the point? Teaching them that cycling is an everyday, safe activity? One which can be done wearing normal clothing and without special equipment?

What if you bang your head when falling out of the canoe?

What about shark attacks aracer? You would feel silly then wouldn't you?
[img] [/img]

"What about shark attacks aracer? You would feel silly then wouldn't you?"

This is why I always stick an AK47 down my red lycra tights when going near a canoe.

This thread seems to have now veered slightly off the original topic.

Are you suggesting a helmet would prevent a shark attack, or just that it would prevent any injuries from one? This is obviously a very important issue for me when paddling on the river Severn, given the problems we have with sharks.

aracer - Member

Are you suggesting a helmet would prevent a shark attack, or just that it would prevent any injuries from one?

I don't know? Do we have any stats?

Anecdotally, not wearing a helmet whilst paddling a canoe has resulted in zero incidence of shark attack. I'm far too worried about a helmet attracting the sharks to risk wearing one. I did used to wear a helmet to play canoe polo in swimming pools and never got attacked, but then I was always there with other people, so I reckon the number of boats scared them off. Also never got attacked wearing a helmet paddling down whitewater rivers, but those always had multi-coloured poles hanging above them, doubtless acting as an effective shark deterrent. Don't have either of those to protect me on the river Severn, so I hope you understand my concern.

My uncle was killed when an artic failed to acknowledge his presence at a roundabout. A helmet didn't save him. It bears little relevance to the discussion, but as we're sharing emotive stories then I thought I'd share this.

More people are killed by coconuts each year than sharks. So, you don't need to wear the helmet in the canoe, just when you get out at the beach.

[url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/blog/2011/03/ctc-and-sustrans-launch-petition-against-helmet-compulsion/ ]Topic of the moment again[/url]

CTC are against

Last year our 9 year old son was playing outside our house on a quiet estate with no through traffic for most of the Summer holidays, it was the last week of the holidays when he came in the back door complaining that he had hurt his knee and elbow and saying he had come off his bike, first reaction was have you hit your head? No came the answer, as he came into the house he clearly wasn't walking properly slapping down one of his feet, he was very distressed and in a very short space of time was becoming very confused. He started vomiting which was streaked with blood, at this point we decided that we really needed to go to A&E. We arrived and were sent straight to the childrens day ward, which was fortunately at the end of the day and was quiet, by this time we were finding it very hard to keep our son awake. The Consultant on duty at the time was absolutely brilliant and arranged an MRI scan, it turned out that he had a bleed on the brain and was taken to theatre at our local hospital so he could be transferred to Kings College Hospital In London for emergency surgery to relieve the pressure on his brain and to clear a massive blood clot. We were sent by ambulance in a blues and two's situation, it was the most awful time ever, he was met by the theatre staff at the ambulance entrance, then taken away for over three hours surgery. Came back to ITU at 2.30am ventilated, was woken slowly the next day. He was in Kings for 4 days and was then allowed home. Thankfully he has now fully recovered and has an impressive scar to show for it. My point is that he was only playing on his bike outside our house without a helmet on and it was his handlebars that hit a lamp post that when he fell off bike and as far as we can all work out the handle bars hit the side of his head.