Jeremy Vine – Helmets on Bikes in Australia – On Now

Conversely I had a crash where I was told I was lucky NOT to wearing one or I’d likely be paralyzed.

How do we know that helmet wearing saves the NHS money – has anyone worked it out? I would be surprised if it was even possible to calculate

A helmet is most likely to have no impact at all on the outcome of a traffic incident, however in the case of a head injury where it could potentially have some impact – how do we know this saves the NHS money.

For example…if a none helmet collision resulted in death and the same collision with a helmet resulted in 6 months in a coma and then 2 years of rehab….which scenario is cheaper for the NHS?

Anecdotally I’ve heard that the improved motorcycle and car safety measures is part of the reason we are short of organ donors. It was one of the biggest cause of death of healthy young people.

We have some cyclist who may die of brain injuries with plenty of healthy organs to donate 😯

Still anecdotes are why his shit always drags on because my mate Dave fell off his bike and was told he would be dead if he wasn’t wearing a helmet.

Wasn’t Dave but Ben is glad he had a helmet on despite his injuries

Right then, this guy Ben that craigxxl has linked to – looking at his injury it looks to me that the actual injury he suffered was caused by his helmet. The shape of the ‘tear’ in his scalp is the shape of the pressure the helmet would exert in a crash.

That’s not to say the helmet didn’t help, but you cannot say for certain that his injuries would be worse without the helmet. The only thing you can say for certain is that they would be different. Chances are the outcome would be much the same I imagine.

If a similar injury was shown from a rider not wearing a helmet, presumably those who advocate wearing a helmet would use it as an argument to do so…

For what its worth I think its a good thing that people can choose to wear a helmet if they want. Its also a good thing if people can choose not to wear one. What should never happen is for people to be obliged to wear one.

How about motorcycle helmets?
Or seat belts in cars, how do people feel about those?

Personally, as someone who mostly uses bike, foot or public transport, I’d ban them, along with airbags and safety shells for cars. It might make people drive with more awareness of vulnerable road users if they feel more vulnerable.

Ian Bradbury is definitely on to something. One of my Dad’s little gems of wisdom is, to paraphrase “the best safety device you could put in a car would be a massive spike in the middle of the steering wheel”. While its said tongue in cheek its true. How many people would risk half of the daft manoeuvres they do if they didn’t feel so safe and protected?

And, at a slightly different level, the same applies to bikes. Crap brakes? Ride slower and more carefully. And obviously the converse is true. Feel safer and more in control = take more risks.

Oi – CraigXXL – make sure you ref the clickbait source.

@cumberlanddan I like your Dad’s brand of wisdom!

Helmets compulsory here in WA. As are bells. Rear red reflectors, side visible amber reflectors. Oh, and pedal reflectors.

Also, your European legal helmet, isn’t legal here. Helmets here need an Australian / NZ Standards approved sticker. I’ve read about people who’ve been injured wearing a non-australian helmet and their health insurance has declined to pay for medical expenses!

@craigxxl – nothing in the article about the crap driving of the recycling van? No lessons about preventing accidents? No call fot the driver to be prosecuted? Just ‘wear a hat’, because that will (sort of) protect you (a bit), and doesn’t upset the great driving public.

botk – Member
why wouldnt you wear an helmet? (serious question)

1. Because I don`t want to.
2. Because a cycling cap looks better in summer.
3. Because a thick wooly hat is warmer in winter.
4. Because I think its safer to use whats in your head – than whats on it.
5. Because it encourages a certain type of person to identify themselves … which enables me to better avoid them.

And as others have said. Why wouldn’t you wear a helmet when driving (or doing many other things).

I don’t wear a helmet when driving either by the way and I wasn’t wearing a helmet on any of the occasions when I have hit my head causing injury (none of which were when cycling)