Originally Posted by
Stadjer
I don't think that's a fair comparison. Allthough a seatbelt prevents people from beeing slung out of the car and landing safely on that truck full of hay that happened to pass by, in allmost all crashes it does a good job at limiting injury. The bicycle helmet is more like 'this is the only thing I can think of that makes me a bit less vulnerable, so I'll wear it.'
Which could make cycling a lot safer. I'm not going to tell people in a much more unsafe cycling environment than I'm in to ride helmetfree. But for the sake of cycling, I believe everybody should keep in mind there's no such thing as a bicycle helmet, it's a traffic helmet or a sports helmet. The percieved need to wear one doesn't come from the bicycle itself.
As far as bike helmets... if the issue is bike vs car accidents, then there is less of a chance of injury in a park or on a bike path. Of course, there are single bike accidents, or bike/bike or bike/pedestrian accidents. However, I don't think I've ever hit my head, even with a couple of low-speed flops.
It is rare that I have overheating issues with a bike helmet, but perhaps related to low speed (less ventilation), and working hard (cargo/hills/etc). I think once I felt the issue with a heavy cargo load, even in the early spring. And, another time on a day that hit > 100°F.
Nonetheless, I agree, for most riding the helmets are a good idea, at least within the parameters they were designed to protect from.
As far as seatbelts. They certainly are life-saving on the freeways. Yet, one has to also realize there are injuries associated with seatbelt use.
https://chiropractorofstlouis.com/bl...hiplash-injury
Noted elsewhere, banging into a steering wheel, dash, windshield, or being ejected from the car may be worse.
There seems to be a point around 10 to 20 MPH where the whiplash injuries are worse than unrestrained injuries.
Even at faster speeds, one frequently reduces speed considerably before collision, so one might be driving at 40 MPH, but impact at 10 MPH.