indyfabz

Wonder how long it will take this tread to be moved or locked.

Oldhead

The riders in front didn't indicate that the road narrowed?

10 Wheels

Nice Pic...

datlas 

Ouch. Glad he is ok.

Agree you should wear helmet, but you can't always force people to do something even if it's in their best interest.

CNC2204

Major award ....

Looigi

He looks a bit like Homer Simpson in that pic.

Trsnrtr

Hopefully, soon.

OldTryGuy

Glad he is OK and lesson learned???

My helmet has provided protection on numerous occasions. Once riding my motorcycle I went down in a turn a slid on the face shield for some distance. Glade the shield was between the road and my skin.

Not sure if wearing my helmet helped or hindered during my last big crash. Upon landing on my back and head, one of the two cracking noises was my C6. Also had slippage and compression of C5-C6-C7. Had I not been wearing the helmet there is a chance that no injuries other than a concussion might have occurred since the surface of my head would have been able to impact the dirt allowing more extension of my neck rather than compressing it.

The doubt is not enough to tip the scale to no helmet use. Ride safely.

Willbird

The people who do not understand resistance to both wearing a helmet, and resistance to feeling so much "safer" wearing a helmet will never understand. Nor will they ever understand resistance to letting them choose for others what makes sense to do. Personally if cycling were banned in urban centers over a certian population density IMHO more lives would be saved, or ban cars for all I care :-). The statistics are poorly kept but many cycling and cycling/car accidents contain a huge "duh" factor again IMHO.

CNC2204

Ive been hit by cars 3 times, once doing 65 mph on a motorcycle and twice in the last 2 years on bikes.

I play in traffic everyday and the deck is stacked against me.

I have no illusions about helmets. My odds are better [with] than without.

cydewaze

Last month's crash resulted in a cracked helmet. I'm pretty sure that would've been my noggin.

MZilliox

the reasons to say no are foolish at best.

wphamilton

Someone at the office relayed a story to me last week. Decades ago, in another state, a young man and his wife and small child were on a family bicycle outing. Taking it easy, smell the roses ride. The road suddenly turned rough and the mother lost control, falling sideways and hitting her head directly. She had no helmet, and tragically was killed instantly. He allowed that he always wears a helmet, no exceptions, because he thinks of that story. I stumbled through some platitude about doing whatever we think we need, to stay safe.

But what it really reminded me of was our natural tendency to form a psychological dependency when we do things from habit. Let that go long enough, and we'll start to project unrealistic qualities onto the object in question. It had been awhile since I commuted without my helmet, so I resolved to do a week or two bare-headed to flush all of that out. I have to say, it makes the commute a fraction more pleasant, and incrementally more convenient, at the cost of an tiny increase in risk.

mconlonx

How would a helmet have helped? From the looks, the cut and black eye occurred in areas without helmet coverage?

How do you know this; how can you claim this as truth?

Again, you know this, how?

mconlonx

Does the fractional pleasantry and incremental convenience outweigh any doubt or worry due to acknowledgment of minuscule increase in risk?

Most of the time I'm out on a bicycle (and all the time when I'm riding a motorcycle), I wear a helmet. There are times I don't wear a helmet while riding a bike. And I find, aside from a passing thought when setting out and either making an informed decision to bare-head the ride or when I suddenly realize I forgot to grab a helmet, there's really not much nagging doubt or worry about helmet use.

cydewaze

The side of my helmet was cracked and a piece was loose. Since the helmet was between my head and the road, it's only logical that my head would have struck the pavement had the helmet not been in the way, especially considering the force of the impact. Thus, I'm "pretty sure" which is different from 100% certain, in case English isn't your first language.

Look, I have no problems with people who don't want to wear helmets. I think there should be no helmet laws of any kind for bicycles or motorcycles if you're an adult. If someone understands the potential risk and decides for themselves that they don't want to wear one, that doesn't affect me or anyone else but them.

But for me, I choose to wear one and that's my choice, so respect that just as I respect yours.

floridamtb

glad I had mine on Sunday when I was launched over the bars at 20 mph in a chain reaction crash

wphamilton

On a fair weather commute, sure! I usually have it mainly as a prop, legitimacy when walking through the lobby disheveled and dressed rather casual, and to head off any potential nagging. Also one of the VP's used to include my desk as part of his introduction tour - and here's our cyclist who rides to work every day. So I kept it on my desk. Not so much to prevent traumatic head injury.

Bad weather or hard riding, I probably wear one regardless.

ColaJacket

You're braver than I am to ride a bike in the Atlanta area without a helmet. A lot of those drivers are crazy. And the other half are ususally distracted.

GH

wphamilton

It's true, there are aggressive and distracted drivers and many here who just lack the basic skills. Most of my default commute is on the Greenway, though honestly that's more dangerous than the traffic.

You have to keep it in perspective though. Either way the risk of of a head injury is slight, and if it happens it's probably minor. Figure the odds, make a decision, and it doesn't have to be the same decision every day.

mr_bill

So, just when was that last time you resolved to drive your car without seat belts to flush out your projected unrealistic qualities onto an inanimate object? [insert platitude about it's the law here.]

-mr. bill

mr_bill

Only if the helmet is like this:


A CPSC bicycle helmet would have helped there. But do keep up the good FUD. Over and over and over again.

-mr. bill

wphamilton

Assuming as you insist, a disregard for traffic statutes:

An illogical analogy in context, unless you believe that both the probability risk ratios are similar and that there are similar chances of catastrophic consequences. Given that neither is the case I suspect that you haven't given any thought to it.

Risk ratio (serious accident) for seat belts range from .35 to .50 (with some variation due to improved safety equipment). Mortality adjustment is rather more pronounced: .28, ie 72% reduction in mortality Crandall CS, Olson LM, Sklar DP. Mortality reduction with air bag and seat belt use in head-on passenger car collisions

And no, I don't get pulled over for seat belt or any other violation, because I don't commit violations. I figured those odds decades ago.

davegreg

I fully agree. But I still wear a helmet sometimes. At least it's protective to a certain extent.

mconlonx

I had to look up what FUD means: Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt.

Sounds like a good description of the "helmet saved my life!" crowd, and many other of the unfounded claims helmeteers make.

Just because I wear a helmet for my own reasons doesn't mean you should wear one, too.