A Crash Course in Cycling (or, why everyone should be a cyclist)

[Wolfshade]

Unless they start making bike helmets to the same standards as Motorbike helmets it's kinda pointless making them compulsory?

But don't you want a negative injury rate wolfie?

Exactly, there is a massive difference between a cycle and motorcycle helmet.

Unless I was going a stupid speed I wouldn't wear one ([url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFpex_V3O_I[/url])

We have had mandatory helmet laws for a while. Not sure if it impacted the amount of riders.
I would consider it more important to make atv helmets law then pedal bikes tho.
Really tho, not wearing a helmet, like not wearing a seatbelt is unfathomable to meself. Why take an unnecessary risk, but theres always one, like my buddy, that got in one accident 10 years ago not wearing a seatbelt and walked away so now he figures seatbelts aren't as important. The human capacity for justification is unmatched.

I cannot stress this enough, wearing a helmet is not like wearing a seatbelt. The efficacy of the seatbelt is unequivocal, all the research points to it doing more harm than good (there are some studies which show that those suffering restraint have shoulder brusing, but largely conclude that that injury would be less worse than the impact that would have happened without one). Helmet usage the picture is much more murky with very contradictory evidence. There are very few countries with mandatory laws, Canada, Australia and NZ all show decreased cycle usage.

I suppose my biggest issue is that it "dangerizes" the activity which puts people off from partaking and the benefits are outstanding. It is less dangerous than gardening, and the health benefits are massive, it reduces pre-mature death for the user, lower absentism, better physical and mental health. Then if more people did it, it would reduce pollution (bad air quality is already killing people), reduce the cost to health services of being over weight and reduced heart problems. In fact the BCR is so high for cycling that a Coppenhagen study showed that the country actually profits from each mile cycled rather than being a cost.

[Alaric]

Your passion is apparent

There are more factors as well though, in my own area for instance, 3 feet of snow tends to hamper bike riding but this year is qüite mild.

Had no idea it wasnt law to wear seatbelts, neat. The motto around here is "seatbelts save lives" so im not sure who is right truthfully. I will wear mine because id rather have it on then not, but thats my choice to make.
My first question I ask whenever I see any study is "who paid for this study" and often its the company thats trying to push its own agendas. Not saying yours is but its always worth looking up. If a bike helmet company sponsors the study its safe to say "helmets are important " will be the outcome lol

[Wolfshade]

I don't know where you are (I'm guessing Canada) so I can't say what the seat belt laws are. But seat belts aren't helmets. Seatbelts work, there is no argument against.

The agenda for some of the research is really noticeable, you can almost smell the brief, "we want to introduce this, so find evidence to support my view and I give you money "

[Alaric]

I don't know where you are (I'm guessing Canada) so I can't say what the seat belt laws are. But seat belts aren't helmets. Seatbelts work, there is no argument against.

The agenda for some of the research is really noticeable, you can almost smell the brief, "we want to introduce this, so find evidence to support my view and I give you money "

Exactly lol. Exactly.

My bad there, I misread (as usual) and thought you were saying that there was evidence they DIDN'T save lives, which I found interesting if unbelievable :P.

Yerp, I am Canuck. My accent isn't carrying over obviously ill have to say eh and sorry more often.

[Alaric]

Had to laugh, omw to work this morning I actually saw a biker! Its -21C with the wind too, hard core. Damn near smoked him, no high vis, on a back road with no lights...if his bike didn't have a reflector...

also

no helmet.

Just thought it was funny due to our convo the other day....eh

[Wolfshade]

The worst collision I had on my bike wasn't being knocked off my a car, it was when I rode into the back of another chap, it was before dawn with thick fog, he had no lights, no reflectors and was helpfully wearing all black.
I mean you have to wonder about some people...

[Alaric]

Ill roll with "common sense aint so common"

[Haighus]

[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-35539830[/url]
All good, but most importantly, if the artists impression is in any way accurate, then this is actually a segregated, dedicated cycle highway! Wow. Not just some blue paint on the edge of the road.

[Psychosplodge]

One I know Wolfie will love

[Denzark]

I wonder if all the follow on economic benefits that fall out from the health benefits include the following factors:

1. OAPs who have cycled throughout their lives needing new hips or knees earlier.

2. Motorists dying earlier because lycra clad idiots doing things like stopping them driving at the speed limit or hopping onto the pavement to get through red lights, stress the living sh*t out of them.

3. The time and cost to the economy when a road is closed as a crime scene when an idiot cyclist undertakes a lorry in London and is wiped out.

Some how I expect that these 3rd and 4th order effects are ignored in favour of the narrative 'A cyclist isn't a fatty so he costs the NHS less'.