gschreckchat@comcast.net

I just feel that when a cyclist is hit by a motor vehicle, the implication is that if they are wearing a helemt they are a victim, but if not, somehow it is their fault. The fact is that seat belts do reduce injuries in an auto accident, but when one is hit by a vehicle, unless there are head injuries, it has little to do with it.

--

George Schreck
gschreckchat@comcast.net
(503) 502-0425

-------------- Original message --------------
From:

> It's not really just a bicycle thing to mention whether a rider was wearing a
> helmet. Most auto accident reports make a statement about the driver or
> passenger wearing a seatbelt or not. It's included because it's the first
> question people hearing about an accident ask. If it's not there you wonder
> "were they wearing a helmet/seatbelt?".
>
> ---- gschreckchat@comcast.net wrote:
> > They mention in in all bicycle injuries. When the woman was crished by a
> truck in downtown Portland this year, they mentioned that she was wearing a
> helmet, as if somehow if she had not been wearing a helment, she would have been
> at fault when the truck crushed her. They also mentioned it when a guy was hit
> at 50 mph, as if a styrofoam beer cooler on his head would have saved him when
> getting hit at 50 mph. Somehow it has become the mantra of all reporters when
> reporting on bicycle/vehicle collissions.
> >
> > --
> >
> > George Schreck
> > gschreckchat@comcast.net
> > (503) 502-0425
> >
> > -------------- Original message --------------
> > From: Erik
> > I like how they fail to mention any head trauma, but point out that he wasn't
> wearing a helmet anyway. As if that would've saved him from an impact that was
> hard enough to throw his bike 20 feet into the air.
> >
> >
> > > Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2008 19:03:20 -0700
> > > From: cdbrandt@gmail.com
> > > To: obra@list.obra.org
> > > Subject: [OBRA Chat] Eugene cyclist killed today
> > >
> > >
> http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=1068
> 79&sid=1&fid=7
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