john
interesting that for motorcycles, helmet-less states actually have lower head injury rates too.
to be honest though, once above a certain speed, it really doesn't matter if you have a helmet or not, except clean-up is easier. or you just slide and don't hit your head...
But without a helmet, on a motorcycle, believe me, you don't drive fast and you are really really careful.
The only time i have ever hit my head in a bicycle crash, is when involved with other cyclists, thus i wear a helmet when riding with others.
But i would get really pissed if I was required to put on a helmet to go get groceries. Skill, proficient, and careful riding are 20 times more important then strapping on a helmet (group ride of course you can't control others carefullness..) Go out and do your tumbling drills. err or ride cyclocross.
To increase cycling, it MUST be convenient, as convenient as getting into a car and driving off. My bike is outside and is ready to ride, I can literally be out the door down the street in 10 seconds. This is actually, in my opinion, the number one thing preventing more people from commutting to work or just riding in general. Some days my light training or sprint intervals are done, in regular clothes, I just don't feel like spending 10 minutes changing for 30 minute ride...
Or we should make driving as inconvenient. What's good for the goose is good for the gander! I was being highly sarcastic in a previous email, but it would be so funny to see everyone driving around with helmets on. Yeah and Imagine the environmental impact of all that Foam and plastic !!
----- Original Message ----
From: Harry Phinney
To: obra@list.obra.org
Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 10:00:06 AM
Subject: [OBRA Chat] More helmet war blah, blah
> I work in the public health and epidemiology realm and this is the main
> problem with helmet advocacy...there is NO real data concerning head
> trauma in the ED and helmet usage...
There have most certainly been studies. As an example there were surveys
done in Australia prior to and 1 and 2 years after the imposition of laws
mandating bicycle helmet usage. While the total number of cyclists with head
injuries decreased, this decrease was _less_ than the decrease in the number
of miles/km cycled. In other words head injury _rates_ went up, not down.
Helmet laws have repeatedly been shown to reduce the number of cyclists,
which is not IMO a good thing. If you are interested in studies regarding
the efficacy of bicycle helmets, here is a rather old list:
Williams M
The protective performance of bicyclists' helmets in accidents.
In: Accid Anal Prev (1991 Apr-Jun) 23(2-3):119-31
ACCIDENT ANALYSIS AND PREVENTION
Dorsch MM Woodward AJ Somers RL
Do bicycle safety helmets reduce severity of head injury in real
crashes?
In: Accid Anal Prev (1987 Jun) 19(3):183-90
ACCIDENT ANALYSIS AND PREVENTION
Thompson DC Thompson RS Rivara FP Wolf ME
A case-control study of the effectiveness of bicycle safety helmets
in preventing facial injury.
In: Am J Public Health (1990 Dec) 80(12):1471-4
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Wasserman RC Waller JA Monty MJ Emery AB Robinson DR
Bicyclists, helmets and head injuries: a rider-based study of helmet
use and effectiveness.
In: Am J Public Health (1988 Sep) 78(9):1220-1
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Ginsberg GM Silverberg DS
A cost-benefit analysis of legislation for bicycle safety helmets in
Israel.
In: Am J Public Health (1994 Apr) 84(4):653-6
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Wasserman RC Buccini RV
Helmet protection from head injuries among recreational bicyclists.
In: Am J Sports Med (1990 Jan-Feb) 18(1):96-7
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPORTS MEDICINE
Maimaris C Summers CL Browning C Palmer CR
Injury patterns in cyclists attending an accident and emergency
department: a comparison of helmet wearers and non-wearers [see
comments]
In: BMJ (1994 Jun 11) 308(6943):1537-40
BMJ
Maimaris C Summers CL Browning C Palmer CR
Injury patterns in cyclists attending an accident and emergency
department: a comparison of helmet wearers and non-wearers [see
comments]
In: BMJ (1994 Jun 11) 308(6943):1537-40
BMJ
Thomas S Acton C Nixon J Battistutta D Pitt WR Clark R
Effectiveness of bicycle helmets in preventing head injury in
children: case-control study [see comments]
In: BMJ (1994 Jan 15) 308(6922):173-6
BMJ
Waters EA
Should pedal cyclists wear helmets? A comparison of head injuries
sustained by pedal cyclists and motorcyclists in road traffic
accidents.
In: Injury (1986 Nov) 17(6):372-5
INJURY
Spaite DW Murphy M Criss EA Valenzuela TD Meislin HW
A prospective analysis of injury severity among helmeted and
nonhelmeted bicyclists involved in collisions with motor vehicles.
In: J Trauma (1991 Nov) 31(11):1510-6
JOURNAL OF TRAUMA
McDermott FT Lane JC Brazenor GA Debney EA
The effectiveness of bicyclist helmets: a study of 1710 casualties
[see comments]
In: J Trauma (1993 Jun) 34(6):834-44; discussion 844-5
JOURNAL OF TRAUMA
Bjornstig U Ostrom M Eriksson A Sonntag-Ostrom E
Head and face injuries in bicyclists--with special reference to
possible effects of helmet use.
In: J Trauma (1992 Dec) 33(6):887-93
JOURNAL OF TRAUMA
Thompson RS Rivara FP Thompson DC
A case-control study of the effectiveness of bicycle safety helmets
[see comments]
In: N Engl J Med (1989 May 25) 320(21):1361-7
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
Rivara FP Thompson DC Thompson RS Rogers LW Alexander B Felix D
Bergman AB
The Seattle children's bicycle helmet campaign: changes in helmet use
and head injury admissions.
In: Pediatrics (1994 Apr) 93(4):567-9
PEDIATRICS
_______________________________________________
OBRA mailing list
obra@list.obra.org
http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org