Harry Phinney

I'll offer my own anecdote. I?ve hit my head hard 6 times in bicycle crashes
(well, 7 including a special case wherein the head impact preceded the
crash) wearing everything from a Snell/ANSI bicycle helmet to a simple
cycling cap. The crash wearing a cycling cap occurred during a large
organized century when the tandem I was drafting suffered a broken fork
steerer tube. I ended up with some nasty road rash on the back of my scalp,
but rode ~60 miles home afterwards. I have no doubt that a helmet would have
shown significant damage, and many would have pointed to it as having saved
my life.

> These arguments against brakes and helmets seem very silly, as if taking
laws that attempt to mitigate the
> risks in certian activities violates our liberty.  Sorry, but stupidity is
not a fundamental right.

Brakes and helmets are not equivalent, in that a lack of effective brakes
endangers other people and their property, while the lack of a helmet does
not. Brakes help avoid and prevent accidents, while helmets merely mitigate
the consequences thereof. We are part of the society that passes laws, and
we can and should make our views known. Why is helmetless cycling stupid,
while bicycle racing is (presumably) not? Of what value is racing to
society, and why should it not be banned, since it is clearly dangerous and
increases health care costs? All (with the exception of the above-noted
special case) of my head impacts have occurred during races or large group
rides. For preventing cycling-related head injuries it would IMO be more
effective to ban racing and large group rides than to mandate helmets.

Harry Phinney