Helmets For All? Or Just Some?

[BikeBikeBikeBike]

Yep, we are never risk free, anything can happen anywhere. And I agree that helmets should be a personal choice, except when mothers are around because they see it as mandatory.

How many times have we all put that sucker on, rode around the block then promptly attached it to our backpacks or handlebars until we were back within the line of sight of a mother.

 

[oportosanto]

How many times have we all put that sucker on, rode around the block then promptly attached it to our backpacks or handlebars until we were back within the line of sight of a mother.

Yeah, pretty much as I think. On the other hand my kids look at me and think, why do I need to wear the helmet if my dad doesn't wear one? Haha, perks of being a dad!

 

[BikeBikeBikeBike]

Yeah, pretty much as I think. On the other hand my kids look at me and think, why do I need to wear the helmet if my dad doesn't wear one? Haha, perks of being a dad!

True!
The few times I have gone out for a ride with my buddy and his 10 year old he makes me wear a helmet so his son doesn't give him a hard time about wearing his.
Once I showed up for a bbq on bike with no lid, kid didn't skip a beat "Where's your helmet??"

 

[jimmy484]

I'm guilty of not wearing a helmet on a lot of occasions, but in a perfect world I'd wear one every time. Maybe a change in the law is what's needed to make people take the issue more seriously, but we don't have to wear helmets on push bikes here in the UK, and I hope it remains that way. Let people make their own choice - and also their own mistakes. YMMV.....

 

[oportosanto]

True!
The few times I have gone out for a ride with my buddy and his 10 year old he makes me wear a helmet so his son doesn't give him a hard time about wearing his.
Once I showed up for a bbq on bike with no lid, kid didn't skip a beat "Where's your helmet??"

Yep, kids are terrible... We can tell them what we want, but if we don't give the example as well we are in trouble! Either cases, I don't use the helmet usually and that's it!

 

[chrislee99777]

Helmet is very important for us to safe our life.Helmet is the safety armour for the head. Like the skull protects the brain from impacts, the helmet protects the head. Though there are different types of helmets, their structure is almost the similar.

 

[rz3300]

Well when it comes to kids putting on helmets you are not likely to win there, but then again I am pretty bad at wearing a helmet if I am around town and I could probably stand to make a few changes myself. The truth is is that they save lives and if you just do the math the chances of getting into an accident are pretty likely so it is best to be safe.

 

[Jcycle]

Well when it comes to kids putting on helmets you are not likely to win there, but then again I am pretty bad at wearing a helmet if I am around town and I could probably stand to make a few changes myself. The truth is is that they save lives and if you just do the math the chances of getting into an accident are pretty likely so it is best to be safe.

Show me the math then. I don't think you can back that statement up. Regardless, if you ride correctly which includes using a helmet you will be fairly safe. If you choose not to use a helmet you are just a fool. There is no good reason or excuse for riding without one. Period.

 

[Froze]

Show me the math then. I don't think you can back that statement up. Regardless, if you ride correctly which includes using a helmet you will be fairly safe. If you choose not to use a helmet you are just a fool. There is no good reason or excuse for riding without one. Period.

I have to agree with this. You only get one head and one brain so you should protect it as much as you can even if that protection is a small amount it's still better than nothing at all, but I think the protection a helmet gives is fairly substantial. Breaking your head is not the same as breaking your arm.

 

[tes82]

Personally I think all people should be required to wear a helmet when cycling. I know in my area it's not mandatory to wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle which I think is beyond ridiculous. I don't know why anyone would even take the risk of not wearing a helmet when a crash could so easily kill you with a head injury. Same with cycling.

 

[oportosanto]

It's a matter of a habit tes82. I rode a bike all my life and never with a helmet, so what's the point in starting now? Sure, it' safer, so on longer rides maybe I do it, but not on shorter ones.

 

[Jcycle]

It's a matter of a habit tes82. I rode a bike all my life and never with a helmet, so what's the point in starting now? Sure, it' safer, so on longer rides maybe I do it, but not on shorter ones.

I'm sorry, but that is just stupid! Just because you have been doing something dangerous all your life and gotten lucky doesn't mean you will continue to be lucky. The odds are not in your favor. It seems like you are the type of person that will have to suffer a head injury to get the point. Just hope and pray that the injury isn't so severe that you lose the capability to realize you were wrong. You can google for statistics and find a load of accidents that occur on short distance rides. It isn't safe to ride without a helmet just because it is short trip. People are more confident for short trips and often let their guard down to much. This results in more accidents on short trips.

 

[cycle93]

Helmets for all!
Especially children, it teaches them to proper street safety and bike safety. I will always encourage helmets, many people laugh at commuters but bike helmets seriously prevent damage.

 

[Jcycle]

Helmets for all!
Especially children, it teaches them to proper street safety and bike safety. I will always encourage helmets, many people laugh at commuters but bike helmets seriously prevent damage.

I just assume those laughing most already have brain damage from an accident riding without a helmet. Riding without a helmet is stupid and i refuse to let mockery from the ignorant affect me.

 

[oportosanto]

I'm sorry, but that is just stupid! Just because you have been doing something dangerous all your life and gotten lucky doesn't mean you will continue to be lucky. The odds are not in your favor. It seems like you are the type of person that will have to suffer a head injury to get the point. Just hope and pray that the injury isn't so severe that you lose the capability to realize you were wrong. You can google for statistics and find a load of accidents that occur on short distance rides. It isn't safe to ride without a helmet just because it is short trip. People are more confident for short trips and often let their guard down to much. This results in more accidents on short trips.

Glad that you have no issues stating your mind and defining me as a person. Do you even ride a bike?

 

[Jcycle]

Glad that you have no issues stating your mind and defining me as a person. Do you even ride a bike?

Of course I do. What a ridiculous question. I am an avid cyclist and have been most of my life, that is why I'm here. For you to imply otherwise is just rude. After my surgeries that made cycling difficult during recovery I used a stationary bike until I could get outside again. A bicycle was my primary mode of transportation when I was a young adult. I use a recumbent bike in the gym almost daily and I get out and ride a couple miles for fun and exercise 3 to 5 times a week. I maintain my own equipment and buy parts myself to fix and or upgrade. I can tear down and rebuild my bike withe ease. I don't need you implying otherwise just because you don't like a truthful statement I made about your choices.

Before you go off all offended and in a huff, I was defining a behavior as stupid, not you as a person. Pointing out that you seem like the type of person to do things in a certain way, based on your own words and attitude is also a comment on behavior, not a definition of you as a whole, so just quit with the dramatics. Getting all butt hurt hurt and trying to imply that I don't even ride bikes is not going to change anything.

I'm sorry if you don't like it, but riding without a helmet is stupid, especially when the risk is known. Short trips are not safer and it will catch up with you eventually if you don't wear a helmet. I made my statements because safety is important and so that others might see that comfort and style don't matter if you get a cracked skull and that it can happen on short trips just as easily.

I wasn't trying to define you as a person or send you into a tizzy. Believe it or not it wasn't a personal attack, so get over it. Helmets and safety are a serious issue and I'm not going to play nice or try to protect feelings over it. Ultimately the choice is yours. I don't really care or have any emotional investment in what you do.If you want to believe that I'm just a troll that doesn't even cycle, and that riding around without a helmet on what you view as short trips is fine, you have fun with that and enjoy your impending head injury at some future date. I just pointed out a rather ignorant attitude and a stupid behavior for others to see. If you don't like it that is your problem.

 

[Ladyferoz]

I'm sorry, but that is just stupid! Just because you have been doing something dangerous all your life and gotten lucky doesn't mean you will continue to be lucky. The odds are not in your favor. It seems like you are the type of person that will have to suffer a head injury to get the point. Just hope and pray that the injury isn't so severe that you lose the capability to realize you were wrong. You can google for statistics and find a load of accidents that occur on short distance rides. It isn't safe to ride without a helmet just because it is short trip. People are more confident for short trips and often let their guard down to much. This results in more accidents on short trips.

I second this, people often get comfortable with taking chances. Yes, not wearing a helmet can be convenient and one less thing to carry around, but it is also not a good idea. I have fallen off my bike, and even when I was going slowly it hurt a lot, I cannot imagine not wearing a helmet when travelling fast. Anything can happen, and like they say, it is better to be safe than sorry.

 

[JetWing34]

I absolutely think helmets should be mandatory. It should be a federal law in my country. Very common do I see adults and kids ride without one. It's like, why on earth would people on motorcycles not wear a helmet? Same thing with mopeds, bicycles are getting more popular on the road than just the four-wheeled cars you see every day. The local, the state, and the federal government must not turn its back on the cycling world and realize our heads are our number one priority.

 

[Jcycle]

Glad that you have no issues stating your mind and defining me as a person. Do you even ride a bike?

I noticed you aren't even on the forum on days that it doesn't benefit you in another way. I can't out and say it but you know what I mean and that jab implying that I don't ride was uncalled for seeing as how you are probably the one that doesn't have an avid interest cycling. I already pointed out that it was wrong, but I'm just so mad that you pulled that ****.

Put your helmet on and stop being rude to people that disagree with you. I may have come off as mean in my statements, but when somebody knows that what they are doing is dangerous but just rationalizes the behavior and wont see reason the time for hand holding and being polite is over. It's a serious issue.

 

[oportosanto]

Sure, it's correct to wear the helmet as it was to wear a safety belt years ago and no one did. Eventually those are habits that take time to settle in. Also, I've been riding a bike for decades now my friend.