Stealth Cyclist s.

[David Hansen]

On Tue, 15 Mar 2005 07:52:45 -0000 someone who may be "Tony W"
<[email protected]> wrote this:-

>If you have been lurking for any time you must have seen some of the
>extensive debate on helmets.

Agreed.

>If so you would not be coming forward with a simple 'helmets good' statement

Unless he is trolling.



--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me by using the RIP Act 2000.

 

[Ross Hamilton]

On Tue, 15 Mar 2005 08:39:32 +0000 (UTC), Chris Malcolm wrote in
<[email protected]>, seen in uk.rec.cycling:
> Ross Hamilton <[email protected]> writes:
>
[...]
> >I'm bemused by the dark-clothed cyclists who think they're safe
> >because they have a tiny flashing LED attached to the back of the
> >bike.
>
> If you sometimes sit at the front of the upper deck of double-decker
> busses you may have seen those cyclists who attach a flashing red LED
> to the top flap of their rucksack. You can only see the light from the
> front top of a double decker.

Not seen that one yet, although no doubt I shall soon enough.

I have seen the ones who fit a flashing LED in place of the reflector
beneath the saddle and then wear a long coat which covers the thing -
so they now have a dimly flashing coat...


Mind you, on a vaguely-related topic, I have found a use for the
dreaded h-word thingies: you can fit some very nice flashing LEDs to
the back of 'em, which LEDs then seem to confuse the hell out of the
ultra intelligent motorists I encounter. ;-)

--
Ross, in Lincoln
Reply-to address will bounce; replace "junk-trap" with "me" for e-mail

 

[Just zis Guy, you know?]

On Tue, 15 Mar 2005 05:37:08 +0000, Not Responding <[email protected]>
wrote in message <[email protected]>:

>But the original poster's point is interesting; why do people wear
>helmets but eschew lights? The prioritisation is utterly wrong largely
>becuase there are not enough people willing to challenge the "wear a hat
>at all costs" message.

As noted by others, when was the last time you heard cycle safety
promoted in any terms other than "wear a foam hat, it will Save Your
Life[tm]"?


Guy
--
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

"To every complex problem there is a solution which is
simple, neat and wrong" - HL Mencken

 

[Just zis Guy, you know?]

On Tue, 15 Mar 2005 10:40:51 +0100, Erick T. Barkhuis
<[email protected]> wrote in message
<[email protected]>:

>The only thing I don't quite understand yet is how modern industry is
>capable of sending rockets to planets, splitting atoms, transplant vital
>organs....but can't come up with a safe, useful helmet for bicyclists.

Probably because the forces involved are such that the plastic hat is
simply not going to make a difference. I read a report the other day
of a cyclist who died of a broken neck "despite wearing a helmet", and
25% of all cyclist fatalities are due to being crushed to death by
left-turning heavy goods vehicles. Many (most?) of those who die of
head injury will have other mortal injuries as well; once the
pathologist finds a lethal head injury (s)he tends to stop looking for
other causes of death, since the head injury probably killed them
before the ruptured aorta. Maybe.

But I wouldn't worry[1], cycling is not especially dangerous. Less so
than not cycling, anyway.

[1] OK, I admit it, I do worry, but I don't have any illusions about
the protective capabilities of plastic hats against 38T articulated
trucks.


Guy
--
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

"To every complex problem there is a solution which is
simple, neat and wrong" - HL Mencken

 

[Tony W]

"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> As noted by others, when was the last time you heard cycle safety
> promoted in any terms other than "wear a foam hat, it will Save Your
> Life[tm]"?

Tonight -- but it was a County Council officer so incapable of thought --
let alone independent thought.

T

 

[Chris Malcolm]

Erick T. Barkhuis <[email protected]> writes:

>Peter Clinch [on Tue, 15 Mar 2005 08:53:06 +0000] wrote:

>> People who believe a helmet can make a lot of difference are openly
>> invited to post good hard evidence, or links to same, and as yet nobody
>> has been able to do this.

>Neither am I.

>Peter, I snipped a whole bunch from your post, but read it all with
>interest. I have learned something today and yesterday. Thanks!

>The only thing I don't quite understand yet is how modern industry is
>capable of sending rockets to planets, splitting atoms, transplant vital
>organs....but can't come up with a safe, useful helmet for bicyclists.

It's because it's a marketplace. They're in the business to make
money. It's quite clear that cyclists don't want safe useful helmets,
because the manufacturers have already had to lobby once to get the
minimum standards downgraded because cyclists wanted lighter helmets
more than they wanted safe helmets. The helmet manufacturers have done
their research and found that the kind of cyclists who buy helmets
won't buy safe helmets, so why should they bother to make them?

The reason we can send rockets to mars and split atoms, which are much
more difficult than making a safe helmet, is because these enterprises
don't depend on selling the end product to the common man.
--
Chris Malcolm [email protected] +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]

 

[Peter Clinch]

Chris Malcolm wrote:

> It's because it's a marketplace. They're in the business to make
> money. It's quite clear that cyclists don't want safe useful helmets,
> because the manufacturers have already had to lobby once to get the
> minimum standards downgraded because cyclists wanted lighter helmets
> more than they wanted safe helmets.

I think it's probably more "they wanted lighter helmets and were unaware
of the safety compromises being wrought, or indeed were unaware of the
true usefulness of cycle helmets in preventing serious injury[1] in any
case".

Pete.

[1] roughly "bugger all" AFAICT
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/