Why Do We Wear Helmets Anyway?

Al Truscott

Twenty-five years ago, the first compelling evidence on the value of bike helmets was published in the New England Journal of Medicine:

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.105...5253202101

I remember this well, as the lead investigator was a friend and colleague of my, RS "Tommy" Thompson, MD, the Director of Preventive Medicine at Group Health Cooperative, where I recently retired after 35 years. Without this groundbreaking work, we might still be pedaling around in funny little cloth caps with short bills.

A tip of my pointy-tailed Lazer Aero helmet to Tommy, the reluctant progenitor of an entire industry.

bob hiller

Al, I personally know the value of helmets.  In 1992, I crashed my bike during a triathlon and ended up with a broken elbow.  My styro-foam helmet had a removable cloth cover that I took off that night.  The helmet was split open on the left side - totally destroyed.  But I didn't even have a headache.  The helmet did its job.  

 I kept the helmet on display in my "bike shop" at home so our 3 sons could see the importance of wearing a helmet all the time.  They did and never complained. Thanks for the post

rlh2000

I crashed a week ago and my shoulder is still no good, but man, don't want to know what would've happened without a helmet. And that was one block from home. I've been preaching to everyone that helmets aren't just for "real riders" and that no matter if you are just riding 10 mph to the grocery store, don't go a second on your bike without one. One of the best things my parents did was instill that helmets were not optional from when I was a tiny kid. I remember my friends thinking they were too cool to wear helmets, but I always did.

Steve West

A few things I never do:

Drive/ride in a car without a seatbelt,
canoe without a lifejacket,
kayak (whitewater) without a lifejacket and helmet,
bike without a helmet.

100% compliance, 100% of the time.

robin sarner

I have no doubt I would be dead today if I wasn't wearing one during my wipeout three weeks ago.    Loud "crack" at the time and several fractures in my Giro Air Attack.    Now onto a new one.

The are some interesting arguments to NOT wearing a helmet.    At least for commuters types.     I believe a low lower percentage wear helmets in bike friendly countries such as Denmark and Holland.     You folks have probably read some of these articles.       Probably works better in a place where lots of folks are riding bikes.  

Al Truscott

Posted By robin sarner on 22 Jul 2014 07:13 AM

The are some interesting arguments to NOT wearing a helmet.    At least for commuters types.     I believe a low lower percentage wear helmets in bike friendly countries such as Denmark and Holland.     You folks have probably read some of these articles.       Probably works better in a place where lots of folks are riding bikes.  

So I did a quick Google search on arguments against wearing bike helmets. Here are some of the main ones I found, with my response:

• Compulsory helmet use laws may prevent some potential casual cyclists from taking up the sport, thus losing out on the health benefits and societal benefit from fewer cars on the road. --- This is not an argument for an individual to not wear a helmet. I'm worried about the impact on *me* of not wearing a helmet. Others can watch out for themselves.
• People who are riding more slowly are less likely to fall, and the falls they have are less dangerous. --- I only care about protecting myself in case I fall; the frequency of falls does not matter, it only takes one. The downward force on my head will be just as great no matter what my forward speed is; in fact , as any skier or ice skater can tell you, it often hurts worse to fall, and you often have less control while moving slowly, than when you *slide* as much as fall.
• Helmets look geeky. -- Please; I'm *already* wearing spandex and wobbling around precariously on two skinny wheels; it's hard to increase the geek factor.
• Helmets cost too much. -- Maybe if you pay $100. But perfectly fine helmets can be found for $15, or even free; less than the cost of a bike pump or tire.
• We do many other things - like driving - which are inherently dangerous, and yet don't wear helmets for them. And in some countries, the frequency of bike accidents and injuries is equal to or less than those incurred driving. -- That may be true. But it's not an argument to *not* wear a helmet while biking. It is an argument to consider wearing one *while* driving.
• Some studies don't show any decrease in bicycle associated deaths after mandatory helmet laws are instituted. -- I'm not trying to prevent death; I'm much more afraid of ending up a vegetable, someone with brain damage. I don't expect the helmet to save my life; many bicycle deaths among performance cyclists, like me are often caused by neck injuries or massive internal trauma.
• Meta analysis of bicycle helmet studies shows the benefit is less than we initially believed. -- But the benefit is still there, and I want to take advantage of it.
• Then, there's this. -- I don't know what to say; while I am concerned about how close cars come to me when passing, in truth, the vast majority of accidents happen from other causes. In my case, I'm probably the person whom I should fear most when cycling - am I riding too fast downhill? Am I taking risks around a corner or in the rain? Am I not paying attention to the environment around me, like at an aid station, or in group of riders, or the rocks in the road ahead, etc. etc.
• They may be useful for those under 18, but for mature adults … we can make up our own minds. -- I'm reminded of what my CFO used to tell me: "When you're keeping an open mind, make sure your brains don't fall out." Even if adults *don't* need them, what about setting an example for the kids? And if you do get in an accident which causes brain damage or death due to lack of a helmet, how is that going to help your children pay for college?

I could go on, but I really have to get on the trainer for some FTP intervals. And no, I'm not going to wear a helmet. Maybe if I were on rollers ...

robin sarner

right.

certainly will continue to wear a helmet myself.

but a majority of european commuter riders do not wear helmets.    good or bad.