52% of cyclists spurn helmets (safety nazi alert)

Toronto Sun ^ | 18/04/02 | Natalya Brown

[Squawk 8888]

The kids have got it right when it comes to protecting their heads while they cycle or rollerblade.

Now if someone could just tell their parents.

The Canada Safety Council has found more kids than ever are using helmets to protect their noggins when they ride and skate. The same study shows only 40% of adult cyclists and in-line skaters take the same precaution -- and 52% never do.

This is troubling news, according to Emile Therien, president of the safety council.

"Head injuries account for a stunning 80% of bicycle fatalities," Therien said.

Four out of five parents surveyed for the study said their children wear helmets, but the council is concerned this will drop if parents don't set a better example.

"Children will do what their parents do," said Ray Marchand, council manager for traffic safety and training.

"When they see that their parents are not wearing helmets when they cycle or skate, they will not be inclined to wear one themselves."

The national Ipsos-Reid survey, commissioned by the council and Liberty Mutual Insurance, found adults gave discomfort and a geeky appearance as reasons for not wearing helmets.

The council and Liberty Mutual will hold a press conference today at Sunnybrook Hospital to discuss the importance of wearing helmets when cycling, rollerblading, scootering and skateboarding.

The 1,000 Canadians who completed the survey indicated public information campaigns would be the best way to increase helmet use, followed by safety courses and government regulation.

In Ontario, it is mandatory for cyclists under 18 to wear a helmet. Only one-third of adult cyclists wear one.

Marchand hopes today's press conference will encourage adults to start protecting themselves and their children from injury.

"We want to improve adult's attitudes surrounding safety," Marchand said. "Their children will have a more positive attitude as well."

[Squawk 8888]

This topic is near and dear to me- I've been an avid cyclist for more than 30 years, and I use my bike to commute to work 11km each way. I've never landed on my head.

This looks like it could be a first shot in another campaign to enact bicycle helmet laws. The last time it was attempted in Ontario the government backed off after howls of protest, making the law apply to minors only. Now they may be softening us up so that the rest of us can be treated as children also.

The last time around the safety wonks used deliberate lies about the effectiveness of helmets but were caught out fairly quickly. This time around they're being more slippery- instead of outright lying the're using half-truths. The most glaring example is the claim that 80% of cycling deaths are the result of head injuries; this might be true (though no source is cited) but they conveniently neglect to mention the number of fatalities that occurred among cyclists who were wearing helmets. I strongly suspect that they know the number but it doesn't support their position.

The most chilling quote is the last one, "we want to improve adults' attitudes." It is quite obvious that these people are more interested in social engineering than public safety.

[Hodar]

This topic is near and dear to me- I've been an avid cyclist for more than 30 years, and I use my bike to commute to work 11km each way. I've never landed on my head.

That's why they are called accidents. I too have been a cyclist for 30+ years. I bike X-country, most recently on a 200 mile trip through Texas's hill country. I wore a helmet, and when I flipped my bike, dislocated my shoulder, and landed on my head .. I split my helmet in half. If it weren't for that $30 helmet, I would be dead today. Helmet's aren't heavy, they aren't painful, they save lives, and yes ... they are inconveneint. So are seatbelts and life preservers; but none of them are as inconvenient as a casket or body cast.

[STD]

Canadians are already brain damaged by socialism and re-education.

They don't need helmets in Canuckistan.Theres nothing LEFT to ruin.

[Wm Bach]

"Head injuries account for a stunning 80% of bicycle fatalities," Therien said.

But out of all the people who ride bicycles, what percentage have fatal accidents? Therein lies the rub.

This is a non-issue.

[Wm Bach]

If they look at firearms related deaths, they will find that a stunning nearly 100% of the people in the U.S. whoe suffered fatal gunshots to the head were not wearing helmets. Gosh!

Likewise, the number of traffic fatalities last year shows a similar percentage of non-helmet wearing drivers.

Did I mention all the helmetless people who choked on asparagus in the last six months alone?

[Squawk 8888]

Fair enough, but it sounds like you were involved in a riskier pastime than I am. I stick to pavement and obey traffic rules so the risk is very low compared to dirt riding, and helmets are far less effective on pavement than on dirt or wood. Also, I would never deny you the choice of using one for whatever reason, while the safety wonks are determined to deny me such a choice.

[Tijeras_Slim]

As a vetran of 20 years in the bicycle business and riding, I have crashed more times than I liked, but never hit my head. I started wearing a helmet when I coached Juniors in the 80's (it was the easiest way to get them to wear them consistently) and now wear one whenever I ride. I don't like helmet laws for bikes or motorcycles (which I also ride).

What many of these "safety facists" don't tell you in their statistics is the vast over-representation of "homeless" riders in the fatal accidents. Vagrants who have "dumpster special" bikes and ride them at night, boozed or drugged up, and end up getting killed.

[Kozak]

First off. I am adamantly against mandatory helmet laws for adults.

However, I am an ER physician and see many many people injured in bicycle accidents. Many would not be in the ER if they had had a helmet on. A few would not be in long term care nursing homes where they are permanently planted after their head injury. You can be the best safest rider in the world, but you are still at the mercy of every idiot driver, sudden blowouts, cracks in the pavement etc etc etc. I NEVER ride a bike without one, nor do my children.

Good luck. I hope I never have to see you in my ER......

[Jubal Harshaw]

I agree that you, as an adult, should not be required to use a helmet. However, I would also say that if you don't care enough about your life to use one, then you shouldn't be allowed to take money out of the taxpayer's or insurance ratepayer's pockets should you have an accident. Would you agree to a system whereby you either (1) pay for supplemental health insurance for doing dangerous things, or (2) are simply left to die should you be found injured by doing dangerous things?

[dd5339]

Squawk,

Helmets are effective on pavement. That I'm still here is proof enough. I went down at 35+ mph while trying to shed a wheel sucker one day. Landed on my back and snapped the back of my helmet covered head into the asphalt. The helmet was shattered. All I had, other than some road rash was a headache.

With the above said, it's still a personal choice whether or not to wear a helmet. Just don't ask me, as a taxpayer to foot your long term hospital bill when you screw yourself up.

Semper Fi!

[Squawk 8888]

Good point there, and I can tell you the number is pretty low. Most injuries are broken bones and scrapes.

There are a couple of problems I have with all this hysteria: Firstly, they leave the impression that cycling is dangerous (it ain't), so more parents deny their kids a very healthy activity. In a similar vein, some kids are being forced by the existing helmet laws here to stop cycling because their parents can't afford to replace the $30 helmets that they outgrow in six months. The result is that the "safety" types are contributing to the obesity epidemic, but not to worry, we can always blame it on those eeeevul food companies.

The other problem I have is that the fixation on helmets is distracting from the more serious hazards of cycling- just today at lunchtime I saw a cyclist hauling two kids in a trailer that was attached to his bike with a piece of string. He crossed a road against a red light, then rode on the sidewalk (which is probably the most dangerous thing any cyclist can do). He and the kiddies were all wearing helmets so it must be safe, right? I am also amazed at the number of helmeted cyclists who ride at night with no lights, ride on sidewalks, ride against traffic and turn without looking first.

[spunkets]

"Would you agree to a system whereby you either "

"(1) pay for supplemental health insurance for doing dangerous things,"

Absolutely NOT

or, (2) are simply left to die should you be found injured by doing dangerous things?

Fine, and don't gripe about the cost of the hose.

[dd5339]

Personally I think that those cyclist who are breaking the law, riding the wrong way, running stop lights/signs and what not should be ticketed! Every time they are seen committing some offense by an irate driver, it makes it that much more dangerous for me and my family to cycle.

Semper Fi!

[Jubal Harshaw]

don't gripe about the cost of the hose What does that mean?

[Dewayne]

And that is the crux of the problem. We either foot the bill directly through tax dollars, or increased insurance premiums. Unfortunately, replies such as "It's never happened to me" are foolish, since it's never happened to anyone before it happened to them the first time, and that time it's usually catastrophic.

[Crowcreek]

I NEVER ride a bike without one, nor do my children.

Everybody in my house wears helmet and gloves -- the skid lid saves the head, and the gloves help to save the face & related ortho work . .

I've ridden up to 300 miles in a day, never hit my head -- But I ALWAYS wear a helmet.

Statistically, I think the head hits the pavement after the hands, hips, and shoulders.

[Squawk 8888]

I would also say that if you don't care enough about your life to use one, then you shouldn't be allowed to take money out of the taxpayer's or insurance ratepayer's pockets should you have an accident.
Well, what makes you so certain that "I don't care enough about my life"? I do not ride on sidewalks, I look before changing lanes, I maintain my bike properly, and I obey traffic signals. And face it, with poorer families money enters the safety equation too- that $30 spent on a helmet could be used for lights, mirrors and brake pads and they'd have a bit left over. Also, you seem to forget that the numbers from the Transport Ministry of New South Wales and Carleton University show that using a helmet increases the likelihood of being injured because helmet users crash more often. Finally, you seem to have fallen into the old collectivist trap of claiming that your financial stake gives you the right to dictate other peoples' personal activities, even if that stake was mandated by Big Nanny.

[uncbob]

I've been an avid cyclist for more than 30 years, and I use my bike to commute to work 11km each way. I've never landed on my head.

Both myself and my wife have.
luckily we both were wearing helmets
My fall was my own stupidity but my wife's the result of someone elses

I am against the laws

However there is a saying about Bike Riders and helmets

There are TWO types of riders who wear helmets : those that wear them before they have a fall and those who wear them after

[Crowcreek]

"I saw a cyclist hauling two kids in a trailer that was attached to his bike"

These should be ridiculed severly whenever they are encountered. I see most people have given up those crazy 'kiddie seats'.

[ArrogantBustard]

Any cyclist who doesn't think his head contains anything worth protecting is probably right. I wear a helmet.