Compulsory Cycle Helmet Wearing (O/T)

[lincs seagull]

I have not rode a cycle for three years now, and would not wear a helmet then, or if I got on a cycle would do now. Unlike a motorcycle helmet, there seems to be no EC or Kite mark, and therefore there has been no proper testing on them.

I have used cycle helmets for 15 odd years all have been tested and have saftey standards which they have to pass

if you have to get one get a GIRO the best brand which are tested for impacts etc and very good value

 

[Gully]

I always wear a helmet when out on my bike, I have got so used to doing so that it feels kind of naked if I am not, that is not to say that I feel invincible when doing so, it gives me some reassurance that my swede is protected if the worse happens.

Most of my recreational cycling was during my last 3 years living in the Netherlands, the country where the cyclist is king, I am not sure if it is the law there but a high percentage of people do wear a helmet. What struck me as being a bit bizarre was how few people riding horses wore helmets, I am sure it is the law in the UK to wear one, surely riding a horse is at least as dangerous as a bicycle.

 

[Marc]

I remembered this thread as I rode into work today and of the roughly 6mile journey I counted just 3 cyclists with Helmets compared to a good 10+ without.......USELESS Cyclist Spotting information for you there

 

[perseus]

Are they allowed to say that helmet would give you protection in the event of an accident or would this be untrue?

It is better for passers-by though. If you do get hit my a car your mashed up brains will not spill out all over the road.

I thought helmets were tested to see if they break when falling off the handlebars. Some of them even cracked falling from this height.

I will not wear a helmet because it is inconvenient, as waste of time and money and I do not like pompous gits telling me what I should wear on my head.

In cold weather, do people wear woolly hats over the of their helmets.

That would be knobheads with condoms.

 

[Pavilionaire]

I think a far more significant change in the law would be to make it compulsory for all cyclists to have lights on their bikes.

The amounts of kids without lights riding all over the pavements and weaving in and out of cars is an absolute disgrace.

Enforcement of "lights on bikes" would prevent far more injury than compulsory helmets.

 

[zefarelly]

agreed pavillionaire, working lights should be compulsory, helmets not, I think if kids learnt a bit of rough and tumble, as well as a cycling proficiency test before being allowe don the road alone this would be far more effective, exactly what we had to do when we where younger, used to cycle 100 miles a week to work and back and never came a cropper

now I dress up in all the gear and wear a crash helmet to go out in my car !!!

 

[Little Piggy]

Now now, whats all this BOLLOCKS I am reading about people excusing cars cycling on the pavement? You can tell an argument is reaching an end as pathetic wanky comments like that pop up!

NO cyclists should not cycle on the pavements. I don't but some people are too scared of the roads as car drivers are a bunch of retards.

To say an emergency services vehicle can not get down the road so you have to park on the pavement is crazy. If your car doesn't fit on the road you don't park there. You park somewhere else. It may be a little further for you to walk to your ultimate destiantion but those are the rules. Not too sure I would like to be around when the fire engine runs down the girl with her pram because she couldn't get down the pavement with it cos the SPUNKMASTER with a Volvo felt more comfortable there, so she had to go into the road.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Is it true that if fire engines can't get down roads because cars have double parked they just push them out the way with the engine?

 

[Marc]

Is it true that if fire engines can't get down roads because cars have double parked they just push them out the way with the engine?

they get out first and try to move them by hand, then if not then barge past 'em!

 

[Pavilionaire]

I'm not quite sure what any of that meant, Miss Piggy. Cars cycling on the pavements??

 

[Rangdo]

they get out first and try to move them by hand, then if not then barge past 'em!

Cool, I'd like to see that. I might push the neighbours car into the middle of the road and set fire to their house.

 

[Easy 10]

I was also uncertain when I read that.
However, Little Piggy made some OUTSTANDING use of capitals her her post, I felt.

 

[Little Piggy]

I'm not quite sure what any of that meant, Miss Piggy. Cars cycling on the pavements??

I am sorry, I confused myself. I meant parking.

Now, if you call me Miss Piggy again, I'll twat you.

 

[Marc]

what?.....PIGS riding CARS on PAVEMENTS?

 

[Little Piggy]

No cars riding... Sorry, bikes parking... No, I mean...

Ahh forget it. You are all Ani.

 

[perseus]

My post on another forum:

Cycle Helmets

It is a fraud and I am just waiting for the time when someone takes a shop to Court for selling a product which is completely useless for a product that is sold more that as a "fancy item" perched up someone's head.

Not only they should not be compulsory, they should be withdrawn from the market as useless. Many of them have already been withdrawn.

The standards have been lowered so that the current ones comply with it. This is also bad practice, bordering on farcical. They cannot make any helmets that are any good as a safety device, so they reduce the standards to fit the product! Then to cap it all they actually want to enforce compulsion to make people wearing funny hats when cycling.

 

[Sorrel]

I'm not a huge fan of people being made to wear cycle helmets. However, this afternoon I saw a car hit a cyclist from the side, and the cyclist cracked her head on the ground pretty hard.

I think a helmet would have helped (though paying attention would have helped the cyclist a lot more). She seemed ok, though the bike was finished.

It's changed my mind a bit about wearing cycle helmets, but I still don't think they should be compulsory.

 

[Life After Bobby]

The British Medical Association has done a complete U-turn and is now in favour of forcing cyclists to wear crash helmets, despite there being no evidence supporting this position.

They haven't really done a U-turn. A BMA report of 1999 on cycle helmets concluded that as current helmet wearing rates are
low, extensive helmet promotion is needed to increase these rates prior to compulsory legislation being introduced.

Similarly, the government recommends the wearing of helmets but has no plans to introduce legislation to make them compulsory although it has said it will review the position from time to time. Again, this is because the government believes the most effective way to increase the relatively low levels of helmet wearing is through encouragement rather than compulsion.

I would strongly suggest that the government will not change their position in this instance simply because the BMA have.

 

[perseus]

Did she hit her bonce? Cycle helmets do not protect the side of the head?

Cricket helmets or horsey helmets may protect this area?

If you are cycling along and get hit in the side, unless it is a mini-roundabout it is usually the car driver who is not looking where he or she is going. Not that that is particularly unusual. Best to be paranoid and expect the worst.

Last time I got hit it was by an unmarked Police car driving on the wrong side of the road, but I expected such things to happen.

Cycle helmets have there uses. Once after being hit from behind by a driver in torrential rain, I wondered as flying through the air whether I would be better off smashing his windscreen with my bonce with a helmet or not. Lucky it was not a bus.

I have not found any evidence that the helmets are any better than bare bonces for bouncing off cars. They might reduce the blood stains. But then I have seen more accidents with pedestrians banging their heads and I am not going to wear one when walking. I remember nearly crashing into a pedestrian lying unconscious on the pavement after slipping and hitting the kerb (assumed). The hospital accident wards are full of such pedestrian incidents.

 

[Sorrel]

Did she hit her bonce? Cycle helmets do not protect the side of the head?

The upper forehead, I'd say. I think a helmet may have helped (that is, if they do help).

As well as the car hitting bike noise, there was an awful sound of popping fruit, and I went towards the accident fearing the worst. Luckily it was actually the sound of fruit being driven over, and not something worse.