Is a bike helmet really safe?

Shaz

Recently I fell off my bike and landed on my face, giving me lots of painful facial grazes and cuts...wasn't too nice. I wasn't wearing a helmet at the time but someone told me that it wouldn't have made a difference because I landed on my face and that actually a helmet could have broken my neck or made the injury worse.
Does anyone know if this is true cos it's making me unsure as to whether I should wear a helmet next time I cycle or not?

Answer
In the UK the CTC [1] are against compulsory helmet use. They reason that it has demonstrably damaged the case for cycling in countries where such a law has been introduced.

However, I always wear a helmet. It is sometimes hot and uncomfortable, but I firmly believe that it provides good protection against brain damage. Richard Ballantine [2] was very much of the same opinion in his original Bicycle Book.

Many cycling accidents happen at low speed where the rider is pitched over the handlebars and the head is the first contact with the ground.

If a helmet works and saves a rider from injury, then no government statistic or hospital records will be created. Instead there will be one more helmet purchase as a grateful rider buys a replacement! So any statistics on helmets making an injury worse or not preventing an injury will be substantially skewed by the silent majority of cases.

Now to your specific case: Yep, it must really hurt injuring your face like that. But your face absorbed the impact that your brain could have receieved had you landed slightly differently. The fact that a helmet sticks out about 1.5 inches might have reduced the impact to your face. If a helmet were worn incorrectly (such as tilted right back; something I frequently see) then it might damage your neck. However, worn correctly and with the straps done up, I fail to see how it could make the situation worse. Anyway, facial injuries may be unpleasant and require plastic surgery, but they are a lot more recoverable than brain injuries.

So, on balance, I'd suggest you wear a helmet and ignore the alarmist view that caused you to post your question.

Is it the law to wear a helmet while biking?

Q. I live in Vancouver, BC. What are the laws about bike safety?

Answer
I wonder if they beat you over the head with batons if you refuse?
In the UK bicycle helmets are optional.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Is a bike helmet really safe?

Shaz

Recently I fell off my bike and landed on my face, giving me lots of painful facial grazes and cuts...wasn't too nice. I wasn't wearing a helmet at the time but someone told me that it wouldn't have made a difference because I landed on my face and that actually a helmet could have broken my neck or made the injury worse.
Does anyone know if this is true cos it's making me unsure as to whether I should wear a helmet next time I cycle or not?

Answer
In the UK the CTC [1] are against compulsory helmet use. They reason that it has demonstrably damaged the case for cycling in countries where such a law has been introduced.

However, I always wear a helmet. It is sometimes hot and uncomfortable, but I firmly believe that it provides good protection against brain damage. Richard Ballantine [2] was very much of the same opinion in his original Bicycle Book.

Many cycling accidents happen at low speed where the rider is pitched over the handlebars and the head is the first contact with the ground.

If a helmet works and saves a rider from injury, then no government statistic or hospital records will be created. Instead there will be one more helmet purchase as a grateful rider buys a replacement! So any statistics on helmets making an injury worse or not preventing an injury will be substantially skewed by the silent majority of cases.

Now to your specific case: Yep, it must really hurt injuring your face like that. But your face absorbed the impact that your brain could have receieved had you landed slightly differently. The fact that a helmet sticks out about 1.5 inches might have reduced the impact to your face. If a helmet were worn incorrectly (such as tilted right back; something I frequently see) then it might damage your neck. However, worn correctly and with the straps done up, I fail to see how it could make the situation worse. Anyway, facial injuries may be unpleasant and require plastic surgery, but they are a lot more recoverable than brain injuries.

So, on balance, I'd suggest you wear a helmet and ignore the alarmist view that caused you to post your question.

Is it the law to wear a helmet while biking?

Q. I live in Vancouver, BC. What are the laws about bike safety?

Answer
I wonder if they beat you over the head with batons if you refuse?
In the UK bicycle helmets are optional.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Is wearing a helmet whilst on a bike a law in England?

best bicycle helmets uk image

Vanya

Is it required by law to wear a helmet while on a bicycle and can you get penalized if you do not?

I know that you "should" and etc, but I want to know if it's a must.

Answer
It's not a legal requirement anywhere in the UK.

How to ride a bike in traffic?

Sara

Hi guys!
So, I learned how to ride a bike about five years ago and I have done it only twice since. A few days ago, on my birthday, I got a bike. I really want to ride my new bike to school and to the gym but I am too scared to ride it in the street. Since I got it, I have been practicing in my neighborhood (a small number of cars are in my neighborhood). Whenever the street is empty, I am very good at it and I go in a straight line and everything, only I keep away from the sidewalk. On the street I will be obliged to ride near the sidewalk where the bicycle bands are. But whenever I see children or cars coming near me I get scared, try to avoid them and almost crash on the sidewalk. Any tips would be appreciated.

Answer
What are "bicycle bands"?? I suppose you mean "designated bike lanes". WORST thing ever invented. Class starts NOW! Read every single word. Watch every video.

http://www.bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/usa/ - USA
http://www.bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/lhd/index.htm - UK version - left side of the road
READ - https://www.stlbeacon.org/#!/content/14234/knowledge_is_best_protection_for_bicyclist
Classes in your area? Take them all - http://cyclingsavvy.org/
See parts 2 & 3 of this also...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFjCza5e1kw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rU4nKKq02BU
Get a good helmet mirror!!!
http://safezonemirror.com/

As one of the videos explains, a little nervousness is to be expected at first. Go for rides on less used roads. If you need to get to a more congested area - find parallel side streets. I've been "car free" over 3 years - going on four. You have the same RIGHTS, duties & responsibilities as any other "VEHICLE" on the road. And yes...a bicycle is legally a "vehicle". Best piece of advice I can give you...in a narrow lane situation (less than 14' wide) "control" or TAKE THE LANE! Ride right smack dab down the middle. You are not impeding traffic - you ARE traffic. http://iamtraffic.org/

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Baby in a bike seat- what's the youngest age?

best bicycle helmets uk image

Mrs. Kelly

I want to get a bike seat for my baby so she can ride with me. What is the minimum age she can be to ride/wear a helmet? Anyone know?

Answer
Obviously a child can't be on a bike until they can safely wear a helmet.

http://www.helmets.org/little1s.htm
Nobody we have met in the injury prevention field recommends taking an infant of less than 12 months in a bicycle child seat, trailer, sidecar or any other carrier. Nobody. And we do not either.
New York state law prohibits it. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission thinks it is dangerous to take a child under one year on a bicycle, and here is their rationale:

Maurice Keenan, MD, from the American Academy of Pediatrics [21], requested that a minimum age of 1 year be reflected on the label for helmets intended for children under age 5. This would better convey the message that infants (children under age 1) should not be passengers on a bicycle under any circumstance.

The Commission agrees with the commenter that children under 1 year of age should not be on bicycles. Children are just learning to sit unsupported at about 9 months of age. Until this age, infants have not developed sufficient bone mass and muscle tone to enable them to sit unsupported with their backs straight. Pediatricians advise against having infants sitting in a slumped or curled position for prolonged periods. This position may even be exacerbated by the added weight of a bicycle helmet on the infantâs head. Because pediatricians recommend against having children under age 1 as passengers on bicycles, the Commission does not want the certification label to imply that children under age 1 can ride safely.

Source: 16 CFR Part 1203 Safety Standard for Bicycle Helmets; Final Rule, page 11726

That explains why you will not find a child helmet on the market sized for a tiny tot. You certainly do not want to ride with a bare-headed child, and in some places it is illegal. In fact, several states have laws against taking children under one year of age on a bicycle, even with a helmet.

Parents love their babies and love their bicycles, so it is natural to want to put the two together. That thought occurs to every bicycling parent, generally before the child is born. We see messages on the Internet indicating that some parents do put their children in baby seats of one design or another and take them along on trailers starting as young as five weeks. Others use a baby backpack. At slightly older ages, people use front or rear-mounted child seats. A few (mostly in the UK) use sidecars. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. A disclaimer: our purpose here is to cover the risks, so you know what you are getting into. We are hearing more these days about undiagnosed brain injuries, with symptoms too subtle for doctors to detect, but very real to families. And that comes to mind whenever someone asks us about babies and biking. We worry about your six-week-old entering the first grade six years from now with a small but detectable mental handicap. That is alarmist; this is an alarmist page.



http://www.ibike.org/education/infant.htm
Infants: Child Seats Vs. Trailers Vs. Backpacks Vs. Third-wheel Cycles

The primary determinant of when an infant can join his or her parents on bike rides is the strength of the the child's neck. Because of the jostling and the additional weight of a helmet (8-10 oz.), this is a few months after a baby can first hold their head up. Note: Some jurisdictions have laws requiring passengers on bicycles to be at least one year old.

Usually by age 12 months parents can start checking with the child's physician to see if they have the neck development to safely go for a bike ride. Most toddlers' neck and shoulder muscles can tolerate the weight of a helmet and absorb shock from bumps in the road at 1 years old.

We know of no comprehensive study on the best method to carry an infant on a bike and there are risks associated with all of them.. Here are some factors to consider:

Netherlands riding motor scooters on the pavement?

Joan A

my dad watches a web cam at http://www.railcam.nl/ He is fascinated along with the pedestrians the elderly there are scooters and motor cycles riding on the pavement. Some not even wearing Crash helmets . Can anyone explain this to me. It would not happen here in UK.

Answer
In NL you can ride a bromfiets (moped) on the fietspad (bicycle path), which is separate from the pedestrian walkway. Bromfiets are typically 50cc and limited to 50kph or less. Scooters with more power would ride in the street with traffic.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers