Comment 65497

By moylek (registered) - website | Posted July 03, 2011 at 20:04:50 in reply to Comment 65491

99.9% of the time you don't need a seatbelt either. The problem is that if you do fall, your head is essentially whipped towards the ground when your shoulder hits.

I disagree with importance of the second part of the statement above, having fallen of my bike several times and never having come close to hitting my head - but that's not really the issue here.

I'm not arguing that helmets are useless or should not be worn. I'm arguing that the emphasis on helmets is a distraction at best and, in fact, a misdirection of effort and attention.

We should be trying to make cycling safer and more popular, not just saying "wear your helmet!" and then gauging the level of responsibility of cyclists based on their helmetedness.

There are many things I would want to know about a driver other than "does she wear a seatbelt?" before I would say that she is safe driver. Similarly, we often assume that a helmet makes for a good and safe cyclist. But I insist that a helmet is sixth or seventh thing you would ask about a cyclist in order to gauge his safety to himself and others.

Comment edited by moylek on 2011-07-03 21:50:50

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