I don’t own a car and I ride my bike a lot, often on very busy city streets. I always wear a helmet when I ride — not because it makes me less likely to get hit by a car, but because it makes me less likely to suffer from brain damage if and when I do get hit by a car.
However, as Dave Walker (@davewalker) points out, there are MANY other and much better ways to make cycling safer for everyone. 🚲
I agree with all of this. I’ll add: the two helmets that saved my skull and its contents did so because of operator error (me). No cars involved, just me being stupid for a split second.
If you have something inside your skull that you value, wear a helmet.
@MarkBrigham Yeah, same here. The worst bike crash I've had was when I got distracted by a bug on my sunglasses and instead of stopping, tried to clear it off while still riding. I ended up losing control and crashed, though luckily I was able to aim for the grassy median. I did hit my head pretty hard on the ground, but the helmet prevented serious damage, just a slight cut.
@breadandcircuses@davewalker for some reason you make it out to Madison, Wi, they have the best example of a city adapting for bikes I've seen in person.
You can get basically anywhere via well maintenance bike paths. And in the winters they plow the bike paths first before the roads.
@breadandcircuses@davewalker helmet manufacturers state at the helmet is only designed for you falling off the bike and that it will give you virtually no protection in the event of an impact from a car.
For that you would need a motorcycle . helmet.
But in countries who have high bicycle use like the Netherlands, they don’t use helmets.
@peterbrown@breadandcircuses@davewalker even motorcycle helmets don’t give much protection, especially when associated injuries due to the weight and shape of the helmet are taken into account.
I’m not anti helmet, but I do remember Bell (the company) using ‘Courage for your head’ as a marketing slogan in the 80s. I found it risible then.
@Wen@peterbrown
All the points made against helmets are good, but for me, the question still comes down to this: if my head slams down onto the road someday, would I rather have that happen without a helmet on?
Either way, I might be badly hurt. But without a helmet I'm almost certain to be badly hurt.
@breadandcircuses@peterbrown well if you chose to hit your head against a wall, would you be happier with or without a helmet?
I’m afraid I think the question a somewhat simplistic one much in the same way that the one I have posed is.
But i don’t think any the worse of anyone who chooses to wear one. I always do riding off road and occasionally on a road bike. I’m also happy with that.
@breadandcircuses@davewalker I also wear a helmet, but protecting me from head injuries is a distant third in my reasons. Reasons one and two are protecting me from victim blaming if a motorist runs me over, and placating my wife who is scared of bikes.
@breadandcircuses@davewalker Be seen. In UK, the majority of cars drive with their lights on in daylight, the majority of cyclists do not, despite cyclists being the more vulnerable road user. Lights have two purposes 1. For you to see. 2. For you to be seen. Lights make a significant difference, even in daylight.
@breadandcircuses@davewalker
We hear a lot about helmets, but never anything about rear view mirrors attached to those helmets. I'm 81 years old and I rode a bicycle on the streets of Atlanta and Rome NY for many years, thousands of miles, and not for entertainment or exercise, it was how I got around. I'd be TERRIFIED riding without my rear view mirror. It saved me many times from being sideswiped by vehicles approaching from the rear who were not giving me room or from being rear-ended.
@breadandcircuses@davewalker
You're still unlikely to see many senior women on bikes until the post-menopausal bone density problem gets solved. When a bike falls over onto concrete, even if you're standing still, a broken pelvis is very possible.
@breadandcircuses@davewalker some years ago when I was getting into bike commuting, a local cycling group was giving classes about riding in traffic—using hand signals, being aware of and avoiding the ‘door zone’, negotiating left turns and rotaries, that sort of thing. It was very good and has paid off well over the years. There should be more of that.
@breadandcircuses@davewalker I’ve never been interested in living my like that. I’m happy with my car to take me places. I’ll use mass transit to get to work but that’s about all I’ll compromise.
@breadandcircuses@davewalker
Educating everyone. Yesterday morning, in one 15-minute span, I saw a tricyclist cross a busy street against the light, and a kid on an electric scooter cross another street against the light.
@breadandcircuses@davewalker just back from a ride and would add “ban tinting on driver side window,” which would benefit others operating cars or just walking on the street, as well.
Approaching a vehicle at an intersection with no way of knowing whether or not the driver sees me until I’m in front of them is terrifying.
@breadandcircuses@davewalker this graphic has a huge error. It admits that speed limits need to be enforced, and then lists other laws that would also help. The laws are useless without enforcement .
Passing laws is like painting a line for a bike lane. It makes somebody feel good, but it provides absolutely nothing for actual safety.
@breadandcircuses@davewalker I also do not own a car nor a drivers licence. I cycle EVERY workingday for an hour and a half. I see the problems described in the “cartoon” every day. And there seems no one that want to change anything. Even the police.
@breadandcircuses@davewalker how about we just throw cars in the fucking garbage. Trash invention that's ruined the planet among a million other things.
@breadandcircuses@davewalker somewhere, many moons ago, I read that having laws that force people to wear bike helmets actually leads to a reduction in a population's overall health because it reduces the overall amount of exercise occurring. I'm also pro helmet and wear one 99% of the time, but I'd prefer if it were only a legal requirement for kids and not adults
@breadandcircuses@davewalker Trying to find less traffic-polluted streets to bike on is the only option I have. The transit is chaotic where I live and I just can't bring myself to share the lane with other cars, it's just dangerous. Plus the parking lane is always filled with cars so that's a no-no.
@breadandcircuses@davewalker The dedicated traffic-free route in my area is something I'm not super keen on using due to the number of near-zero-visibility crossings. Even if they are barely used tracks, I'd rather use the highway than stop at every yield sign.