"Cycle helmets are potty", says Norris

[CarZee]

quote:Steven Norris, the Government's cycling czar, has angered safety campaigners by saying it is "potty" for adults to have to wear helmets and claiming he never wears one - despite being caught in the act.

...

Mr Norris said: "I never wear a helmet for the same reason I never wear Lycra. The idea you have to dress up like a bloody spaceman to ride a bike is just completely potty. [Cycling is] something normal, fat, middle-aged men like me do. If you are a child you wear a helmet. My four-year-old does. I don't. I am not some kind of Martian."

Quality

www.thisislondon.co.uk/dynamic/news/story.html?in_review_id=600428&in_review_text_id=569487

[nonegreen]

but if you used it as a potty it would all run out all over the road.....

[Cotty]

To be honest wearing a cycling helmet will do little in the in event of a spill. It will protect the exterior of the users heard to certain extend but the main damage is caused when the brain moves about inside the skull. Think about boxers they hit each othr with padded gloves but its the movement of the brain against the skull that caused much more severe damage.

[ATG]

True, but anything that slows the impact will reduce those forces somewhat. Big advantage of wearing a helmet is that it protects the temple where the skull is weak. Classic thing is for cyclist to fall off and be killed by smacking temple on curbstone.

[Nick W]

Hats were never around in my day & I managed to smack into a wall when I was about 11. I flattened the wall and gave my head one hell of a wack. To this day I wonder what brain damage I inflicted. Not sure if one of those mushroom helmets would have saved my nose from being squashed, but it might have lessened the brain shake.

[yertis]

quote:
To be honest wearing a cycling helmet will do little in the in event of a spill. It will protect the exterior of the users heard to certain extend but the main damage is caused when the brain moves about inside the skull. Think about boxers they hit each othr with padded gloves but its the movement of the brain against the skull that caused much more severe damage.

Try hitting your head against the road, hard as you want, with a helmet on. Then, try it again without the helmet. If you're still concious I'm pretty sure you'll change your mind. I hate wearing a helmet but to be honest these days I feel naked cycling without it.

[CarZee]

If you wanna wear a helmet, wear one.. If you don't want to, don't ...

The moment it's compulsory, I'd object.

When cycle helmets were made mandatory in Australia, it was found that close to 40% of all cyclists quit.

The potential lives saved by the mandatory use of helmets is far less than those potentially lost due to deterring so many people from such a healthy form of exercise.

So the bubble-wrap-festooners have shot themselves in the foot there.. not really a surprise. Dickheads..

>> Edited by CarZee on Saturday 1st June 13:21

[CupraBri]

Quote - Mr Norris said: "I never wear a helmet for the same reason I never wear Lycra. The idea you have to dress up like a bloody spaceman to ride a bike is just completely potty. [Cycling is] something normal, fat, middle-aged men like me do. If you are a child you wear a helmet. My four-year-old does. I don't. I am not some kind of Martian." unquote

I'm not into bondage, so does this exempt me from wearing a a seat-belt?

[hertsbiker]

I did a face plant a few years ago. Chin & cheek into the ground at about 25mph. Knocked me out for a few seconds. A cycle lid would have been useless - you need a full lid or none at all. I bought one, but smashed it to bits after getting unfeasibly hot cycling up a steep hill. Load of cods.... oh, but on the bright side, I got me photo into a mountain bike mag, and recognised at the bike shop. Cool? crash corner fame for you.

[MikeyT]

A friend's son injured himself badly facially when wearing one of these helmets. He's recovered now – if he hadn't been wearing one, he would probably be dead.

But then again, he's 10 and kids have to be TOLD what to do most of the time at that age for their own benefit.

For adults it's a free country.

[marki]

In Denmark bikers can opt out of the helmet law , they just have to sign a waiver on hospital expense`s !

[Neil Menzies]

A cycle helmet won't save your life in a big spill, but in a lesser spill it could make the difference between getting up and dusting yourself off, or being one of those people in a wheelchair who talk funny.

I draw the line at lycra though. No point in making people sick.

[wolosp]

I began wearing a helmet after some 25 plus years of cycling when my kids began cycling. Realising they will probably hit the deck at some time, I felt I had to lead by example. I too found it strange and a little embarrasing at first, but now never cycle without it. I had never had a major spill before, and fortunately, have never had one since, so cannot comment on it's effectiveness.

[JohnL]

I've had a few bumps off a bike, mostly off road. One involved landing on my head, then falling sideways onto my hip. I complained about a sore hip until I found I'd broken my helmet in four places!

There are plenty of time - when you're going slowly on a hot day for eg - when a helmet would be stifling, and you just have to take it off or collapse. More of an issue in Australia I suppose, but it even happens in Scotland!

[philshort]

I know the speed is a bit different, but would you ride a motorbike wearing one of those things? I bloody wouldn't. Any protection they offer is minimal at best, and with a lot of the the huge extended peaks and weird angular shapes must give rise to increased risk of neck injury. I beleive many motocross type helmets do not get approval for road use for this sort of reason.

The old pudding basin style of motorcycle helmet wouldn't get approval, and rightly so, yet it would offer similar or greater levels of protection to most cycle helmets without having angular extrusions to catch and exert torque on the wearers vertebrae.

And they make you look like a complete dick. Fair play to this guy for having the balls to speak up.

[K G]

quote:Hats were never around in my day & I managed to smack into a wall when I was about 11. I flattened the wall and gave my head one hell of a wack.

Sure must be some mighty brain damage if you think the wall wasn't flat before!!

[pelo]

I also feel naked... no!
Ive had a few smacks, 2 on my head. I wouldve been hopstipalised if it wasnt for me gumboots. Ah helmet i mean. They should really be optimal for adults, but theres always the risk. Spend 40 buck on a styley helmut, or make it easier to scone yourself permanently? Pick.
The westie ex-Harley biker dad of a mate of mine has a poster of a skeleton biker, no helmet - with: "Helmet Laws Suck. Let those who Ride Decide." Ironic, no?

[dan]

I came a cropper at the age of about 13, riding back to school after lunch (the dinner ladies were on strike... again), decided to catch up with my mates, stood up on the pedal... bang! the chain slipped... straight over the handle bars, and cracked my head on the tarmac. I was given a lift in the rest of the way by a friends dad, but within 45mins I was out cold. I came round 6hrs later in hospital.

Obviously I'm perfectly Ok now.. Beep!.. but it was a fairly grim experience, so whenever I ride a bike now I always where a lid. Any protection is better than nothing.

just my opinion...

Dan

>> Edited by dan on Monday 10th June 11:03

[pistol pete]

I always ware a helmet when I'm riding on the road... There are to many stupid dumbass car drivers on the road (not in anyway directed to anyone here - I drive 20Kmiles / year anyway.), to chance not wearing a helmet. When I ride off road ( I race mtb's), thats a differant matter... Thats a risk I take, and I'm reasonably confident in my own ability, but I won't push my luck to much without one, 'cos I've seen to many people have lucky escapes due to wearing one.

Pete.

[neil_cardiff]

Surely it's better to be safe than to tempt fate?

Why wait to see if having a helmet makes a difference?
(this is coming from a well versed cyclist - downhiller an' all...)