Would you wear a helmet when jogging?

[Esceptico]

It seems to have become the norm to wear helmets when cycling yet being old enough to have grown up without them it still feels a bit odd. I can understand helmets when skiing (speeds are much high and at least with me there is a certainy of falling over at some point!) but pretty much all the time I am cycling I don't get above 20 mph - not much more than a sprinting pace. I wouldn't put on a helmet to go for a jog or to cross the road...so why would I do so to ride a bike? Maybe I just need to cycle faster...

[anonymous-user]

I wear a helmet when cycling because I think it's safer and I am keen to look after my own safety! If anyone else wishes to cycle without one then that is up to them as maybe they feel safer without one.... personally I can't work out how, but as said it's up to them!

[neil1jnr]

How about while walking, or just constantly everyday? I know someone in my extended family who slipped on a wet concrete surface while walking and banged their head and they are still in care at a hospital, this was over 10 years ago. This is an unfortunate outcome to a simple accident, but a helmet would have prevented the brain damage.

I think safety should come first but where to draw the line is always going to be debatable. Personally I wouldn't wear one while jogging, and haven't in the past while cycling. I think if I bought a push bike in future though I'd likely wear a helmet.

I someone wants to wear a helmet or doesn't while cycling then that's their decision.

[irc]

Feels odd wearing one then don't. Works for me. Cycling isn't dangerous. Road racing and technical off road maybe. Commuting and general riding or touring - not needed. I've been cycling for 50 years without a serious injury. One or two minor bruises is the worst.

Of course if you regularly crash then maybe a helmet is for you.

[kambites]

I think a helmet is far more worthwhile when cycling than when when running for a number of reasons.

Firstly when cycling you're often sharing a road space with cars so even if you're not moving more than about 20mph yourself, something which hits you is quite likely to be. Secondly, in a cycling accident there's a good chance you'll get catapulted over the handlebars which means that you're heading for the group head-first; whereas if you trip over jogging you're likely to just be stumbling with your feet still on the ground. Thirdly, you do travel faster cycling than jogging.

I think wearing a helmet on a bike is roughly on a par with wearing a seat-belt in a car in terms of its effect on your safety. I.e. the huge majority of the time you'll be fine without one and most people will never need one... but if someone bad happens there's a significant chance that it'll help.

FWIW: I know two cyclists who have been spared serious (potentially fatal) injury by helmets; both accidents were entirely the fault of other road-users. Neither was traveling particularly fast at the time of the accident.

Edited by kambites on Thursday 22 November 12:01

[Mave]

I think the dynamics of incidents you tend to get cycling are very different to running - and the time you actually spend running at speed are far less than cycling. Nevertheless the only "proper" accident I've had running was similar to a cycling accident - I got car doored when running on a narrow pavement and broke some ribs (and the car door!)

[Toltec]

I ride mainly off road and hitting a tree branch if you don't duck far enough would hurt without a helmet, handy for taking the brunt of finer overhanging growth too. I wear one on the road because I am on the way to the woods, but twenty odd years ago when I cycled mainly on the road I didn't bother and growing up I'm not sure they even existed.

I guess if you did fell running a lid might be a good idea, give you more options if you slip and fall, you can use your arms to control the landing rather than to just protect your head.

[BoRED S2upid]

You don’t jog on the road inches away from lorries and cars far less risk than cycling. I don’t wear one on the bike because I might fall over but because someone else might hit or not see me.

[Conscript]

cb1965 said:

I wear a helmet when cycling because I think it's safer and I am keen to look after my own safety! If anyone else wishes to cycle without one then that is up to them as maybe they feel safer without one.... personally I can't work out how, but as said it's up to them!

There is some evidence that not wearing a helmet whilst riding actually makes you safer:

http://www.howiechong.com/journal/2014/2/bike-helm...

"Turns out that there is. There is some evidence that wearing a helmet may directly increase your chance of getting injured in the first place. In 2001, an article in the New York Times reported that the rate of bicycle head injuries had risen sharply — an increase of 51% — during a ten-year period when bicycle helmet use became widespread. This during a time when statistics showed an overall decrease in bicycling in the United States. No one knows for sure why head injuries among cyclists increased, but there are a few theories."

More details in the link, but in summary, it seems that most drivers will subconsciously give cyclists without a helmet a wider berth. The link is pertinent to the thread in general, comparing the risks of head injury between cyclists/pedestrians.

I don't wear a helmet when commuting as I'm not riding particularly fast, not going particularly far, and the only busy road I use has a cycle lane I can use. Weighing all this up against the hassle of having to wear one and carry it around all day, I decided not to bother. I do, however, wear one if I ride at the weekends, as I'll generally be riding faster, over a longer distance - even though on quieter roads. But as I'm only out for the ride, carrying the helmet around all day isn't a concern.

[Superhoop]

You would think that at low speeds hitting your head wouldn't be an issue, but watching 24hours in A&E the other week, there was guy how ran backwards into a wall playing 5 a side football, which resulted in a quite severe brain injury, which lead to 3 months in intensive care and long term brain damage..

[V88Dicky]

Toltec said:

I ride mainly off road and hitting a tree branch if you don't duck far enough would hurt without a helmet, handy for taking the brunt of finer overhanging growth too. I wear one on the road because I am on the way to the woods, but twenty odd years ago when I cycled mainly on the road I didn't bother and growing up I'm not sure they even existed.

I guess if you did fell running a lid might be a good idea, give you more options if you slip and fall, you can use your arms to control the landing rather than to just protect your head.

Me too.

Besides, riding a mountain bike without a lid looks like you stole it


That reminds me. A while ago, whilst at the top of a purpose built downhill trail, taking on some fluids and resting, this bloke came round the corner on a knackered old bike, no helmet or protection at all. He gave us a cheery hello, and proceeded at speed down the trail.

Nutter.....

Edited by V88Dicky on Thursday 22 November 12:07

[Conscript]

Superhoop said:

You would think that at low speeds hitting your head wouldn't be an issue, but watching 24hours in A&E the other week, there was guy how ran backwards into a wall playing 5 a side football, which resulted in a quite severe brain injury, which lead to 3 months in intensive care and long term brain damage..

I should clarify, in my case, it's not that I think the speed I'm going has any bearing the severity of a potential injury - I could fall off my bike waiting at a junction and smack my head. It's just that going faster means more risk of coming off in the first place.

[AC43]

Esceptico said:

It seems to have become the norm to wear helmets when cycling yet being old enough to have grown up without them it still feels a bit odd. I can understand helmets when skiing (speeds are much high and at least with me there is a certainy of falling over at some point!) but pretty much all the time I am cycling I don't get above 20 mph - not much more than a sprinting pace. I wouldn't put on a helmet to go for a jog or to cross the road...so why would I do so to ride a bike? Maybe I just need to cycle faster...

If I walk I do 3mph or so.

If I jog it's 6mph-ish.

When I commute on a bike I average 14mph or so but often hit 20-25mph.

I've seen what happens when a cyclist comes off at that sort of speed - he described a long a graceful arc and landed full force on his forehead. His helmet was smashed but he was able to get up and make hie way home afterwards.

[Daston]

I know someone who slipped off their bike and hit their head on a curb, they were stationary at the time (just a silly mistake). Fractured skull and long long time in hospital.

When walking and running you tend to have your arms pretty free to break your fall where as cycling you have a bike in the way which makes landing tricky

[anonymous-user]

If you wore a helmet you would be able to cycle faster
Of course

[J4CKO]

Having cycled all my life and had the odd "off", both with and without helmets, I prefer with.

Came off backwards onto concrete a few years back, hell of a smack, helmet ruined, head ok but gashed elbow, was glad of it.

As a kid, racing my cousin, hit some lichen/slime, slid, fell off, took him out, bashed my head, properly concussed, sense of taste went weird for a while, I suspect I was close to something bad, that possibly healed being young, I dont know but didnt tell my mum, she did notice the big scuff on my head and slightly bald bit.

Another one, front wheel went on a roundabout, didnt hit my head.

I dont think many get complacent riding in traffic that your polystyrene hat will protect you I think some drivers may make assumptions that you are safer than you are and not be as cautious, but then, some may say sod it to those with no helmet/lights, if they arent bothered etc.

A lad my son knew died falling off his bike,

https://www.macclesfield-live.co.uk/news/local-new...

Seems fairly likely a helmet would have saved his life, so tragic, part of me being a bit of a helmet nazi with my kids is his death, I always wear one so they do, I make them wear one, even if they take it off later, I cant do any more.



Would I wear one when jogging, no, its a different pursuit, slower and you arent sat on something, sure, you can trip but its usually collar bones and wrists, the forces are lower and you arent in amongst cars, much less likely to go over a bonnet.

[heebeegeetee]

I would say that there is overwhelming anecdotal evidence that helmets save lives, however, as pretty much everywhere in the world, no studies have ever been able to show any reduction in head injury rates that could be attributable to cycle helmets. In other words, none of the overwhelming anecdotal evidence can be supported by numbers, bearing in mind the uk went from 0-80%+ helmet wearing in a relatively short space of time.

I would also say that there is a very strong belief that cyclists are at higher risk than pedestrians and joggers, as the posts on this thread suggest, however pedestrian fatality rates and numbers are higher than for cyclists. *Maybe* that's because cyclists wear helmets - in which case, pedestrians also need helmets.

[mikecassie]

I would not wear a helmet when jogging. I do wear one when I go out on the bicycle, but that is only going to save me from my own error or stupidity. I feel that the polystyrene lump will do the square root of fk all if I get hit by a car/truck/SUV/tractor if the driver has not been paying attention.

I do not believe we should be forced to wear one, it should be a freedom of choice for all cyclists and victim blaming doesn't help things either.

[Hoofy]

Esceptico said:

why would I do so to ride a bike?

You've forgotten the bell end posting on Facebook while doing 40mph in a 30 zone who doesn't see you until your head is through his windscreen.

A friend got hit by a driver on a sunny day. He came off his bike and got a few scratches. His helmet hit the kerb and had a chunk taken out of it.

[J4CKO]

heebeegeetee said:

I would say that there is overwhelming anecdotal evidence that helmets save lives, however, as pretty much everywhere in the world, no studies have ever been able to show any reduction in head injury rates that could be attributable to cycle helmets. In other words, none of the overwhelming anecdotal evidence can be supported by numbers, bearing in mind the uk went from 0-80%+ helmet wearing in a relatively short space of time.

I would also say that there is a very strong belief that cyclists are at higher risk than pedestrians and joggers, as the posts on this thread suggest, however pedestrian fatality rates and numbers are higher than for cyclists. *Maybe* that's because cyclists wear helmets - in which case, pedestrians also need helmets.

Yeah, thing is though, you fall off your bike, like me in my example above, I was shaken, hurt but critically, able to move and get home, I even went to the pub (I did get told off my the landlord for bleeding a bit) but I was largely ok.

My head hit tarmac at a fair pace, was my own fault arsing about but if I had not had the helmet on I am pretty sure I would have had a fractured skull, brain injury or be dead, that inch an a bit of yielding material between my head and tarmac helped, fairly certain a trip to the boozer wouldnt be in order.

My point being, unless badly injured you dont tend to go to casualty, I perhaps should have done but I didnt and that would never be recorded, but had I brained myself without it, it would have been recorded in whatever category.

Cycling has increased massively in the last twenty years, as has helmet usage, would need to plot those together with the accident stats, and it still wouldnt be very accurate.


Its up to the individual but for a test, stand in front of a wall and then smack your head into it, then try the same with a cycle helmet on, which one had the better outcome ?