To wonder why wearing a cycle helmet isn't made law?

[sensuallettuce]

I struggle to make my kids wear a cycle helmet as they perceive it to be very uncool ( and don't listen to me suggesting it may be more uncool to be dead or brain damaged .)

I lived in New Zealand for a while where it is law to wear one which seems to take away the "option" for school kids esp - everyone wears one - there is no debate.

Driving through town today I passed a lady on a push bike wearing a sam brown and loads of reflectors on her backpack but no helmet - so its our responsibility to see her rather than for her to protect herself.

AIBU to wonder what the reason is for it not being law to wear a helmet on a bicycle as it is on a motorcycle in this country? Even if not just for kids?

"Also there are no street lights here and some zebras are pretty poorly lit." - I think hi-viz jackets and hats would help here - it shouldn't be limited to horses.

<a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&biw=1146&bih=711&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=KyaVZc7RDBZ9hM:&imgrefurl=now-here-this.timeout.com/2012/08/03/pants-what-a-great-olympic-package/&docid=4sTJIcArP2fVqM&itg=1&imgurl=now-here-this.timeout.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/panta1.png&w=461&h=301&ei=iA0cULzmKaKo0QXEroCwBw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=231&sig=112379514407926695039&page=1&tbnh=159&tbnw=272&start=0&ndsp=13&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:81&tx=86&ty=76" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Goodness gracious me

Not sure how it adds to the discussion, apart from the suggestion that some cyclists need to grow a pair - or not as the case may be - and say no when confronted with a new team outfit?

I'm not going to comment on their helmet wearing

if they've been riding they'll have damp helmets......

Difficult one. I wear a helmet when cycling with the DC and insist that DC2 (12) wears his when cycling alone. However... when I am cycling alone I do not one, and when DC1 (14) is cycling without DC2 around do not insist on it. Double standards, freely admit. Not justifying, but I want DC1 to continue to cycle places, he is a very responsible person, and more important to me that he thinks and takes responsibility for himself than that I dictate to him something I don't do myself ( cf also alcohol...)

One reason is that less people will cycle in Britain if wearing helmets was compulsory, plus some experts feel that it would change society's perception of cycling - ie thinking that cycling is dangerous.

If this happens many more people will die from diseases such as heart attacks etc and there would be more cars on the road.

at that link !!! And at The Pan's comment:

That's given me the best laugh of the day

subtle wasn't it?

i don't really see that a helmet is that big a deal - they're light, they don't hamper visibility, they are hardly full faced motorbike helmets - surely no-one would refuse to cycle because of it.

Sorry, can't have a sensible conversatrion about 'helmets' now.

They'd have to be really careful after going to the loo wouldn't they?

Wet patches a dead givaway

Yeah. They'd have to make sure they wipe their helmets. Presumably they don't wear undercrackers, then? Aerodynamics & all that? now looking at cyclists in a new light

you'd think the kit designers would be a bit more supportive.

Sarf have you ever met a teenager? Perhaps more on point, things like the Boris bikes in London would be much less practical if helmets were legally required.

And what if they had a 'moment', say got a bit overexcited at winning gold or something?

Am I right thinking it's not always controllable?

Doesn't bear thinking about.

wow. That link... it's going to take me a while to wipe that image from my brain!

Cycle helmets are one of those topics where people get really really wound up. As a magazine editor, I have a list of topics where you can predict you will be deluged by the green ink brigade (not that we get much actual green ink these days, but even in an email the tone comes through loud and clear). Cycle helmets is on there, along with fluoridation and, oddly, breast cancer screening. People are so vehement and angry that you have dared to allow both sides to have an airing...

I've thought the same about mobility scooters standing out when they're on the road Queen, but it has to come down to motorists being aware of what's on the road and paying attention.

I'm not saying motorists shouldn't be paying attention, But even a driver abiding to the speed limit can benefit from someone wearing Hi-Vis.

here Is a brilliant example in what a difference Hi-Vis makes.

If everyone were more aware accident rates would be so much lower. Everyone needs to take responsibility, Weather you're a cyclist, horse rider, or motorist.

And the cost of even a basic hi vis these days means there is no excuse not to use them - You can pick them up for 2 quid!
There are also other things you can do - Consider your surroundings, if you're riding/cycling around an area of countryside where there is rape seed blossoming, Wear something that stands out against yellow, If you're riding a horse, Wear long, brightly striped socks over your jods. If you're riding / cycling around in the autumn, wear clothes that will stand out against the browns of the falling leaves - It's not all about fancy gear, Choosing your every day clothing can go so far and make you so much more visible.

When I was 8 I was in hospital. In the same ward was a boy of 13 who had been knocked off his bike. He had suffered head injuries and was brain damaged, for life. He was in and out of hospital with fits and he was wheelchair bound, incontinent, needed feeding etc. He used to scream if he woke in the night and found his mum gone (parents couldn't sleep at the hospital then unless a child was very seriously ill). I'm now 35 and have never forgotten that boy, his name was Carl. I won't allow my boys out cycling without helmets until someone proves that they cause harm. If there is even a chance that wearing one will prevent a horrific injury such as happend to Carl it is worth enforcing.

I insist 10yo dd has a helmet for cycling. Dh and myself also wear them too.

I have known of 2 teenage boys killed cycling, 2 separate occasions, killed due to head injuries. Both times the police said that a helmet would have probably saved their lives. At one of he chools a keen cyclist teacher brought his own helmet to school to dhow tgebdamagebafternye had fallen. His helmet was badly bashed and damaged, the teacher unscathed.m

I just am not prepared to take the risk.

I still remember this one time when I was cycling home from work on a busy road. I wasn't wearing a helmet and a driver behind me noticed my long blonde hair and drove around me, allowing me slightly more room than the legal safe distance. I continued to cycle home unscathed and everything was fine. I've never forgotten that day.

Honestly, how on earth do you know it was your hair he was looking at?

my ex came of his bike whilst doing a TT he was travelling at 35 miles per hour and the car around 50 mph, she went into the back of his bike and he went over the car and then travelled 54 ft down the road (she didn't see him) - he wasn't wearing a helmet, he had a BH and then had over 50 stitches in his head as it took a really bad smashing. He thought wehn he woke up 5 days later that someone had put a piece of wood in his pillow, this was due to the swelling of his brain

he isn't brain damaged, he doesn't have any lingering damage to his head apart from scaring, this was now 21 years ago

his leg on the other hand is a complete and utter mess and had large skin grafts and he as lucky to keep it.

whilst he was on the ward a woman came in who had been riding a horse and come off - now she was in a mess but she had been wearing a riding hat

sorry that should be 25 mph - not 35

The argument against helmets seems to come down to this: 'making helmets compulsory might reduce the popularity of cycling, therefore it's wrong; it might save a few lives, but that's less important'.