The Berkeley Wellness Letter: "Always wear a helmet"
From the September, 2010 edition of the Berkeley Wellness Letter:
Always wear a helmet when you ride[a bike]. More than 67,000 cyclists seek emergency care for head injuries each year in the U.S., according to the American College of Emergency Physicians, and head trauma accounts for 75% of cycling fatalities. When used properly, bike helmets are nearly 90% effective in preventing brain injuries. ("22 tips for better cycling")
Labels: Berkeley, Cycling and Safety
posted by Rob Anderson @ 9:29 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Uh, oh, here comes the anti-helmet brigade...
Helmet laws are always a difficult subject.
In the US where high vehicle speeds and poor consideration for non-auto road users are the norm, and cyling infrastructure generally indaequate, I think it is sensible to always wear a helmet.
While only 5% of injuries are head related and serious enough for hospitalisation that 1 in 20 risk, if you have an accident, is worth taking some protective measures against.
The article however was very poor in it's justification of that postiion. How many of the 5% percent of cyclists injuries involved people who were not wearing a helmet, and what does it mean to claim helmets are 90% effective in preventing brain injury?
Good advice. I ALWAYS wear a helmet!
I really don't get why helmet laws are a "difficult" subject at all. Seriously, why would you not wear one. I have tumbled off my mountain bike at times, on city paving. The helmet definitely protected me. What's the big issue? And my falls had nothing to do with a vehicle.
Just seems like when you are talking about protecting probably the most sensitive part of your entire body, why would you not want to protect it?
And please don't bring up the notion about "personal choice". If a serious brain injury results, and the victim has little or no insurance, the public steps in to cover that person.
Wearing a helmet is such a simple and obvious wise thing to do..always.
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