Should Cycle Helmets Be Made Compulsory?

[poopipe]

I'm with him^^.

I don't believe any sort of personal protection should be compulsory (eg. helmets) - things that offer protection for others should be (eg. working brakes on your car).

I don't wear a lid while just riding to places cos they're not comfortable and its a fairly low risk situation - I do wear one when I'm doing dangerous stuff because it's a higher risk situation.

This is an educated decision based on how competent I am at riding a bike forwards in a straight line on a level surface compared to how competent I am at riding a bike backwards in circles on a wobbly surface.

[Luke Rainbird]

I'm with him^^.

I don't believe any sort of personal protection should be compulsory (eg. helmets) - things that offer protection for others should be (eg. working brakes on your car).

I don't wear a lid while just riding to places cos they're not comfortable and its a fairly low risk situation - I do wear one when I'm doing dangerous stuff because it's a higher risk situation.

This is an educated decision based on how competent I am at riding a bike forwards in a straight line on a level surface compared to how competent I am at riding a bike backwards in circles on a wobbly surface.

I'm with you on the personal choice side of things, however I wouldn't consider going ANYWHERE (on a bike...) without mine now.

I used to think the whole "I can ride ok" sort of argument, then some twat decided that I looked like a better place to drive than the road while I was going 200 yards down the road to pick up some stuff from a mate.

Fortunately I came away with only a mutilated shoulder, hanging off ear, half a skinless face, concussion (was in and out of consciousness for around 3 hours following the incident) and memory loss.

If I'd have been wearing a helmet he would probably still have hit me, but I would have come out of it a lot better off.

I was lucky...

Next time it happens, I might not have been

[Krisboats]

That old chesnut...

Lets not start with the ridiculously stupid arguements. If the chance of injury goes up, the precautions taken should. The whole point is, accidents happen by accident, and are unavoidable. People make mistakes and get away with them, sometimes they don't. You might never fall off your bike, but one day a car makes a mistake and hits you. Not your fault, but what does that matter.

I didn't mean it in its proverbial sense, i meant as in walking across a road increases your chance of being hit, people crossing roads and people riding bikes on them have both increased the risk of being hit, although the bike would be on the road for longer. I know theres the chance of drivers making mistakes, but i've been hit twice as a walking pedestrian (both times driver error) and never hit once on my bike.

It should be your choice I think. It helps evolution - stupid (or vain) people (Krisboats ) will have more accidents and die out. Like scallies playing on railways tracks.

Ha ha, oi you! I know i should wear a helmet if i'm just nipping down to the shops.... i just don't. If i'm out on the bike for a long time though i have my helmet on... besides, it'd take more than a car to kill me off

[MadManMike]

Why have so many people said yes?

It doesn't affect you. Wear one if you like, but no way should we have more rules and regulations forced upon us.

If it came into effect I'd still not wear one, fine me!

[James-M]

Yeah I think they should, common sense why really. It really p!sses me off when I drop off a wall or something, and a little chavvy rat says, "Oi mate why do you wear a helmet...?"

EDIT: Grammatically incorrect sentence.

Edited November 21, 2007 by trials pie

[joshball]

If they were compulsary no-one would be embarissed about wearing them. Becuase eveyone who rode a bike would have to, even the chavs.

Well said...

Yeah they ought to be compulsory, because it is proven that if you dont wear one and you fall off you at greater risk of having more servier injurys!

HELMETS ***...

Echo.Josh

X-x-X

[ilikeriding]

Its ridiclulous what you can and can't do in this country

if you want to eat with plastic cutlery, go for it,

ill keep my level of free will as it is thanks

Edited November 21, 2007 by afroman

[joshball]

Its ridiclulous what you can and can't do in this country

if you want to eat with plastic cutlery, go for it,

ill keep my level of free will as it is thanks

Well if there is gonig to be a law about wearing helmets and that it is compulsory.

Well how are you going to wear a helmet?

Worcster soon tris woohoo.

Echo.Josh

X-x-X

[Stefan P]

I've fallen off my bike and been knocked out cold because I didn't wear a helmet, was on my own at the time when I used to have a back garden course, my mum found me, covered in blood, so yeah it should be compulsary.

I've also had accidents on the road aswell and travel'd at silly speeds on the road down hill's, it should be made compulsary. Well if you have to wear a helmet on a 50cc motorbike, and on banks there not hard to over take on a push bike, why should push bike riders not have to wear helmets?

Stefan.

Edited November 21, 2007 by Stefan P

[poopipe]

I've fallen off my bike and been knocked out cold because I didn't wear a helmet, was on my own at the time when I used to have a back garden course, my mum found me, covered in blood, so yeah it should be compulsary.

What that means is that you're an idiot for not wearing a helmet - it has no bearing at all on whether the rest of us should be forced into something that should be a matter of personal choice.

You'd be pretty pissed off if there was a law passed saying that you have to wear a helmet when you're walking about outside in case a car mounts the kerb and runs you over or you trip over something - this is the same principle.

edit:

not picking on you specifically - you were just nearest

Edited November 21, 2007 by poopipe

[Krisboats]

What that means is that you're an idiot for not wearing a helmet - it has no bearing at all on whether the rest of us should be forced into something that should be a matter of personal choice.

You'd be pretty pissed off if there was a law passed saying that you have to wear a helmet when you're walking about outside in case a car mounts the kerb and runs you over or you trip over something - this is the same principle.

edit:

not picking on you specifically - you were just nearest

Thats what i was trying to say earlier, just couldn't word it right Cheers poo

[James Quigley]

yes compulsary, but only on major roads.

You may think it's a matter of personal choice, as it's only you that it affects but think about it.

Guy in car hits a cyclist (not wearing helmet) cyclists head goes under car and gets ''squased'' car driver and possibly passengers traumatised by seeing a cyclists head looking like a pancake.

......cyclist with helmet.........head still intact............less traumatism? (if that's a word)

my opinion anywho.

[Dr. Nick Riviera]

thing that gets me is amount of bmxers who don't wear lids.

just seems silly.

[poopipe]

yes compulsary, but only on major roads.

You may think it's a matter of personal choice, as it's only you that it affects but think about it.

Guy in car hits a cyclist (not wearing helmet) cyclists head goes under car and gets ''squased'' car driver and possibly passengers traumatised by seeing a cyclists head looking like a pancake.

......cyclist with helmet.........head still intact............less traumatism? (if that's a word)

my opinion anywho.

it's their own fault for running the cyclist over.

also - the same problem applies to pedestrians, people on horses, skateboards, fruit booters, mobility carts and so on.

[James Quigley]

it's their own fault for running the cyclist over.

also - the same problem applies to pedestrians, people on horses, skateboards, fruit booters, mobility carts and so on.

Horse riders do wear helmets, skaters, friut booters SHOULD wear them and people who use mobility carts should stay off the roads. As for pedestrians they spend less time on the roads than cyclists and so aren't at as much of a risk. Plus it may be the drivers fault for running over the person but innocent bystanders or passengers will still be traumatised.

[Krisboats]

yes compulsary, but only on major roads.

You may think it's a matter of personal choice, as it's only you that it affects but think about it.

Guy in car hits a cyclist (not wearing helmet) cyclists head goes under car and gets ''squased'' car driver and possibly passengers traumatised by seeing a cyclists head looking like a pancake.

......cyclist with helmet.........head still intact............less traumatism? (if that's a word)

my opinion anywho.

Most cycle helmets are designed to protect the head in a collison, if someones driving over your head with the weight of a car + passengers there aren't many helmets at all that would save your life.

[Si-man]

Should be yes. They can save your life. Its like machinery and stuff, choose to run a machine with no guards and exposed gearing if you want, but there is a high risk that you could get pulled in and pulled apart.

Its a barrier between possible death and living, why risk it for the sake of looking a tit?

I know that example up there may not be 100% true, just using it as something to go by.

[Fish-Finger-er]

no, not at all, its all about risk evaluation.

ive rode my motorbike without a helmet before, admittedly not far (about 200 metres total, was trying to start it, and move it round to the back of my mates van from my trailer, so we could get kitted up.) but the way i saw it, i was going 200 metres on the flat/gravel/concrete surface, doing no more than 15 mph, and i can control a bike fine. but technically if a copper had seen me i could be in big trouble.

yet ive followed a rider riding a bandit 600s, who was riding in football shorts, a wife beater ,a pair of trainers, and a helmet, with his gf on the back in jeans, strappy top, and a helmet. thats legal, but you wouldnt catch me riding my bike on a public road with other road users, in any less than jeans and thick layered tops and gloves, and u wont catch me offroad in anything less than me full mx gear.

likewise with using pushbikes, its all about personal risk, if im riding down me road to try a bike out, im not gunna wear a helmet, ever, but then i wont venture offroad without one.

and as for the lad whos mum found him covered in blood in his back yard, its private property, most road traffic rules cant be enforced on your own property, as its generally not classed as a public highway. so youd still be able to ride without one there.

[TomR]

I'd say no, people generally cycle to commute and do so in areas with lower speed limits, i do however think that if they don't protect their brain they should at least f**king use it once in a while and think about road traffic law as they carelessly ride through red lights etc.

Putting more restrictions on cyclists will discourage people from using them which is the opposite of what the govt. are trying to do, although last time they did this (with mopeds) everyone went out and bought one to ride on their car license and promptly got knocked off and killed, the death toll on the roads for motorcyclists soared and the govt. suddenly changed their minds. They'll probably do the same with cyclists, or built a load of cycle networks, get everyone using them and suddenly start charging a maintenence tax.

Anyway im totally OT now, the answer is no, but common sense should tell people to wear one. I would vote yes but at the end of the day peoples personal safety is down to themselves and forcing them to do this that and the other will only get the buearaucrat(sp?) morons rubbing their hands with glee.

[ilikeriding]

Well if there is gonig to be a law about wearing helmets and that it is compulsory.

Well how are you going to wear a helmet?

Worcster soon tris woohoo.

Echo.Josh

X-x-X

any other day but monday

[anzo]

Download or look out on E4 for 'Autopsy: Emergency Room' and find the 3rd episode...'Permenant Damage'.

The series looked at injuried inflicted on a body which can result in death in minutes, hours and then permenant damage. The permenant one showed the effects of bangs on the head. When the head is hit from behind, the brain jolts forward and hits the front of the skull...excessive force can cause bleeding of the brain; something which you may not even realise you have until you have a headache...by which time brain damage can occur...usually within 4 hours.

The brain is the control centre of your body...not something to be taken for granted.

A bike helmet reduces the impact by 85%; a proven life-saver. Law or not, its up to myself to wear one...I don't need to be told by a copper.

These 'untrained' PCSO's as you say telling you to get off the pavement are simply doing there job; its illegal and you know it...we all do it and we grumble when we get bollocked for it, but at the end of the day we cannot expect to be exempt because we're on a trials bike.

[Greetings]

Maybe we should all just walk around in a thick layer of bubblewrap?

[JT!]

I wear a helmet. But i think people shout have a right to not wear one.

[casualjoe]

riding a motorbike without a helmet is one of the funnest things you can do, try it, its gotta be on a GSX-R or summit that accelerates, Love it. Iv been flying across busy junctions/roundabouts/motorways and taking full advantage of my 'rights' as a cyclist for about 10 years. Never needed a helmet yet baby o yea I can feel it coming though with all this gnarly natural stuff Im riding

[BONGO]

riding a motorbike without a helmet is one of the funnest things you can do, try it, its gotta be on a GSX-R or summit that accelerates, Love it. Iv been flying across busy junctions/roundabouts/motorways and taking full advantage of my 'rights' as a cyclist for about 10 years. Never needed a helmet yet baby o yea I can feel it coming though with all this gnarly natural stuff Im riding

You see, that just made you sound like a tool lol. In my opnion of course