Hi Paul,
I agree completely with what you are saying. I also believe that risk taking in sport can increase with a false sense of security provided by protective gear. I can attest to this in skiing and snowboarding as I work with the Canadian Ski Patrol who has the responsibility of promoting safety as well as treating injured skiers/boarders-picking up the pieces. I can certainly say that over the last 4 years the severity of injuries sustained on the hill has increased. We used to treat snowboarders for things like sprained thumbs, the odd broken wrist or dislocated shoulder from a fall. Now we have countless concussions, neck and back injuries, even dislocated hips from 'taking air'. This is trauma. Most of these injuries would not have occurred if the person (usually a teenage male) had more skill and experience, and took less risks. In snowsports as well as cycling, I feel helmets to be an important part of an overall safety picture, but education and skills need to be emphasized- sorry to sound like a broken record! I always wear a helmet when cycling as I ride with traffic, which can often be unpredictable. Many things can be beyond one's control (e.g., other users' behaviour) on the road. On the ski hill, however, I only wear a helmet when I race, because I do not wish to promote the false sense of security perceived by many during recreational skiing. There are not other vehicles to deal with as there are when cycling on the road, aside from the odd maintenance skidoo now and then. Skiing is not dangerous when caution is exercised, rules are respected and skiers stay within their ability level. Same thing goes for cycling.
Those are my two cents
Jennifer
------------------------------------------------------------Date: Tue, 31 Jul 01 08:24:03 -0400
From: Paul Lindsay <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: [obc] NYT Article on bicycle helmets>They believe that the increased use of bike helmets may have had an
>unintended consequence:
>that cyclists when wearing helmets take more risks.
Interesting concept. Expanding the idea further, I have often
wondered if injuries/accidents occur in a number of sporting
activities due to the thought process of "I can't be hurt now that
I am wearing all this protective gear".
There has been the (dare I mention his name?) Don Cherry school of
thought that hockey injuries related to sticks have increased since
the mandatory use of helmets. I would think that American-style
football injuries are much higher than that of rugby where no
protective gear is worn. And on a personal level (showing my age here)
I can recall that wearing a full-face shield helmet while riding a
motorcycle gave one a more "closed-in" safe feeling than the days when
helmets were an option but not the law.
... Paul L.------------------------------
--
Jennifer Allen
Coordinator, Cycling Safety & Promotion Program
Citizens for Safe Cycling
251 Bank Street, Suite 504 (at Cooper)
(613)567-1288 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Http://www.cfsc.ottawa.on.ca/
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