On Tuesday, July 23, 2002 at 8:46, Les Humphreys (K) <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote re "RE: [obc] Hey Avery et al." saying:
> What accident statistics are there to justify this initiative - > other than reducing the numbers of cyclists on the road, I wonder if there > has been any reduction in the numbers of serious head injuries since helmet > use has become mandatory. http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/308/6943/1537?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10 &RESULTFORMAT=&titleabstract=helmet%2C+helmets&searchid=1027431923314_72 06&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=1,2,3,4,10 "Conclusion : The findings suggest an increased risk of sustaining head injury in a bicycle accident when a motor vehicle is involved and confirm protective effect of helmet wearing for any bicycle accident. " This study also reviews the previous literature. Since all state helmet laws cover only children, this applies to children 16 & under. http://www.helmets.org/leggrant.htm "Section V. Conclusion. Bicycle helmet legislation is effective at achieving its desired goal: a reduction in bicycle accident fatalities for younger riders. Estimates of the effect of the legislation, using a large panel data set and a variety of regression approaches, robustly indicate that legislation requiring youths to wear bicycle helmets reduces juvenile fatalities by about 15%, without leading to an increase in juvenile pedestrian or motor vehicle fatalities as an offsetting effect. Currently, this would represent a savings of about twenty lives per year in states that do not currently have such legislation" See other info at http://www.helmets.org/mandator.htm The question in my mind is not whether helmets, or helmet laws, save lives. They do. The question is whether people have the right to live dangerously. Do we have to have all danger mandated out of our control? Will skydiving and rockclimbing be outlawed? If adult macho idiots want to avoid safety gear, let them improve the gene pool by leaving it. Tom PS I almost always wear my fluorescent/reflector-decked helmet. It's not just to protect my noggin, but to show up better to motorists, and to give turning cues when I turn my head. ------- Quidquid latine dictum sit altum viditur ----------------- ,__@ Tom A. Trottier +1 613 860-6633 fax:231-6115 _-\_<, 758 Albert St.,Ottawa ON Canada K1R 7V8 (*)/'(*) ICQ:57647974 N45.412 W75.714 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Laws are the spider's webs which, if anything small falls into them they ensnare it, but large things break through and escape. --Solon, statesman (c.638-c558 BCE) ------------------------------------------------- For list help, please send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Club Office: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (613) 230-1064 Website: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb Newsletter: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------------------------- ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aVxiDo.a2i8p1 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
