Hi John, about 12 years ago I tripped unavoidably while walking along the pavement, and hit my head and face on the concrete. I was concussed, I broke both wrists and my front teeth went through my upper lip which led to me having stitches in my lip, dislodged the tooth and killed the nerves in it. Despite that I never wear a helmet while walking along the pavement. Shit happens in all sorts of unpredictable ways.
-- Cheers, Bob > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of John Coyle > Sent: 02 November 2006 06:59 > To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List > Subject: Re: Adults on bicycles > > Having once, many years ago, gone over the handlebars when a > front wheel > collapsed, landing on my face and spending three days in > hospital as a > result, I would prefer to wear a helmet when riding, whether > or not I was > required to do so. > Note that, in my case, I was on a quiet country road, no > other vehicle was > involved, and I was riding at a reasonably sedate pace, > correctly positioned > on the road. No amount of care or caution could have prevented that > accident, as far as I can see, negating some of the arguments > put forward in > this thread. > It's really like wearing a seat-belt in a car: a helmet won't > prevent every > fatality, but it will reduce the severity of injury in a > statistically > significant number of cases. > > John Coyle > Brisbane, Australia > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "David Mann" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Pentax-Discuss Mail List" <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2006 4:00 PM > Subject: Re: Adults on bicycles > > > > On Nov 2, 2006, at 10:49 AM, Bob W wrote: > > > >> The best protection for cyclists is to learn how to cycle properly > >> in traffic. > > > > That helps, but you need to bear in mind that drivers have blind > > spots, are often inattentive (especially while in a hurry), and in > > some cases, as much as I hate to say it, they can be downright > > inconsiderate. Just as cyclists sometimes are. > > > > I haven't been bowled by a car for quite a while despite some close > > calls, but the most recent time was when I was hit from the > side by a > > guy pulling out of a driveway. He was running late and his token > > glance for traffic missed the only thing on that stretch of road. > > Sometimes shit just happens, and by then it's too late to wonder > > whether you're going to hit the concrete hard enough to matter. > > > > In then end, a helmet won't always save someone's life: the reality > > is that in a crash there is a certain amount of impact force applied > > to the head. The helmet can absorb a certain amount, and > spreads the > > rest across that side of the skull. With a big enough > impact nothing > > will save you, and you can easily be killed by other injuries > > anyway. IMO the helmet gives me worthwhile protection of the one > > thing that won't heal, without getting in my way while riding. > > > > As you mentioned, prevention by careful riding is the best cure but > > my experience is that this can only reduce the danger - not > eliminate > > it. Riding offroad is an entirely different kettle of fish as the > > terrain is much more "interesting", and because I ride that > stuff for > > fun, fitness and challenge, crashing is much more likely and in many > > places there are pointy rocks to land on. > > > > The dynamics of any crash are far too variable to be able to make > > predictions of the outcome, and personally I'd rather have > the helmet > > than not have it because I'm slightly on the paranoid side. If > > someone wants to take their chances without a helmet that's fine by > > me, but I'll still mutter a few opinionated words to myself :) > > > > - Dave > > > > > > > > -- > > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > > [email protected] > > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > > -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
