On 11/3/06, William Robb <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Helmets are a compromise solution to head protection. > They can offer exceedingly good protection, but at the expense of > weight. > A heavier helmet is more likely to cause soft tissue injuries (whiplash) > to the neck. >
~Everything~ in life is a compromise. Bike helmets (even "budget" ones) typically weigh around 8 to 12 ounces; they are quite comfortable and well-ventilated compared to helmets of even a few years ago. They aren't perfect, and can't be expected to provide failsafe protection for thirty mph faceplants into brick walls. However, they offer a greatly increased chance of survival and/or minimization of brain injury in a surprisingly large number of collisions. I can think of at least three occasions when my head hit the pavement with enough impact that, were I not wearing a helmet, I'd have almost certainly suffered at least a severe concussion. That includes my (helmeted) forehead smacking the pavement after flying over the front of my handlebars, another occasion where I landed on my back and the back of my head whipped into a streetcar rail, and my most recent collision (last October, when I broke my collarbone) where my temple hit the ground (cracking the helmet), then my face slid along the pavement, giving me the coolest roadrash on my cheek. The kids were most impressed! My point is that for each of these incidents, me helmet did the job that it was designed to do, and that without each of those helmets, my injuries would have likely been severe. So, whatever helmets can or can't do, my personal experience is that, while there are obviously no guarantees, they are extremely effective in preventing head injuries. >From all the above-mentioned accidents, the only injuries I suffered above the shoulders were road rash on my face, and a sore neck for a day or two. I shudder to think what would have happened without a helmet. cheers, frank -- "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept." -Henri Cartier-Bresson -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
