On Sat, Sep 20, 2008 at 2:59 AM, Bob W <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Here is an interesting article (with which I agree) about the > paradoxical dangers arising from our safety culture: > > http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/sep/19/transport.transpor > t > > Interesting quote: "All vehicles are people in disguise, negotiating > the use of common space with each other. They must never be induced to > delegate that obligation to signs and machines. They certainly must > not think themselves safer than others, or they will behave with less > consideration for others as a result." > > Bob
I don't buy it. There may be a cause-and-effect relationship between the wearing of helmets and accidents, but which way does it go? Does the helmet make us more cavalier, or will the cyclist who takes more chances tend to wear a helmet? As far as the Netherlands (a non-helmet-wearing bike society) versus Australia (where helmets are law), I would submit that it's specious to isolate one element and claim (or at least imply) that's the reason for differing accident rates. Surely there are other differences between the Dutch and the Aussies that might contribute! I could go on, but I would think that there is such a complicated relationship between helmet wearing and accident rates that I'd be loathe to say that one's safer without a helmet. I think that what it comes down to is it should be a personal choice. I choose to wear one. I don't think that my riding changes significantly with or without my helmet (but I could be wrong). I've had enough accidents from which I suffered significant injuries to the rest of my body that I really prefer not having accidents - helmet or not. The flip side of that is when I broke my collarbone my head hit the pavement pretty hard - I'd have suffered at least a serious concussion without the skid lid. I don't criticize anyone for not wearing one. I especially don't criticize Elle for not wearing one, because she's quite beautiful. I know that's not a good reason for not criticizing her, but there you go... ;-) cheers, frank -- "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept." -Henri Cartier-Bresson -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
