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Bicycle Helmets Kill

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Garpal Gumnut

Ross Island Hotel
Joined
2 January 2006
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As a lad I remember people of all shapes and sizes riding bicycles. It was a good cheap efficient way for us working class people to get about our trips to school, work or technical college.

Recent laws led by the New Class have deprived workers of this pleasant cheap means of transport.

Bicycle riding is now the domain of swarthy waxed gentlemen and executives of our major corporations.

I believe this to be due to the introduction of the bicycle helmet by the meddling lefties of the eighties.

My favourite Sunday morning coffee shop has been taken over by these hairless wonders, and the girls are no better. They all bear those badges of affluence the lycra suit and the drreaded helmet. Some of the men have lumps in their necks so tight are the suits.

I have seen some fat people attempt to wear these helmets. They look ridiculous, like a fried egg on an over sized bun. Christ knows how they would protect them in an accident.

It thus discourages workers and particularly fat people from cycling, at great cost to their health.

Lets face it if a truck runs you over on a bicycle the egg on top ain't going to help you.

So I would ask all ASF posters to lobby their local members to remove this ridiculous law from the statute books.

A link for you to read

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_helmet#Are_helmets_harmful.3F_Undesirable_effects_of_helmet_use

gg
 
Re: Bicycycle Helmets Kill

I was riding to uni once with out my helmet (I was late to my class). Mr policeman pulled me over and proceeded to ask me questions, he asked what degree I was doing, I told him engineering, he asked me what would the force be if my head hit the gutter, I told him it would be a big one, to which he told me was correct.

He let me off with a warning and I had to walk my bike the rest of the way

So you see, we live in a cotton ball environment here in Australia, and I dont see that changing anytime soon.
 
Re: Bicycycle Helmets Kill


NS we need to rise up and get rid of these silly laws.

gg
 
Re: Bicycycle Helmets Kill

Garpal Gumnut said:
NS we need to rise up and get rid of these silly laws.

gg
Click to expand...

It would be better to get rid of the fools that think this has anything merit.

including the one starting this thread.

DUMB.
 
Re: Bicycycle Helmets Kill

Originally posted by Trembling Hand

"It would be better to get rid of the fools that think this has any merit.

including the one starting this thread.

DUMB."
Click to expand...

Here Here! Couldn't agree more TH.

Why not ban helmets for motorcyclists as well GG. As one who regularly rides in bunches with cyclists at 40-55kph I wouldn't leave home without a helmet.

Perhaps a trip to a trauma ward where a cyclist has been hit and sustained head injuries might change your idea about the merit of protective gear.

You'll have to get off the red GG it's clouding your judgement
 
Re: Bicycycle Helmets Kill

I think if you ride a bicycle on the roads these days, or even a motor bike for that matter, you have a death wish. Helmets will prevent serious head injury in a lot of cases, but if they're that worried about health why dont they ban cigarettes ?
 
Re: Bicycycle Helmets Kill

ColB said:
You'll have to get off the red GG it's clouding your judgement
Click to expand...

I am an avid cyclist and even race MTB... that aside, I don't think GG is advocating a law saying you must not wear a helmet, just that the one that says you HAVE to, is repealed. I agree 100% with that sentiment.

I would never not wear one but then I think it should be my choice.

Look to countries (see photos in the link below) where it is not compulsory (you can still wear them, it just a choice !) for an idea of the popularity of cycling as transport and not just a past time for boy racers (ie my carbon fiber Orbea )

http://www.ski-epic.com/amsterdam_bicycles/index.html
 
Re: Bicycycle Helmets Kill

MrBurns said:
I think if you ride a bicycle on the roads these days, or even a motor bike for that matter, you have a death wish. Helmets will prevent serious head injury in a lot of cases, but if they're that worried about health why dont they ban cigarettes ?
Click to expand...

Cigarettes bring in zi tax $$$ for zi governmenttttt BURNS-O
 
Re: Bicycycle Helmets Kill

Trevor_S said:
I am an avid cyclist and even race MTB... that aside, I don't think GG is advocating a law saying you must not wear a helmet, just that the one that says you HAVE to, is repealed. I agree 100% with that sentiment.
Click to expand...

I agree too, I want to be wearing a helmet when riding in traffic, or at high speeds, but if its just at a gentle pace around lazy beach side suburbs, I dont want to be wearing one.
 
Re: Bicycycle Helmets Kill

JTLP said:
Cigarettes bring in zi tax $$$ for zi governmenttttt BURNS-O
Click to expand...

Im sure the benefits of tax would be outweighed by;

- the reduction on the health sector
- tax recieved from money saved-then-spent from not buying cigarettes
- money saved from government anti-advertising
- tax recieved from people who would of died of smoking

there are alot more,
 
Re: Bicycycle Helmets Kill

I do a lot of bike riding and if I had a choice Id wear the helmut.
Keeps my brains in.
You should try it GG.
 
Re: Bicycycle Helmets Kill

Yeah guys the old choice gem

We should get rid of that silly compulsory seat belt rule as well. At least when just driving slowly hey?
 
Re: Bicycycle Helmets Kill

If some people think it should be their right to choose the level of pro active safety gear they wear, then perhaps that's why we need laws to take bad decisions out of their hand.

Geoff.
 
Re: Bicycycle Helmets Kill


lol

i assume this really about BICYCLES?? WTF is a bicycycle?? is it a pair of cycyles ????

biggest load of garbage posted on this subject i have seen if its about cycling

wrong on every level..

if anything prevails, common sense does,, but theres none in this quote what so ever!!

poor show and totally incorrect...
 
Re: Bicycycle Helmets Kill

I bought my first bicycle helmet in 1975, long before you 'had to'. From my 26 year ambulance career I can assure you that there are few 'sillier' looking things than a person with a closed head injury lying on a CT table with stridorous breathing and abnormal muscular contractions. Helmets save lives, but I do respect peoples right not to wear them so long as they are also excluded from medical treatment, rehabilitation and long term care at the expense of the public.
 
Re: Bicycycle Helmets Kill

Sorry GG but this is BS!

The facts are helmets save lives. November last year I had a crash where I landed on top of a kerb and my head hit right on the peak of the kerb. I have no doubt that the helmet stopped be getting a more serious injury. As it was I fractured 2 ribs and consider myself lucky.

I have seen too many accidents on bikes where you can only wonder if the person would still be alive if they hadn't been wearing a helmet. I would never support any push to change the law. Sometimes we need to protect people from themselves.
 
Re: Bicycycle Helmets Kill

If you don't need a head you dont need a helmet.

Sorry are you saying cycling is now too expensive for the common man because helmets are so expensive? $50 is nothing compared to what most "common men" spend of petrol every week. What planet are you on GG?
 
Re: Bicycycle Helmets Kill

Naked shorts said:
I agree too, I want to be wearing a helmet when riding in traffic, or at high speeds, but if its just at a gentle pace around lazy beach side suburbs, I dont want to be wearing one.
Click to expand...
Perhaps you would like to tell that to the parents of a 12-year-old knocked off his bicycle by a passing motorcyclist. Hit his head on the ground and was killed outright. Sadly wasn't wearing a helmet.
Every cyclist seen without a helmet should be fined $200 on the spot.
 
Re: Bicycycle Helmets Kill

While listening to Radio National a while age I heard an article about a German study into bicycle helmets. The results weren't too far off GG's topic here. Sorry couldn't find a link.

In the study they monitored the average distance that drivers would miss cyclists on a busy road. They found that the widest berth was given to women riding without an helmet. The smallest distance was for men wearing helmets. If I remember correctly a couple of the blokes were actually knocked off their bikes during the study.

The rationale was that people perceived riders without a helmet to be more vulnerable so gave them more distance that helmeted riders. Also women in general were given wider berths as they were perceived to be less competent than male riders and more likely to erratically swerve.

I for one wouldn't be caught on the road on a bike without a helmet and the way some of these guys in V8's or high performance rice rockets belt up and down suburban streets the suburbs are anything but safer.
 
Re: Bicycycle Helmets Kill


Maybe you should wear a helmet to the shower, after all you could slip on the soap and kill yourself (yes it happens). Or how about wearing a helmet every time you go for a drive? Race car drivers do, why doesn't everyone else? You have that choice to wear a helmet while driving to protect yourself, but I'll assume you don't take it.

Whats the difference between driving at high speeds in a dangerous environment and cruising down to the local shops in your convertible on a Sunday morning?

Don't get me wrong however, I wont be lobbying the local government to remove helmet laws, I've got better things to do.
 
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