Re: Helmet efficacy test

On 4/1/2025 3:14 PM, Zen Cycle wrote:

On 3/27/2025 7:07 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:

 :-) Such confidence! I note that you haven't addressed the relative frequency of TBI shown in the big pie chart at
https://how-sen.com/journal/2014/2/bike-helmets
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Or maybe you haven't seen data like in
https://www.internationalbrain.org/resources/brain-injury-facts
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which states "United States Annually: 50,000 people die" [of TBI] . But fewer than 500 are bicyclists.

 I did address it, I stated that the numbers were relevant to my point.
 

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And "Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury :    Motor Vehicle Crashes account for 50% of all TBIs. This includes autos, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians hit by vehicles.
     The leading causes of TBI vary by age: falls are the leading cause of TBI among persons aged 65 years and older; transportation is the leading cause of TBI among persons under the age of 65 years.
     Estimates suggest that sports related brain injury accounts for close to 300,000 injuries each year, with winter sports such as skiing and ice-skating accounting for close to 20,000 brain injuries. (7) "
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Again, bicycling is barely mentioned, and is justifiably given no more prominence than autos, inside which far more incidents of TBI occur.
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I don't really fault you for having believed that bicycling is an unusual and  horrible risk for TBI. After all, the propaganda machine has been in high gear for decades. But it's now time for you to educate yourself and put things in the proper perspective.

 But I _do_ fault you for repeatedly mischaracterizing my position.
At no time did I state our otherwise imply that "bicycling is an
  unusual and  horrible risk for TBI. I stated this unequivocally several times already.
But now it's time for you to stop building strawmen and try arguing objectively rather than emotionally.

Zen, you have not precisely said "Bicycling is such an unusual risk for TBI that you should always wear a helmet when you ride."
But you _did_ confess that you regularly tell people that if they are going to ride on roads - normal roads! - they should always wear a helmet. As far as we know, you have not said the same to pedestrians or motorists, to skateboarders or scooter riders or joggers. That alone is strong indication that you're treating bicycling as unusual.
I don't see how you can pretend otherwise.
--
- Frank Krygowski