Re: Helmet efficacy test

On 3/25/2025 10:12 AM, Frank Krygowski wrote:

On 3/25/2025 7:52 AM, John B. wrote:

>
As I've said many times before, I haven't been the U.S. for many years ...

 Perhaps you should come visit to refresh your knowledge.
 

But do people in other parts of the world avoid playing baseball or in
an English "colony", Cricket, because one must wear a helmet, or U.S.
football. or riding to the hounds or all the various activities that
require  a helmet".

 John, I live two blocks from a Village football field - the old high school field - and an adjacent flat grassy field. Both are used by young guys and kids for a variety of "pick up" sports, including touch football.
 Guys playing touch football do not wear helmets. There is no mandate, and apparently the guys judge that the risk of serious head injury is low. I played touch football on an intramural team in college, and none of us wore helmets.
 Bicyclists volunteer to wear helmets mostly because of dishonest fear mongering that convinces them that risk of brain injury is huge, far worse than other normal activities. Here, I post data showing that's false.

There may not be any greater risk than any other activity, but that doesn't mean that wearing a helmet won't protect you when your head hits the asphalt.
I'm a helmet wearer. I've always counseled people riding on public roadways or riding for performance to wear helmets. For going on a casual, low-risk ride on a smooth recreational rail trail, not much of an issue and I've even gone out for such rides without one (as recently as our trip to Aruba last year). But any time I'm going out on the road or any ride at a 'fitness' level or higher, I always wear one.
40+ years of commuting, training, and racing have left me with a number of incidents where I hit my head hard enough to damage the helmet. I can't say for sure it protected me from any brain injury, but I _do_ know it's protected me from bashing my head on rocks, trees, signposts, asphalt, walls, cars... - All of which would have required trips to the ER for stitches. For that reason alone it's worth it to me to wear one.
So, feel free _not_ to wear one. I do now and will continue to do so.

 

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