Remember kids... always wear a helmet. (The almighty bikeradar helmet thread)

I'll post some links from a friend, who does science and shit, where he brings all the helmet arguments together. I've done this before.
But, I'm fairly fucking certain not many will be interested.

You could have done it on each and every one of the last 85 pages of this turgid thread, and it will not make the blindest (inadvertant pun) bit of difference.

http://waronthemotorist.wordpress.com/tag/medical-statistics/

http://waronthemotorist.wordpress.com/2012/08/02/all-those-helmets-posts-in-one-place/

In short: http://waronthemotorist.wordpress.com/2011/04/15/so-whats-the-best-evidence-we-have-on-bicycle-helmets/

Yeah, but my friend's cousin fell his bike and a helmet saved his life and then strangled him as he drowned in his swimming pool with a kettle in it falling off a ladder because a motorist didn't give him a wide enough berth as she was wearing headphones.

Did he break a mirror?

Only a really, really small mirror, diluted many times.

homirrorpathy

Only a really, really small mirror, diluted many times.

That just makes it stronger

awwww poor lickle Ed, don't you like it when someone challenges your stream of unsabstantiated, misguided guff?

You mean like your belief that skinner tyres make you go faster?

You mean like your belief that skinner tyres make you go faster?

http://waronthemotorist.wordpress.com/tag/medical-statistics/

http://waronthemotorist.wordpress.com/2012/08/02/all-those-helmets-posts-in-one-place/

In short: http://waronthemotorist.wordpress.com/2011/04/15/so-whats-the-best-evidence-we-have-on-bicycle-helmets/

Chalfie - this is the same evidence that Buffalo Bill elsewhere on the forum points to. I quite understand why everybody is ignoring it?

I point you to the sentence that states the odds ratio of hospitalised helmet wearers vs hospitalised non helmet wearers.

Yes I read it.

N'aww thanks James. Your words mean a lot.

And do you understand it?

It concludes that hospitalised helmet wearers had considerably fewer head and brain injuries than hospitalised non-helmet wearers. Meaning that helmets protect against head and brain injury at least in accidents severe enough to mean hospitalization. Because five separate studies reach the same conclusion this is sufficient evidence for the BMI to call for compulsory helmet wearing.

Its not that I don't understand it , I do understand it. What I don't understand is the suggestion that rate of head injuries rises once all riders (have to) wear helmets.

See Olivers post

It's a tricky one isn't it?

What do you do:
1) say no helmets, but then those that crash with cars will probably not do as well.
2) say helmets, but there might be more crashes because of risk compensation / less space from drivers
3) actually identify what the issue is, the judean people's front

damn the judean people's front

can someone just read all the research for me and tell me if if I should wear a helmet when I drive my 4x4 and text simultaneously or not.

In fact, don't tell me, just post up the answer here and I will pick it up next time I drive through town.

Ta v.much

Basically;
Cycle trainers, apart from Oliver, are not looking very clever at the moment.

Good job I'm not a cycle trainer. :)

ongoing debate with Helen at the disabilities trust.

Poor Helen. Does she realise that there's a fat chance of James ever letting go? ;)

I point you to the sentence that states the odds ratio of hospitalised helmet wearers vs hospitalised non helmet wearers.

Ah, the lovely Cochrane Review. Here's a criticism of it:

http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1069.html

Its not that I don't understand it , I do understand it. What I don't understand is the suggestion that rate of head injuries rises once all riders (have to) wear helmets.

There are various theories as to why that happens, but that it happens is a fact all around the world:

http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1020.html

http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1242.html

Chalfie how many studies have there been to suggest that that helmet wearers have more accidents with cars, I know of one, but its been I while since I have been around here.

TSB, the links above should give you enough to start reading. Everything is fully referenced, so be careful not to get into it too deeply--I only slowly regained my will to live when I did that a few years ago. :)

Anyway, can we get back to discussing proper helmets now?