Do you wear your bike helmet when you're out on a ride? Do you have your kids wear bike helmets while you ride alongside them, not wearing one? (Great example to set by the way.)
It's always a bit worrisome to see so many people on their bikes without helmets. I want to make sure I keep my readers around! Well, that and if I help at least one person not get seriously injured, then my job here is done!
Most days I ride my bicycle to work except on Friday’s in which I walk the long walk. And every day, most everyone I see on their bikes, don’t have helmets on and I ponder if worrying about this is even worth it.
I Admit It
I’m a helmet snoot. I won’t acknowledge someone else on a bike who’s not wearing a helmet. Sure, a helmet is not comfortable, but neither is brain surgery. Bicycle safety isn’t about being forced to do something. It’s about being prepared if someone else is behind the wheel and texting and not looking up when you cross the street.
It's about that car coming out of the church driveway, not looking as they barrel out of there as fast as they can.
It's about that car that runs the red light, or drives you up into the curb as they make a right turn while you're next to them.
It’s as simple as that.
Beyond that, it bothers me more to see adults riding their kids around and setting stupid examples to the kids. Yo: For a few bucks, you can take precautions that don’t put you in the statistics category.
Check it out:
Of the roughly 540,000 REPORTED bicycle accident related emergency room visits every year,
Yea it’s a bit hotter. Sure, it can look “dorky”. I’d rather look dorky than find myself looking up at a doctor examining my skull and getting that medical bill later. That is, if I lived through a stupid accident that I could have prevented.
2 quick tales:
1) A peer of mine was a sharp guy. After an accident on his bike, w/o a helmet. If there was ever a lay-off, I’m not sure he’d get a job at McDonald’s. He’s been very different since that accident.
2) Back in high school, one of my friends hopped on a bike to go about a hundred yards when that fluke, “It will never happen to me” thing happened. His tire kicked out a small stone, the bike went down, he hit his head. A 6-week coma was no fun for his family or friends. That’s for sure.
Sure, these are statistical flukes, but I’d rather not encounter a fluke myself.
I've seen where some folks think that helmet laws are just great, but being "forced to wear a helmet" is "crossing the line" and the laws are not for them. They want their freedom of choice. So be it. It's your choice to risk injury, even if you don't get hit by a car, stupid crap can happen. Unless of course, you're one of those that "know" "it won't happen to you."
There are 67,000 folks a year the learn the hard way they're not immune to stupid events. Any way, I know they suck to wear. Twice I've absentmindedly hopped on my bike without a helmet, and it felt very free. Very nice. But I'd rather play it safe, or at least put the odds slightly in my favor when other people act the fool behind the wheel.
Source: www.helmets.org
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It's always a bit worrisome to see so many people on their bikes without helmets. I want to make sure I keep my readers around! Well, that and if I help at least one person not get seriously injured, then my job here is done!
Most days I ride my bicycle to work except on Friday’s in which I walk the long walk. And every day, most everyone I see on their bikes, don’t have helmets on and I ponder if worrying about this is even worth it.
I Admit It
I’m a helmet snoot. I won’t acknowledge someone else on a bike who’s not wearing a helmet. Sure, a helmet is not comfortable, but neither is brain surgery. Bicycle safety isn’t about being forced to do something. It’s about being prepared if someone else is behind the wheel and texting and not looking up when you cross the street.
It's about that car coming out of the church driveway, not looking as they barrel out of there as fast as they can.
It's about that car that runs the red light, or drives you up into the curb as they make a right turn while you're next to them.
It’s as simple as that.
Beyond that, it bothers me more to see adults riding their kids around and setting stupid examples to the kids. Yo: For a few bucks, you can take precautions that don’t put you in the statistics category.
Check it out:
Of the roughly 540,000 REPORTED bicycle accident related emergency room visits every year,
- 67,000 are head injuries.
- 7,000 of those are serious enough to be admitted to the hospital.
- 12% of those result in brain injuries.
- 85% of these are preventable with a helmet.
Yea it’s a bit hotter. Sure, it can look “dorky”. I’d rather look dorky than find myself looking up at a doctor examining my skull and getting that medical bill later. That is, if I lived through a stupid accident that I could have prevented.
2 quick tales:
1) A peer of mine was a sharp guy. After an accident on his bike, w/o a helmet. If there was ever a lay-off, I’m not sure he’d get a job at McDonald’s. He’s been very different since that accident.
2) Back in high school, one of my friends hopped on a bike to go about a hundred yards when that fluke, “It will never happen to me” thing happened. His tire kicked out a small stone, the bike went down, he hit his head. A 6-week coma was no fun for his family or friends. That’s for sure.
Sure, these are statistical flukes, but I’d rather not encounter a fluke myself.
I've seen where some folks think that helmet laws are just great, but being "forced to wear a helmet" is "crossing the line" and the laws are not for them. They want their freedom of choice. So be it. It's your choice to risk injury, even if you don't get hit by a car, stupid crap can happen. Unless of course, you're one of those that "know" "it won't happen to you."
There are 67,000 folks a year the learn the hard way they're not immune to stupid events. Any way, I know they suck to wear. Twice I've absentmindedly hopped on my bike without a helmet, and it felt very free. Very nice. But I'd rather play it safe, or at least put the odds slightly in my favor when other people act the fool behind the wheel.
Source: www.helmets.org
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