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0 pointssneak9y ago0 comments

There is a pretty good statistical argument for wearing a helmet anytime one is near roads, sidewalks, moving walkways, bike lanes, or anywhere else objects are moving more than 0.5m/s, whether you are moving or not. You can even die relatively simply from falling from an otherwise motionless standing position and hitting your head on the paved ground. The brain is remarkably fragile.

I kind of want the helmet-in-public fashion trend to kick in.

0 comments

jen729w9y ago

Here in Australia, where they're mandatory, us 'hipster' types get around this by wearing helmets that look like the sort of 'crash hat' that skateboarders wear: very dome-like, skull-shaped things rather than the traditional swept-back-vents-all-over helmets that your racing cyclist would wear.

Hotter in summer, but they look cooler. ;-)

FWIW, I thought it was weird at first having to wear a helmet. I'm from the UK. Now, though, it just seems bizarre that I wouldn't. It's my skull! My brain is in there. It only takes one idiot, and knocking my head off concrete from 6ft up at even 10km/h sounds like a terrible idea. Anything that cushions the blow, even if that blow is unlikely, now seems like the most obvious idea in the world.

Moru9y ago

But a skateboard helmet doesn't work as well as a bicycle helmet when bicyckling. They are made for different falling types. They are better than nothing but not as good as the better bicycle helmets.

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ptaipale9y ago

Indeed. I feel naked if I start to cycle without a helmet (even though they are not strictly mandatory here, the law says you should wear one but there are no penalties for not wearing it.)

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