On the subject of wearing a cycle helmet, I am an avowed libertarian. As with all subjects, there are arguments 'for' and 'against'. Let us all make up our own minds on the basis of authoritative evidence, not political expediency or unthinking prejudice, and act accordingly.
Our eminent past Chairman and evergreen cycling sage, Colin Quemby, has passed on a few words of wisdom to consider in our musings about the value of wearing cycle helmets. The words in quotes are not his:
"Thanks to a development programme lasting at least 4 million years the average
healthy human has a protective hard shell for their brain which can flex (due to
its construction from linked bone plates), and is at just 30% of its impact
strength in a 20mph flat impact, unlike a styrene cover which is past 250% of
its impact strength.
This of course does fail to take account of the
major damage that can occur when the brain moves within the cranial cavity or a
bruised blood vessel delivers a clot and pressure build-up, and the equally
dangerous forces exerted on the upper spine (C1-C5 vertebra) when the head is
forced round or back against the weight of the body. In some ways nature has
taken account of this as the bare head has a useful self repairing covering
which can shear against any surface that might snatch and put a severe force on
the neck, or a severe acceleration on the brain within the skull.
As the work of Ben Hamilton Baillie and others
shows, human mobility has an unassisted design speed of around 18-20mph -
essentially equivalent to falling over when running, and very clearly a few
million years ago those sub 20mph versions which broke when they ran into trees
or rock faces, became a discontinued model. What better reason to promote an
operating environment in which the forces resulting from any collisions are
generally within the capacity of the human body and the speeds are such that the
information processing system requires no special aids such as lane markings,
traffic signals etc, to manage the relationship with other moving
traffic."
What a wonderful thing it is to be able to make decisions for ourselves about our self-preservation. If we make the wrong decisions we die out. If we make the right ones, we pass on our genes to our offspring.
That is liberty, democracy, free will and Darwin's mind blowing 'Origin of the Species'. All about the cycling helmet
Jeff
3 comments:
In 30+ years of cycling, I have had more use for a helmet around the house than I have on the bike - and, no, I don't wear one at home. I just bash my head, especially now on the random booby-trap "safety" aids that have appeared around my elderly mother's home.
However I would never suggest that another should NOT wear a helmet if that is their choice. I just don't understand why those who "wouldn't dream of going out without a helmet" don't feel that same need when they drive, walk down the street, or go on the bus.
PLEASE, this is not the place for yet another interminable helmet debate. for the sake of everyones sanity, take it eslwhere.
This is exactly the place to discuss this issue, this is the only open forum we have!
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