I've got to ask, to helmet or not?

**Mick_Marsh** · 23rd February 2018, 03:02 PM

Bike helmet laws to be examined by ACT Road Safety Minister amid rise of bike-sharing services - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

I've got to say, if you think you're riding the Giro d'Italia, I'd suggest you'd be mad not to wear a helmet.

But what of the bike sharing schemes? What if you're cycling a little faster than walking pace?

Should a helmet be optional in that case?

**Classic88** · 23rd February 2018, 03:09 PM

That's a lot of potential revenue lost: Cycling fines soar in first year of harsher penalties in NSW

**PhilipA** · 23rd February 2018, 03:25 PM

If you fall on your head even if stopped you can die. Look at the coward punch victims.

I reluctantly bought a helmet when I picked up a free bike recently off my street. Bike =0 Helmet $39.
Regards Philip A

**JR1** · 23rd February 2018, 03:35 PM

Having worked in healthcare, I can say that the cost of patients in ICU for a few weeks with traumatic head injuries far exceeds the revenue raised from fines.
It can probably be said that most people who crash suffer minimal injuries that a helmet probably wouldn’t help. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have pretty catastrophic injuries at slow speeds.
I also see a lot of broken hips in cyclists who fall off their bikes whilst stationary. Hips are pretty robust compared to skulls with velocity. My 2 cents.
Josh.

**Gordie** · 23rd February 2018, 03:39 PM

Rode all through childhood with no helmet...rode m/bikes on farms, no helmet...had some good spills, managed to live through it. Would be happy to see helmet laws gone.

**weeds** · 23rd February 2018, 03:40 PM

If I’m out on the roadie running shoulders with traffic @30km/hr or fanging it down it down some single track I wear a helmet......

Cruising down to the shops or along the esplanade I leave helmet at home.

**Classic88** · 23rd February 2018, 03:47 PM

The theory of Risk Compensation has been applied to cycling and found that "bicycle-related fatalities are positively and significantly associated with increased helmet use". A separate study also found that motorists gave less room to cyclists wearing helmets.

**grey_ghost** · 23rd February 2018, 03:51 PM

I have to admit - I thought that this thread was initially about something else...

**Grumbles** · 23rd February 2018, 03:52 PM

As kids we used to ride a horse up the back paddock - no bridle, no saddle, just a firm grip on the horses mane. Every evening down at the house someone would bash the horses feed bin. That was the dinner signal. With kid hanging on for dear life the horse went flat out down to his dinner and straight at the house gate and then go from flat out to stop in a second or two. Needless to say the hapless kid on board kept going, over the horses head and over the gate to hit the ground with a mighty thump. Never a broken bone let alone a head injury.

Same thing with push bikes. We only ever sustained bruises - never a broken bone.