Quote:
Originally Posted by CliffFletcher
Which is why I wear a helmet when I'm riding at speed in traffic, and don't wear a helmet when I'm riding around the neighbourhood or on the bike paths.
If they're no hassle at all, why don't people wear them when they're walking around? More than twice as many children every year suffer head injuries while walking than when cycling, and seven times more pedestrians than cyclists are killed by cars.
Deaths per 100 million trips:
Walking - 15
Cycling - 14
Driving - 10
There's no question hundreds of lives and serious injuries would be saved if pedestrians all walked around wearing helmets. We don't because it's uncomfortable and a hassle for everyday activities. We're not willing to sacrifice that much convenience and comfort for safety. The Dutch don't wear helmets cycling for the same reason. The difference is Canadians don't really regard cycling as a normal, everyday activity and the Dutch do.
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Doesn't the above numbers suggest that cycling without a helmet is more dangerous than walking without a helmet. Since helmet use amoung cyclists is sizeable it is likely that helmets contribute to reducing the rate of fatalities to the same rate as walking.