# Will a helmet really save me?!



## dreamtheater39 (Mar 12, 2009)

Hi!

I just got a Giro helmet, it fits great.....and is awesome!

This is the first helmet i've ever got, and to be honest....it barely gives me any confidence of saving my head on a fall! It's so damn light, and looks quite flimsy too! Its just the top of my head which is protected with my sides and face still all open!

So realistically speaking guys, has the helmet made any difference in life when any of you took a fall?


cheers!


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## JFalcetti (Feb 16, 2009)

I have never really had a bad fall in which my helmet saved me, not while mountain biking anyways.

But, while snowboarding, without my helmet I would either be a vegetable, or dead.

So I suppose I wear a helmet on my bike because of the same principal.

One less thing you have to worry about, ya know?


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## JFalcetti (Feb 16, 2009)

And yes, it will save you. They are designed to be light an not so cumbersome. If you take a fall and slam your head hard enough, the idea is that you replace the helmet. A really hard skull splitting fall will compromise the integrity of the helmet and it may not protect as well the next time.

You can always replace helmets, but you only get one skull.


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## gfourth (Apr 12, 2009)

I didn't think I was going to get one. I ended up actually buying one before I even got the bike because I had a friend pass away in a ski related accident and he used to always condone helmet usage. when I told all my friends I got a mtb the first thing they asked about was if I got a helmet. the first day I had my bike I bombed a gravel road at like 25-30 mph and figured it was good to have one.

But yeah I agree with you. feels like a piece of styrofoam on your head.


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## Trail Traveler (Mar 10, 2009)

Yes. I took a high speed header back in 2000 that left quite a dent in the top of my helmet. At the very least, it saved me from a bad head injury. It may have saved my life.


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## space (May 25, 2004)

My last major wreck, the one that convinced me to stop riding for about three years, my helmet probably saved me. I was out riding solo down a fast rocky fire road at about 30mph and I taco'd the rear wheel.

I broke my thumb, my big chain ring cut through my shoe into my foot, my shirt was shredded (my back was completely covered with road rash) and my arms/legs/hands where tore up. I also bounced my head off of a rock. My helmet was destroyed but I didn't even end up with a concussion.

So I ride with a helmet.


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## 006_007 (Jan 12, 2004)

I love this topic because it allows me to direct people to another MTBR members experience:

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=111566


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## TimTimo (Mar 24, 2009)

wow, i didnt want to see that. thanks for posting it though!!


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## CougarTrek (Jan 27, 2007)

No, a helmet is not guaranteed to save you.

You could snap your spinal column. You could whack your spleen on a rock and bleed out. You could hit your head so hard (or in just the right way) that even having a helmet on won't matter. You could be eaten by a mountain lion. You could...

Well, you get the point.

Helmets definitely help in most cases where hitting your head is involved.

Imagine your friends and family watching you die in a coma for seven months from an injury that according to the neurosurgeon that had to remove your entire skull to try to save you: "would have been minor head injuries at worst if he'd had a helmet on".

Yea, been there, not cool.

I'll believe that neurosurgeon over any armchair scientist that attempts to tell me there is no proof helmets work. I'd say live through it once, but I don't wish that experience on Satin himself.


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## gumbymark (May 25, 2007)

I wear a helmet because even a 1 in 100 chance of surviving a hard hit to the head is infinitely better then 0 in 100.


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## emtnate (Feb 9, 2008)

Only cougartrek and gumbymark seem to have realistic expectations of a helmet.

Yes, it could save you. That's enough for me.

I've taken hard hits and destroyed a helmet, I'm still here.  I've also taken a few hard falls without a helmet. I wouldn't risk it again.


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## PscyclePath (Aug 29, 2007)

A helmet (as well as gloves and glasses) is your last line of defense in the event you get into a crash situation. 95% of your protection is controlling your bike so as not to fall or run into anything, as well as positioning yourself on the roadway or trail so that other folks don't run over you, being aware of what's going on around you so that you don't get caught up in the mistakes of others, and being able to dodge or evade when others inevitably make mistakes.

Helmets are about 60% effective in preventing brain injury when you get into a crash, depending on whose statistics you believe. The most commonly cited number (about 30 years old) says 80% effective, more recent and comprehensive studies say 60%. Where they're most effective is in a relatively low speed crash where you fall off your bike, the most common accident. Should you get hit by a car or run over by a bus, they'll protect your brain, but usually it's the other vital parts that get hurt in those circumstances.


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## EnglishT (Apr 9, 2008)

You should see my old Hex...

Took a highspeed crash on the side of the head (couple of years ago now), the size of the crack quite incredible.
I'm glad it took the sting out of that crash, I wouldnt have wanted my head to take all that.


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## mjwood0 (May 24, 2004)

Considering my head and brain are somewhat important to me, I figure the cost of a helmet is a small price to pay for another line of defense against injury. While I fully understand they aren't 100% effective, I figure that any added protection is a good start.

Then again, I also feel that wearing some form of glasses while riding is smart. I can't tell you the number of times just this year that a stone has come up and hit me in the face. However, we do have a lot of gravel type conditions around here so perhaps the need for glasses is more location specific.


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## EnglishT (Apr 9, 2008)

mjwood0 said:


> Then again, I also feel that wearing some form of glasses while riding is smart. I can't tell you the number of times just this year that a stone has come up and hit me in the face. However, we do have a lot of gravel type conditions around here so perhaps the need for glasses is more location specific.


I tend to agree.

One of the best forms of defence is giving yourself the best possible chance of NOT crashing to begin with.

Glasses reduce the amount of small stones/mud etc that get splashed up near your eyes - a loss of control because you can't see is one of the worst ways to lose it. Especially when you consider that is most likely to happen when youre going FAST (faster wheelspeed throws more stuff up to eye level).


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## Ken in KC (Jan 12, 2004)

*References?*



PscyclePath said:


> A helmet (as well as gloves and glasses) is your last line of defense in the event you get into a crash situation. 95% of your protection is controlling your bike so as not to fall or run into anything, as well as positioning yourself on the roadway or trail so that other folks don't run over you, being aware of what's going on around you so that you don't get caught up in the mistakes of others, and being able to dodge or evade when others inevitably make mistakes.
> 
> Helmets are about 60% effective in preventing brain injury when you get into a crash, depending on whose statistics you believe. The most commonly cited number (about 30 years old) says 80% effective, more recent and comprehensive studies say 60%. Where they're most effective is in a relatively low speed crash where you fall off your bike, the most common accident. Should you get hit by a car or run over by a bus, they'll protect your brain, but usually it's the other vital parts that get hurt in those circumstances.


Sources for your statistics? They seem rather specious to me.


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## benzology (Oct 31, 2005)

Get a good helmet. Its a great investment.

One of my riding buddies lost control at a fairly slow speed and crashed head first into a tree.... he is a big guy and hit the tree pretty hard. Cracked his helmet and walked away with nothing but a headache.

Hard to tell if he sustained a minor brain injury as he is a big dumb knucklehead but i reckon it would have been quite serious if he had been without a hemet.


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## lampy29 (Oct 16, 2008)

I've been in a crash where my helmet saved me. I was going fast on a favorite trail that I know well (while trying out a new type of tire...) and I could feel myself losing control of the bike - a dangerous situation on handlebar wide trails. I knew I couldn't make the next turn, and saw an enormous log that came up to about my headtube 15 ft ahead. So I took aim at a nicely proportioned tree, leaned back and rammed it with my handlebar. 

The force sent me forward and the next thing I know I'm holding on to the tree I just hit with both hands, my bike around my knees with a huge dent in the front of my helmet. If I wasn't wearing my helmet I would've been in a world of hurt. Amazingly the bike was fine. The paint was ripped off the left side of my headtube down to scratching the aluminum - no idea how that happened (the frame is fine - a nice sturdy Gary Fisher  ). Thank God I was wearing my helmet. Regrettably the impact did knock my computer flying...

Also I'll only take my friends out if they agree to wear a helmet. Around the neighborhood I rarely do (only when heading out for a training ride).


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## ThePinkBarron (Aug 28, 2008)

I have only been biking for a few years now but I have already split a helmet in 2. I had a massive headache for the rest of the day, and I was pretty bruised up from it, but I was able to walk out of the woods. Most helmet companies like Bell and Giro have a helmet replacement program where you send in your broken down crashed helmet and maybe a processing fee, and they send you a brand new helmet. 

I wont ride without one, I am convinced that had I not been wearing a helmet I would have been very lucky to live after going over the bars head first to a tree.


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

I wear my helmet because it looks badass - plus all my friends wear 'em and I don't want to be left out.
It has a sweet visor that tells the sun to piss off, as well as a vast array of speed holes!!
When I'm done riding, I get to sport this sick-ass tri-hawk - so dope!

Safety?? I'm invincible, so 'safety' is the last thing on my mind :thumbsup:


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## s0ckeyeus (Jun 20, 2008)

Major impacts aside, helmets have turned potentially painful situations into minor incidents. For example, I hit a tree limb that had fallen and was suspended over the trail. I had come around a turn and the limb was just at the right height that I didn't see it. I was a little dazed, but not hurt at all since the helmet did its thing. To me, a helmet is worth it if it saves you from smaller incidents like the one I mentioned. I wouldn't have died, but I could have had a concussion and I would have definitely been in pain with a nice knot on my head. Instead, I shook it off and continued a great ride.


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## mtnbiker72 (Jan 22, 2007)

Yes a helmet can save you...it saved me in 1999 when I fell headfirst into some very jagged limestone and split my helmet in three pieces, suffered a concussion, went to the hospital, and had to be checked every hour for the next 24 hours by my then girlfriend (thank you Michelle).

But if you don't believe me, ask Andrei Kivilev if a helmet saved his life...wait he wasn't wearing a helmet and he's dead from head injuries, nevermind


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## SteelVW (Dec 1, 2008)

I would have to say that a helmet is worth its weight in gold. I am currently healing up from a crash two weeks ago where my helmet saved my life. Was riding down some hard packed single track, and leaned hard into an off camber turn. Speed was good, but hit a rut in the trail and lost the front end. Ended up facing it at almost 20mph and busted my helmet. I hit so hard, that there was red paint from my helmet ground into the dirt where my head impacted. If I wasn't wearing my helmet, i probably would have ended up in the hospital with a major head injury. I was wearing a Giro Flack helmet and after contacting the company, they gave me 30% off a new full face helmet. Giro is the real deal....


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## mtnbiker72 (Jan 22, 2007)

> Giro is the real deal....


Yes...awesome crash replacement policy :thumbsup:


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## davidbeinct (Dec 6, 2007)

I have cracked two helmets, one on the road, one on a rock (endo) on singletrack. The road wreck (man, asphalt is HARD!) cracked the helment right by the temple. The mtb wreck cracked the helmet almost right on top, I woulda augured headfirst into granite without it. I still have neck pain from that crash, but I also still have a head with the correct number of holes in it. That foam may feel light, but its job is to cushion the blow by spreading the force out, and it does do that.

Remember helmets are single use items.

David B.


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## EnglishT (Apr 9, 2008)

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=111566
Even when partly recovered, you can see that theres gonna be scars for life.
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?p=1031184#post1031184

This guys pics and experience say it all.

Well, unless you think lots of big scars and a straw in your head look "cool"?


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## nachomc (Apr 26, 2006)

I've landed on my head twice. Helmets rock.


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## tartan (Mar 27, 2009)

Always wear a helmet, always.


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## Rufudufus (Apr 27, 2004)

mjwood0 said:


> .
> 
> Then again, I also feel that wearing some form of glasses while riding is smart. I can't tell you the number of times just this year that a stone has come up and hit me in the face. However, we do have a lot of gravel type conditions around here so perhaps the need for glasses is more location specific.


Forget gravel, try running into a bee, in the face, at full speed. Hurts like hell. Now imagine not wearing glasses and taking it in the eye.

As for helmets, I've gone over the bars and smacked my head with and without a helmet. I was road riding without, fortunately a passing motorist scooped me up and got me to a hospital. No serious injuries, but it was a couple hours before I was back to normal. With a helmet, I dusted myself off and was back on the bike in few minutes, no big deal.

Wear a helmet.


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## dreamtheater39 (Mar 12, 2009)

Quite clearly there are no two ways about it 

Just that, it feels like a piece of thermocol with a strap-on...really questioned how well it would serve its purpose. Anyway, I guess the guys at Giro and whoever aren't stupid not to build something safe enough!

Just feels weird wearing one all of a sudden....it feels like i ran away from an electrocution sentence i had to serve


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## Psycho Marco (Nov 7, 2008)

I agree with all of you in the "a helmet is not going to save you" idea.

I also agree that 95% of the times is up to the rider to prevent crashes. 

In that matter, I think riding with responsability and at normal speed is the key to avoid a horrendous crash. A friend of mine recently told me "I´d rather go down the bike and walk 15 yards (to go over a complicated part), than trying to go thru it, falling and staying out of riding for 3 months". I think that´s a good way of thinking. 

JMO


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## otis24 (Apr 1, 2004)

It doesn't take much to get a good head injury that will be with you for the rest of your life. I fell off my back porch form 2 feet when I was twelve and hit my head on the only rock in the yard. It was a year before I was back at school full time. I had seizures for years, and you don't want to have to deal with side effects from anti seizure meds either. 

Anyway I'm sure helmets have saved my already damaged brain from more damage. I've broken two. I had a concussion from one fall that broke a helmet. It would have been a hell of a lot worse had I not been using a helmet.


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## vk45de (Feb 1, 2009)

Imagine someone gives you a hard wack w/ baseball bat w/ and w/o helmet.... actually, if you have a helmet to spare and live near me, I'll be more than happy simulate this for you (light wack)... w/ helmet first. I'll even let you decide if you wanna take the same light wack w/o it. Think the result will be the same?


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## Oregonism (Jan 14, 2009)

I had a friend lay down my dirtbike at about 65mph, bounce off his helmet and land headfirst into a chainlink fence. Had he not been wearing a helmet, the first bounce would have likely busted his skull open, and if not, the fence would have surely done him in. Luckily he had strong bones, because I would have been in crutches for months after that. It was a Fox moto helmet and it didn't even crack... but I definitely replaced it after that one. 

A little off topic, but **** happens and it's a lot better if your prepared for it. I'd much rather look like a dork or whatever than spend the rest of my life in a motorized wheelchair or worse.


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## WR304 (Jul 9, 2004)

Just to add that along with wearing the helmet you need to make sure that the straps are properly adjusted, and that the chin strap is tight enough so the helmet won't slip around if you fall on it.

Helmets like the Giro Atmos and Giro Ionos may look like there's not much to them but there's plenty of reinforcement underneath the skin for them to do their protective job if needed.

I usually end up landing on my head. It's a standing joke nowadays. There's a really good pic of me after a road race a few years ago when half the bunch crashed on a descent at 40+mph after someone near the front hit a brick in the road. After the race I'm so concussed that I can barely stand and haven't realised my jumper is on the wrong way round. The Giro helmet I was wearing was smashed to pieces. A few days later I was ok though.

If you ride a bike long enough falling off is one of those things that's going to happen sometime. The main thing is to try and stay relaxed when you fall and roll when you hit the ground to absorb the impact. A Camelbak is useful too as it doubles as a back protector. As you get better at riding crashes are going to become more infrequent but when they do happen you're likely to be going faster or riding more technical terrain/ jumping which tends to hurt more when you fall off.


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## boomn (Jul 6, 2007)

dreamtheater39 said:


> Anyway, I guess the guys at Giro and whoever aren't stupid not to build something safe enough!


Its more than just that. Any helmet sold in the US has to pass a variety of tests carried out by a government lab.


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## Bent Wheel (Oct 6, 2007)

Bell has a good crash replacement policy also, just picked up my new fullface after a HARD hit to the head 3 weeks ago. My xc helmet stayed together but it has a grnarly couple of dents in the temple area.
In my 22years of riding off-road, I've seen my fair share of "what if " crashes that could have been real ugly. Wear your helmet.


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## Ultra Magnus (Jan 13, 2004)

dreamtheater39 said:


> Hi!
> 
> I just got a Giro helmet, it fits great.....and is awesome!
> 
> ...


didn't read the whole thread but anecdotal evidence aside, there's not empirical way for any of us to say one way or another how badly our brains would have been damaged had we not been wearing a helmet, or how much better off we would have been if we had.

Try this- Put the helmet on, and have a buddy whack you in the head w/ a base ball bat. Now try it w/o, and when/if you regain consciousness, post back and let us know your results. 

BM


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## Brodino (Sep 15, 2008)

Do you really want to find out? 

Because it is light does not mean it is not strong...

Come on buddy, just wear it. The first time you land on your head, you will be glad you are wearing it!


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## tpm7 (May 14, 2007)

Call me crazy or stupid but after I got my new helmet, my old one was toast, it was developing a crack. Long story short I thought I'd "test" it. It was an old Giro helmet (not top end but decent). I took a sledge hammer to itjust sitting on the grass, it took the first hit without visible deformation. In the end it took three hits to cave it in. They provide awesome protection.

A helmet is always better than none, hit your head at the wrong angle without one and it could be lights out.


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## otis24 (Apr 1, 2004)

This is some good stuff.

http://www.helmets.org/ideal.htm


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## thesmokingman (Jan 17, 2009)

006_007 said:


> I love this topic because it allows me to direct people to another MTBR members experience:
> 
> http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=111566


That makes me cringe, jeebus!

I had an altercation with a car bumper once. I'm lucky I had a helmet on, no head trauma and no scarring physical or otherwise.


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## Camshaft213 (Feb 16, 2008)

I endo'd once into some rocks. Broke my left hand and my head hit a rock, I'm assuming my helmet helped me out there.


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## DPL (Mar 23, 2008)

About 10-11 years ago I came off on a woodland ride and dented/cracked the side of the Met Roadrunner helmet I wore at the time nicely. I have no idea what would have happened had I not been wearing it but there's no doubt whatsoever I'd have had an injury of some kind, whereas wearing it I was dazed for a short time but was able to continue riding. I made the decision there and then to never, ever even so much as sit on a bike again unless I'm wearing a helmet and I haven't done so once since. I now only wear hard shell helmets (currently a TSG Evolution) as I feel a little safer wearing a slightly more solid helmet. I've had a few minor bumps since that incident where a helmet has helped but thankfully nothing major. 

A helmet isn't guaranteed to save you but the chances are it will certainly help, and I do genuinely believe there are circumstances where wearing one can save your life. Another little experiment... Without wearing a helmet, hit yourself on the head with the bones in the middle of your finger with increasing hardness until it hurts. You'll find it takes remarkably little to hurt your head. Then try it again wearing your helmet. You'll probably find it's totally impossible to hurt yourself wearing the helmet no matter how hard you try. You'll hurt your fingers before you get past the helmet. It by no means simulates an accident scenario but it does show that helmets will very much protect you from minor impacts and scratches, and personally I believe they protect well from heavier blows as well.

I always strongly recommend wearing a helmet and I always prefer it when people I ride with wear one as well.


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## thesmokingman (Jan 17, 2009)

helmets.org said:


> In a lab test graphs of the impact energy the brain sees look like this, with a smooth curve extending over 6ms for the good helmet (on the left below), and a huge spike for a bare head (right).
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Now that's a no brainer.


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## CupOfJava (Dec 1, 2008)

Ask Natasha Richardson.


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## emtnate (Feb 9, 2008)

^^ That was unnecessary


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## kafromet (Sep 7, 2008)

For me it's a really simple issue. What is the downside of wearing a helmet? It's a little hotter than not wearing a helmet, but even here in Texas in August, it's not really a big deal.

So for me the fact that it has pretty much zero negative impact is worth the protection it offers. I recognize that wearing a helmet doesn't make me bullet/car/bear proof, but there are enough potential situations where a helmet could spare me stitches or a headache or worse that it is an easy decision.


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## tl1 (Dec 21, 2003)

*Much better than nothing*

But nowhere near as much protection as a (hotter and heavier) motor sports helmet.The Styrofoam and paper thin plastic type of bicycle helmets give minimal protection by comparison but they're much better than nothing if they're secured properly and fit you properly.

Statistics from New York City
New York issued a statement on their bicycle safety study including these numbers:

Bicycle lanes and helmets may reduce the risk of death.
o Almost three-quarters of fatal crashes (74%) involved a head injury.
* o Nearly all bicyclists who died (97%) were not wearing a helmet.*
o Helmet use among those bicyclists with serious injuries was low (13%), but it was even lower among bicyclists killed (3%).
o Only one fatal crash with a motor vehicle occurred when a bicyclist was in a marked bike lane.

Nearly all bicyclist deaths (92%) occurred as a result of crashes with motor vehicles.
o Large vehicles (trucks, buses) were involved in almost one-third (32%) of fatal crashes, but they make up approximately 15% of vehicles on NYC roadways.
o Most fatal crashes (89%) occurred at or near intersections.
o Nearly all (94%) fatalities involved human error. All New Yorkers, whether pedestrians, bicyclists or motorists, can help prevent crashes by following traffic signs and signals and respecting other road users.

Men and some children face particular challenges.
o Most bicyclists who died were males (91%), and men aged 45-54 had the highest death rate (8.1 per million) of any age group.
o Among children aged 5-14, boys had a much higher death rate than girls; Queens had the highest child bicyclist death rate of the five boroughs.

http://www.bhsi.org/stats.htm#ny
http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/episrv/episrv-bike-report.pdf


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## sanjuro (Sep 29, 2004)

emtnate said:


> ^^ That was unnecessary


I don't think so. I find that really stupid people need the most obvious of reminders.


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## emtnate (Feb 9, 2008)

^^ People need to have some respect for the deceased. Nobody can say for sure if the outcome would have been different had she been wearing a helmet.


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## emtnate (Feb 9, 2008)

tl1 - this study does not cite the fatal injuries of the 97% who were not wearing helmets. How much other trauma was inflicted to other body systems beside the head? Given it states most fatalities were an impact with a large vehicle, I suspect there was major multi-system trauma which a helmet would not protect. 

I think the most striking statistic you posted is that there was only one fatality in a marked bike lane.


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## Hellrazor666 (Oct 27, 2008)

Not wearing a helmet would be like not wearing a condom with a hooker   . Strap that thing on is is a matter of life or death plain and simple:thumbsup:


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## sanjuro (Sep 29, 2004)

emtnate said:


> tl1 - this study does not cite the fatal injuries of the 97% who were not wearing helmets. How much other trauma was inflicted to other body systems beside the head? Given it states most fatalities were an impact with a large vehicle, I suspect there was major multi-system trauma which a helmet would not protect.
> 
> I think the most striking statistic you posted is that there was only one fatality in a marked bike lane.


I'm not a coroner or an actuarian, but I believe you are more likely to die from a head injury than a punctured lung, a cracked rib, or from even massive bleeding.


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## emtnate (Feb 9, 2008)

Head Injuries are bad, and they kill people. But you are very wrong about punctured lungs and massive bleeding. People don't live long without breathing or with even a 30% blood loss.


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## CupOfJava (Dec 1, 2008)

emtnate said:


> ^^ That was unnecessary


What too soon?


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## Sideknob (Jul 14, 2005)

I went OTB one time, only at low speed (drop off into a dry creekbed) and hit the side of my head on a rock shaped like an iceberg. It punched a hole in the side of the helmet where my temple is. The impact left my head spinning for half an hour.

If I hadn't been wearing a helmet the hole would have been in my right temple and I'd either be a 'tard or dead.


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)




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## waza (Apr 24, 2009)

Never go cheap on your helmet
i was in an incident where i hit my head and my helmet got a 5 inch crack down the back
if i didnt have my helmet that crack would have been in my head


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## shmukle (May 3, 2009)

\Well, without my helmet I would be a vegetable. I flipped over my handle bars while doing downhill and Whistler and the bike smashed my head. That helmet protected me enough that I only had a concussion. Much better then a cracked skull.


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## Rod (Oct 17, 2007)

It saved my friend's life or kept him from being a vegetable a month ago. He hit his head so hard he doesn't remember me packing him out, arriving at the hospital, or me visiting him the next day. I'm sure his helmet saved him. You shouldn't even consider riding without it. Spend 20 dollars and get a decent helmet. WTF man protect yourself.


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## bigpedaler (Jan 29, 2007)

I've had three hard crashes where a helmet saved me, the last from death. That one cost me 7 weeks off work to recover from a shattered collarbone (stainless plate and 8 screws now). My daughter would be growing up without her dad if not for my helmet.


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## Timeless (Mar 23, 2007)

I damanage on helmet when I went head first into a tree.

But for me a huge plus to a helmat is those low line branches over a trail or vines are a lot easier to deal with when you have a helmet. You can always duck you head into them and push them out of the way with no pain. Or on the off chance you do hit a branch it takes a way a HUGE part of the pain of hitting it.

I also do not like to ride with out some type or glasses over my eyes. that be sun glasses or just safety glasses. It saves me a lot of pain of things wiping me in the eye. Screw the safety factor I just thinking of the comfort factor of not having to deal with those minor problems.


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

Timeless said:


> I damanage on helmet when I went head first into a tree.
> 
> But for me a huge plus to a helmat is those low line branches over a trail or vines are a lot easier to deal with when you have a helmet. You can always duck you head into them and push them out of the way with no pain. Or on the off chance you do hit a branch it takes a way a HUGE part of the pain of hitting it.
> 
> I also do not like to ride with out some type or glasses over my eyes. that be sun glasses or just safety glasses. It saves me a lot of pain of things wiping me in the eye. Screw the safety factor I just thinking of the comfort factor of not having to deal with those minor problems.


Are you sure you were wearing a helmet when you went head-first into that tree? :skep:


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## Garlock (Jul 9, 2008)

CupOfJava said:


> Ask Natasha Richardson.





emtnate said:


> ^^ That was unnecessary


The combination of those two posts made me laugh out loud.

This thread fails nonetheless. You _should_ wear a helmet, don't care if you don't.


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## boomn (Jul 6, 2007)

Garlock said:


> You _should_ wear a helmet, don't care if you don't.


Personally I like the rule for my local park that helmets are always required for all ages. It takes most of the argument and opinion out of it, makes some people get over the "shame", etc

Some people may not like those things being forced on them and will probably go off on some rant about nanny states. Whatever. Seat belts and helmets are both pretty basic yet make a huge difference.


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## jtkkz (Sep 1, 2004)

A helmet may have a chance to save your life, but it is not guaranteed.

It saved my life back in 1992 while mountain biking, I crashed and the helmet split in half.
The doctor said it could have been your head split in half without a helmet.

Best to make it a habit to always wear one, it is usually when going slow when your not paying too much attention when accident happens.

Ride safe.....


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## sgt_etool (May 5, 2009)

There's no guarantee in life...but it's always good and safe to be ready at all times. 

Think of a helmet like a condom...rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.


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## Dillontheman (May 12, 2009)

While there are no guarantees, you are much, much safer with your helmet on. In order for helmets to be sold, they need to meet minimum safety requirements. No matter how flimsy they feel, they will protect you.


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## kestrel242 (Jul 11, 2008)

Keep in mind that the reason they work despite the light weight is that they're designed to crush - you're basically strapping on a disposable, replaceable crumple zone for your skull. 

I broke one once in a bad fall - I didn't even realize I took a hit to my head until I got home and saw the crack in the "forehead" part of the helmet. Disturbing thought was that it was a short ride, and I almost didn't bother wearing it that day.


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## DPL (Mar 23, 2008)

kestrel242 said:


> Disturbing thought was that it was a short ride, and I almost didn't bother wearing it that day.


That's exactly the reason I have a *very *strict no helmet - no ride rule. Regardless of what I'm doing or how long I'm riding for, I won't even sit on a bike unless I'm wearing a helmet and I wish more people did the same!


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## Stevirey (Jul 16, 2005)

*helmet*

I wear my full face to the mini market.Traffic is far more dangerous than the trail.


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## Phonehome (Apr 8, 2009)

Two years ago I went off a jump and got bucked off my bike, landed on my face got 26 stitches. The helmet was basically sanded down to just the pads.. With oughtt a helmet your toast.


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## zarr (Feb 14, 2008)

Phonehome said:


> Two years ago I went off a jump and got bucked off my bike, landed on my face got 26 stitches. The helmet was basically sanded down to just the pads.. With oughtt a helmet your toast.


Plus they make you look cool...on and off your bike.


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## queevil (Feb 17, 2009)

I was really glad to have my helmet on the other day when my front wheel lost traction in a turn on a fairly technical descent. I went over the bars an my head slammed into a root on the trail. Had I not had the helmet I would have been in a world of hurt.


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## Oracle7775 (Oct 31, 2008)

It helped this dude.


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