Why We Shouldn't Bike with a Helmet

Mikael Colville-Andersen on cycling pluses, cities & culture of fear
http://video.tedxcopenhagen.dk/video/911034/mikael-colville-andersen

Bicycle Helmet Research Foundation
http://cyclehelmets.org

Le Vélocipède Illustré, 1869 :open_mouth:
World’s first cycling magazine

Thanks Amuro, VERY interesting video… :smiling_imp:

Yes, a great video and a great quote. Thanx!

This is the off topic thread, so here it comes… :wink:

As a civil engineer, programmer, atheist, and somebody who tries hard to see beyond irrational emotions when taking political standpoints, I like it when logic is applied in order to challenge irrational believes and “truths”.

The logic here is that bike helmet promotion scares people away from bicycling. Which, given the facts, is unambiguous.

He also says that the research shows a 50-50 split between whether a helmet protects the rider or not. However, he doesn’t say anything about age, nor any other, distribution within those numbers.

What I do know is that when I was a kid, I fell very often on my bikes. One time I even had to get a few sutures in the head. So I really do want my three young boys to wear helmets. Monkey see, monkey do as they say, so me and my wife decided to start wearing helmets when the first one was born in order to make it natural for him to use one (they later actually passed a law here in Sweden stating that you must wear one till you turn 16).

Fast-forward five years, and I’m a daily Strida commuter. I still wear the helmet even though I could hide non-usage pretty well for the kids.

I don’t think it hinders me in any way, and I do believe it (I actually have three for different conditions) will protect my head if I’m involved in an accident on the crowded bike paths of Copenhagen during rush hours.

“Believe” I say, so welcome to have that (irrational?) belief challenged. Please, post your take on this. The more logic and statistics the better, because I sure don’t have that (which is embarrassing).

I hate being a victim of the force of habit and cultural pressure.