Bicycle helmets useless says brain surgeon...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10866273/Cycle-helmets-are-useless-says-brain-surgeon.html

A leading neurosurgeon has controversially claimed that cyclists who wear helmets are wasting their time.

Depends on the mechanism of injury. In a traumatic brain injury....2 assaults on the brain occur. One with impact the second when the brain shifts. A helmet will not prevent a closed head injury. It may prevent a skull fracture but not a brain injury....just my opinion.

That man is only saying that because he fell and smashed his head and has obvious signs of trauma to make this statement LOL

I think Obama should always wear a helmet..preferably with a little propeller on top...

TEOTWAWKI wrote:I think Obama should always wear a helmet..preferably with a little propeller on top...

I think he does.

Ive seen too many accidents where the helmet was a major factor in the life being saved of an accident victim. It also comes in handy when strapping them to the board for transport....there is no better CID than a full face helmet.

Gunz wrote:Ive seen too many accidents where the helmet was a major factor in the life being saved of an accident victim.    It also comes in handy when strapping them to the board for transport....there is no better CID than a full face helmet.

Helmet or plastic bike hat?

Joanimaroni wrote:

Gunz wrote:Ive seen too many accidents where the helmet was a major factor in the life being saved of an accident victim.    It also comes in handy when strapping them to the board for transport....there is no better CID than a full face helmet.

Helmet or plastic bike hat?

Full face motorcycle helmet but I also would not discount the padding in a cheap bicycle helmet in minimizing the effects of secondary brain shock v/s nothing at all. To advise someone that protection, however minimal, is foolish is being very shortsighted.

Gunz wrote:

Joanimaroni wrote:

Gunz wrote:Ive seen too many accidents where the helmet was a major factor in the life being saved of an accident victim.    It also comes in handy when strapping them to the board for transport....there is no better CID than a full face helmet.

Helmet or plastic bike hat?

 Full face motorcycle helmet but I also would not discount the padding in a cheap bicycle helmet in minimizing the effects of secondary brain shock v/s nothing at all.   To advise someone that protection, however minimal, is foolish is being very shortsighted.

  

I agree with the motorcycle helmets....you are absolutely right and they do help with protecting the C- spine during transport.

Although I have read depending on how you land a half helmet can snap your neck....a full face is best....but his surgeon is talking about those little foam bicycle helmets

Gunz wrote:

Joanimaroni wrote:

Gunz wrote:Ive seen too many accidents where the helmet was a major factor in the life being saved of an accident victim.    It also comes in handy when strapping them to the board for transport....there is no better CID than a full face helmet.

Helmet or plastic bike hat?

 Full face motorcycle helmet but I also would not discount the padding in a cheap bicycle helmet in minimizing the effects of secondary brain shock v/s nothing at all.   To advise someone that protection, however minimal, is foolish is being very shortsighted.

Not all helmets are the same.  I would think that not many people have ever owned or used a good bicycle helmet.  Maybe it is for naught, but there are not many option for bicycle riders.

Giro Atmos Bicycle Helmet - Highlight Yellow/Black
$180.00

Helmet and bell  $19.95.

I have a beautiful fullface helmet with a built in bluetooth stereo system and it may be false security but I always feel safer than the posers riding around on a big bike with a do rag on their heads...

The Dora helmet works if the little one is on a 12" - 16" bike/trike.

For children riding around the block, I always think helmets are a bit much. We survived without them.  But for adults riding in traffic, you're foolish not to wear the best helmet you can find.  My son rides a bike to and from work in Austin, TX.  Even though it's rated as one of the best bike-friendly cities, there are a lot of safety issues.  He has been hit twice by a car running a red light. He's about ready to hang up his helmet and buy a car.

When I was growing up there were no child safety seats and vehicles had only lap belts and no airbags and yes I survived also. The fact is that many other children did not survive and that proper safety devices if worn correctly will greatly increase your chance of surviving an accident with only minimal injury. Personally, I think even the cheapest of bicycle helmets offer some protection to the head in an accident. An OSHA compliant hardhat has no padding other than the suspension system and offers less head protection than some of the cheap bicycle helmets yet I would still feel better with the person wearing the bike helmet vs none at all.

ZVUGKTUBM wrote:Nobody wore bike helmets in the 1950s and 1960s. I can't tell you how many times I fell off my bike as a kid, but it was not infrequently.

I agree Mr Z. But todays bicycles with adult riders are far different than anything we rode back in the "Day". With todays bicycles it is fairly easy for a novice rider to cruise at 14 to 18 MPH. Bursts of over 20 MPH is not uncommon. I crashed hard on my old bikes when I was a kid. In the 2nd grade I fell off my bike and broke my arm . I dont think they should be required but it is not a bad idea. Now you folks are going to make me wear mine....LOL

My husband suffers from a traumatic brain injury. not from using a bicycle, however. He was struck by someone going more than 100 mph, and knocked the dashboard to the floor with his head (lap belts only in this old truck). I've seen TBI just as serious as his from a fall from a bicycle.
My kids wore helmets, and my grandkids wear helmets. ANY protection is better than none.