Terry Collins wrote:

So that makes the fatality rate - what? one per century?

About 15 a year apparently.

Of course, inevitably, they are going to have to apply the same standard
to all those people driving company cars and force them to wear helmets.

Car helmets - bad idea, obviously. If it wasn't, racing drivers would
wear them. Oops, they do.

Remember, there were once people (backed up, no doubt, by the results
described in peer reviewed scholarly journals) who claimed it was safer
to be thrown clear of a car in a smash than be strapped in by
seatbelts.

----
If you ride a bicycle for long enough, well, statistically, you're going
to take falls, and take a bad fall sometime or other. If you don't
think so, you are either or both of a) lucky b) a fool.

Collar-bones heal. Scafoids (most times) heal. Broken arms, dislocated
shoulders, skin over ankles, knees, hips, back, arms and hands all
heal. Acquired brain injuries don't heal. Of course, people with ABIs
can and do sometimes regain abilities. But it's not like waiting six
weeks for the cast to come off then simply doing what you did before the
fall - ask someone with an ABI.

A bicycle helmet (probably) didn't save my life, nor did it stop me from
getting smashed and ripped up really badly, which generally happens when
you hit the asphalt at 60 kph. But it did mean I can still walk, talk,
ride a bicycle.

And same goes for all the many less major falls before and after - any a
hit to my bare head, on pavement, car, trail or whatever, might have
meant a concussion, a subdural haemorrhage, or worse. I haven't had to
find this out, though. Because... well, you know why.

I could go on, but time to stop sermonising. And sorry for the
crosspost to u.r.c, but, ummm, you started it? (joke!)

xxx

p