Bob Burns Wrote:

...
I always wear a helmet. I destroyed one a month ago in a crash- and
walked
away. it will not prevent all injuries, but it improves your odds of
walking away. That said, not sure I want a law mandating helmets.
Here in
PA they just repealed the motorcycle helmet law.

--
Bob Burns
Mill Hall PA


So Bob, it improves your odds of walking away huh? Well I have a
question for you (actually it more of a challenge than a question - an
epistemological challenge).
How would you know that? That's the crux question, Bob.

See you don't know that wearing a helmet improves you odds of walking
away. Indeed you're not alone in believing it, but just cause a lot of
people all believe something doesn't make it true. The evidence
suggests that the belief that a helmet will improve your odds of
walking away is an illusion, an enticing illusion that a lot of people
willingly buy into and, even worse tend to become advocates for and
expouse fervently. There's the problem - people erroneously believe
that helmets make a substantial and worthwile difference when they in
fact don't and then the emphasis that is given to wearing helmets takes
priority and the place of other *real* safety initiatives and
improvements that could be made for us cyclists. The bottom line is
that those cyclists among us who bang on about the "vital need" for
helmets are doing Cycling a grave disservice. Something like sucking a
dummy, but worse. It's hard enough trying to get respect, care and
consideration from motorists as it is without some of our number
bleating on about our need to wear poly-bonnets which which aren't
worth a pinch of s_ _ t.

Roger


--
RogerDodger