Anecdotal helmet usage statistic

On a ride on the Minuteman Bike Path this morning (Northeast of Boston),
I counted riders with and without helmets for 3 miles before I got
bored.

Totals:
With helmet: 54
No helmet: 3

Riders seemed to all be adults, either commuting or getting a little
exercise before work. It was shortly after 7 am, so all the kids were
probably still asleep. My conclusion is that, at least in this area,
helmet usage is about as close to total as it is ever going to get
(Massachusetts has a mandatory helmet law for age 16 and under, but not
for adults).

John White wrote:
On a ride on the Minuteman Bike Path this morning (Northeast of Boston),
I counted riders with and without helmets for 3 miles before I got
bored.

Totals:
With helmet: 54
No helmet: 3

Riders seemed to all be adults, either commuting or getting a little
exercise before work. It was shortly after 7 am, so all the kids were
probably still asleep. My conclusion is that, at least in this area,
helmet usage is about as close to total as it is ever going to get
(Massachusetts has a mandatory helmet law for age 16 and under, but not
for adults).

Here in Montreal it seems helmet usage is prevalent among kids under 18 and
adults over 25. At least for the downtown corridor where a lot of riders
are students. Outside of downtown you see less riders without helmets but
there are larger percentages of sports cyclists on road bikes. It's rare
to see them without helmets here.

You aren't the John White that lives down the Cape by the cranberry bogs
are you? Marshfield?

--
duane

live from Portland...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k9vvJ2A0AY

On Wednesday, July 17, 2013 8:59:56 AM UTC-4, datakoll wrote:
live from Portland...





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k9vvJ2A0AY

.......


man looking for stolen Cannondale...


http://www.arightroyalblog.com/wp-co...acfc157b27.jpg

In article
,
Duane wrote:

You aren't the John White that lives down the Cape by the cranberry bogs
are you? Marshfield?

Nope, I live in Arlington, about 100 feet from the bikepath I mentioned.

On 7/17/2013 10:11 AM, John White wrote:
In article
,
Duane wrote:

You aren't the John White that lives down the Cape by the cranberry bogs
are you? Marshfield?

Nope, I live in Arlington, about 100 feet from the bikepath I mentioned.



Have an old friend that I used to ride with with the same name. Lost
touch with him after I left Boston. Good rides down to PTown.


Used to live in Central Square and then Brighton. Remember riding
around Spy Pond. Have a friend in Medford not far from Arlington.

Last night on TV's "Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition", Picabo Street was
looking good in a pink POC.

On Wednesday, July 17, 2013 8:01:08 AM UTC-4, John White wrote:
On a ride on the Minuteman Bike Path this morning (Northeast of Boston),

I counted riders with and without helmets for 3 miles before I got

bored.



Totals:

With helmet: 54

No helmet: 3



Riders seemed to all be adults, either commuting or getting a little

exercise before work. It was shortly after 7 am, so all the kids were

probably still asleep. My conclusion is that, at least in this area,

helmet usage is about as close to total as it is ever going to get

(Massachusetts has a mandatory helmet law for age 16 and under, but not

for adults).

Helmet use obviously varies from country to country, state to state, city to city, and among environments within a metro area. Bike paths score much higher than other areas.

I took a count in Northeast Ohio for a year, trying hard to record every cyclist I saw. Results were 31% of cyclists using helmets. Of course, helmet use was far highest among people who had spent lots of money on a nice bike, lycra uniform, special shoes, etc. While I didn't try to record that percentage accurately, I'd estimate it was well over 95%.

But second place went to the people on bike paths! A sample taken during a shorter period (not the full year) indicated something like 60% of bike path people wore helmets. I suppose one might say that if you're going to haul your bike out of the basement, hang it on your car and drive to get to a special "safe" bike facility, it's little more trouble to throw a special hat into the car.

There seemed to be higher percentages in larger cities and in more prosperous areas. Lowest helmet use seemed to be inner city kids in low income areas, where it was zero. BTW, I'm close to the border between two states, one with a MHL for kids. It doesn't seem to affect the percentage much. Poor kids in the MHL state still don't ever wear helmets, most kids in rural areas don't either, and cops don't bother about it.

Details: A cyclist was anyone seen on a bike, or standing astride a bike that they were obviously just, or soon, riding. That includes kids in neighborhoods. I avoided counting the same cyclist twice (e.g. neighborhood kids, my bike club members, or the odd guy with shoulder-length hair and chest-length beard with the big baskets on the back, etc.). I didn't count people over the state line, and I omitted the century ride for which I drove sag. That reduced the percentage a bit (it might have added about 2%) but OTOH, I diligently counted every lycra guy I saw riding by my daughter's home, and her street is a popular "green" or pleasant cycling route on her county's bike map, so it gets an unusual share of club-style cycling.

- Frank Krygowski

any relation to Gould ?

On Wednesday, July 17, 2013 11:22:56 AM UTC-4, Dan O wrote:
Last night on TV's "Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition", Picabo Street was

looking good in a pink POC.

........


what happens when you doahn wear a helmet !