Common Sense; or (Why You Should Wear a Helmet)

     I am genuinely ashamed in the growing number of articles I have seen in the past year or so that have been spreading the message that riders should not wear a helmet.  I've been noticing it for a while now.  Articles and "studies", everything from opinion-laced blogs to quasi-reputable news sites, have been citing a new collection of statistics and "expert conclusions" suggesting that one doesn't need to wear a helmet while riding a bicycle.  Some have even said one shouldn't wear a helmet.

     I find it sickening, and am thoroughly amazed at the nonsense these articles have been spewing.

     But in general I tend to try to be quiet about things that bother me.  However, the other night I spied an article on the extremely reputable Outside Magazine website that rustled my feathers too much.  This is one of the few things that I feel needs to be said.  I encounter it ever so occasionally in my job, but if this brainless dribble is being spread through a stream of advertisement as large and revered as Outside, something has to be said.  Hopefully my voice is joining the cacophony of like-minded individuals.


     Let's get one thing straight:  you should wear a helmet.


     The key word there is should.  I understand that it doesn't always happen, but the lesson resonating within our heads should be that when it makes sense (which is often), we should be strapping a helmet onto our head.

     Why?

     Well there are a lot of reasons, and they may be the sort of thing you expect.  But, there is one overwhelming thing that I feel doesn't get said enough.


     There is absolutely no good reason you shouldn't wear a helmet.


     There are plenty of articles--and real people--explaining all of the reasons we should wear a helmet.  I will try to not focus too heavily on that.  Instead, I want to zero in on something more subversive, something that I feel is doing far more damage.

     Most of the people who oppose wearing a helmet are of course concerned primarily for themselves, and their choices affect, most directly, only themselves.  Although loved ones can and will get pulled into that, at its core it is a personal choice.  What gets my blood pumping is people suggesting to other people that they should not wear helmets.

     I've noticed statistics to be the main ammunition used by these irresponsible articles.  There seems to always be a slew of statistics for all of the deaths of helmet-wearing cyclists, and how many living cyclists don't wear helmets.  There seem to never be statistics for how many people are able to hold onto their life thanks to their helmet, or even how many people sustained less severe injuries because of a helmet.

     Statistics are everywhere in our modern world.  We are constantly bombarded with a doomsday sized arsenal of numbers and figures attempting to legitimize everything under the sun.  I bet you could pick any topic, and find some kind of statistic that is at least partially relevant to said issue.  It is important to remember that so few of these research agencies and the studies they conduct are 100% un-biased and neutral.  Additionally, it is even more important to remember that statistics are not conclusions; while they are (usually) objective, they do not completely represent the fact of the matter.  They are instead a guide, a sign on the path of discovery.

     What's that common joke, often interpreted as fact?  "n% of statistics are made up."


     Bottom line:  statistics can be used to justify just about anything.


     Instead, let's rely on something that just, well, works.  Good ole common sense.

     First, let's lay out some real facts:

• A bicycle is a vehicle that will allow a rider to almost always travel at a higher speed than walking and running.
• The human body is both resilient and fragile.  Our bodies are not guaranteed to be safe at faster-than-human speeds.
• Everything in life is overwhelmingly dynamic.  We have complete control over so little of it.

     Now, let us apply some common sense to those facts.  Sounds like there are situations where protection could help prevent an injury, and yes, even death.  That's not always the case, unfortunately.  But if people only partook in ventures that had a 100% success rate, well, we wouldn't be doing very much would we?  Helmets are a lot like insurance after all.  It's the best thing in the world if we truly never use it!  But if we get caught without it, well, that's almost never a good situation.

     Now, let's get some of my opinions out there:

• I don't necessarily believe in helmet laws.  I think they are a waste of time, both in creation and execution.  Our country (and much of the world) is too content to make rules.  The true solution is education.  Teach yourself, others, and humanity's children, if you really want to enact change.  Good ideas always trump laws.  I often get asked if the local helmet laws require a helmet.  I don't know.  The law is completely irrelevant to me, because I value my well-being.  Do you need a law to instill that in you as well?
• I've read some sources saying that helmet requirements discourage bicycle use.  In my humble opinion, if wearing a helmet truly discourages someone from riding a bike, they probably weren't going to like it or stick with it anyways.  Try other avenues of getting someone on a bike instead of attacking helmet use.
• Another often cited reason we shouldn't wear helmets is because a lot of European countries, usually the Netherlands, don't have helmet-wearing populations and they are the best cycling countries in the world!  That's great.  There's one problem:  we aren't a European country.  What I mean is, the US is not ready for that.  Every time this is cited, there is a picture of some street filled with pedestrians and people riding casual commuting type bicycles.  The bicycle environment in the US is not like this in most places.  Instead, bicycles are often operated side-by-side with cars and trucks that are often blind to anything but other vehicles.  The American population and infrastructure aren't there yet.  If we ever get there, great.  In the meantime, protect yourself.
• If you're paying over ~$45 you are spending too much on a helmet.  Yes you can find cheaper ones at department stores, and those are going to technically be just as safe, but that "starting point" for bike shop quality bike helmets of about $40-$45 is in my opinion the best place to be.  You are a weenie if you are spending over $100 on a helmet.  I'm sorry.
• It's not the end of the world to ride without a helmet.  Sometimes.  Again, common sense comes into play here, but I do feel it is most important to strap a helmet to your head if you are going fast (or trying to go fast), and if you are riding in a high risk environment.  If you're mountain biking, riding BMX in a concrete park or riding hard in traffic (be it commuting or riding athletically), put a damn helmet on.  If you're strolling at low speeds on a bike path or taking a spin around the block, you'll probably be ok.  Probably.  Life isn't black and white, and one decision shouldn't dictate everything in your life.  Play it by ear, and be smart about it.  But remember, there's absolutely no good reason you shouldn't wear a helmet.

     The last thing I want to say is this:  my dad always, always, always told me to wear a helmet.  A story I still recall when talking to people who whine about using a helmet concludes with a family friend keeping his life because he had a helmet on his head.  It was a vehicular accident--he was not at fault at all.  His completely destroyed and shattered helmet went on display in our bike shop as a lesson to all.  Even as a small child, I remember making the connection in my head that those dozen or so pieces of styrofoam could have been his skull.

     Whether I was riding my bike or my motorcycle, if my dad was around I put my helmet on.  I didn't always, as rebellious teenagers are guaranteed to do, but the lesson was still there beneath all of the bad, angsty decisions.  In the early days of my teenage motorcycle riding years, my dad said something that always stuck with me:

     "You will wreck.  Everybody does."