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Wearing helmets 15-Nov-2005 At 8:47:33 PM AlanD

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On 15/11/2005 bobasnotty wrote:
>I remember reading a report that said that over 80% of all injuries in
>car accidents were some kind of head trauma. It stands to reason, then,
>that we should be wearing crash helmets when we drive the car. Should we
>set up a poll on how many of us do that?

I'd like to see this report and where it came from, 80% in the US, where seat belt aren't compulsory would be very believable. Seat belts road registered cars aren't a good idea and in fact it's illegal, the body just isn't well enough restrained with the ordinary 3 point seat belt. When combined with the general weakness in peoples necks when they don't do specific neck strengthening, helmets may prevent head trauma injuries, but they'd be a huge increase in spinal injuries. We're better off with out pathetic 3 point harnesses (although I firmly believe in a minimum of a 4 point harness) and airbags if they are fitted.

As for climbing and helmets, if most people started to wear helmets, the rest through peer pressure would probably do the same, it's happened on bikes and it's going that way with skiing (check out the Canadian slopes more than the Australian which is starting to convert). Part of the reason for the shift with skiing is associated with parents feeling like hypocrites when they make their kids wear a helmet. It's interesting that the indoor climbing gym in England where I was climbing 10 years ago insisted that all kids under the age of 14 had to wear helmet.