🚀 go-pugleaf

Garry Lee <glee@iol.ie> wrote:
>The quoting of opinion from one country which is supposed to supplant
>the evidence from numerous other studies is itself dodgy science.

Which _one_ country - Austraila, New Zealand, and Sweden were 
all quoted. In the UK, British Medical Assn. research has also
come out _against_ helmet laws.

>Sometimes humans have to forget statistics and use their heads.

How do you propose to assess risk objectively without statistics ?

>Why do jockeys wear helmets?

Because they're required to. In some disciplines body armour is
also required. When they arent required not all jockeys wear them.
Falls from horses are a lot different to falls from bikes.
Where I ride horses I regularly encounter overhanging tree 
branches at (or below) head height. Where I ride bikes, I dont.

>Why do motorcyclists wear them?

Because they're required to. Some also wear full leathers and body
armour. 
It is of course perfectly possible to cycle whilst wearing a motorbike
helmet and full leathers - it is however hot, uncomfortable and you 
look a prat.... now where have I seen that before :)

Q. Why _dont_ motorists wear them ?

A. In motor racing they do of course - but on the public roads
   in most countries they dont, because its usually _illegal_.
   'tis a crazy world.

>If you are heading towards the ground in mid-air would you prefer to
>be wearing one?

I can categorically state that in this situation I would NOT
want a cycle helmet on my head. Clear enough ?

I would also like to be drunk - less bits of me would break on
impact. Now, what did your question have to do with road safety ?

>I would say read the opinions from ALL studies before making up your
>mind.

I agree entirely....

>Have a read of this.
>http://www.bhsi.org/webdocs/henderso.htm

...Unless this is your idea of "ALL studies"

--
Ray Auchterlounie                Research Student (still) at:
<rda@kythera.demon.co.uk>            Signal Processing Group
<rda@eng.cam.ac.uk>                  Cambridge University Engineering Dept.