All I can say is follow traffic laws and wear a full face helmet. Be part of the solution.

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Kinetic_Symphony@reddit

Wear any helmet, at least, and yes. Follow traffic laws, if using bike paths, drive slowly.

Common sense, or should be.

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outdatedboat@reddit

And for the love of God, please use your arm signals (assuming you don't have actual turn signals on your bike)

Make it a habit. Don't just do it when you know cars are around. If you're on a road, use them signals.

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klimaheizung@reddit

I'll start wearing a helmet once people in cars do it, where helmets are often even more important but no one cares. - or at least when people also start shouting "wear a helmet in the car!!"

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Kinetic_Symphony@reddit

It's for your own good, although I don't think anyone should be forced to.

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klimaheizung@reddit

The crazy repitition after it's already in the title of the post is just what triggers me to reply like that.

At some point you have to realize that repeating something is only helpful up to a certain point, which has already been exceeded.

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The_walking_man_@reddit

It is common sense but unfortunately there are many ass hats out there not operating them safely and speeding down the pedestrian paths.

There’s not a single time that I’ve been on the local path here that I haven’t had some asshat on an ebike flying down it and coming recklessly close to people. Both adults and kids

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TheoriginalFnF@reddit

Wear a straight jacket - problem solved.

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Yeti_of_the_Flow@reddit

The only way to actually improve safety for cyclists of any kind is to limit cars and build infrastructure.

Helmets are good, but it has nothing to do with actually improving safety or helping any actual increase in cycling.

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BoringBob84@reddit

I get very skeptical when people claim that "the only way" to do something is their way.

Infrastructure is important, but it isn't the only thing that is important. Helmets contribute to safety. So does enforcement to get motorcycles off of non-motorized paths.

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TheoriginalFnF@reddit

That stops cars hitting bikes exactly how? I miss the connection.

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One picture worth thousand words. If you're not wearing a full face helmet the odds are extremely high you'll be on a first name basis with your dentist and cosmetic surgeon - and putting their kids through medical school at Harvard. That's if you survive.

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BoringBob84@reddit

One picture worth thousand words.

Not in this case. We don't know the source of that diagram, what those numbers are telling us, and how that data was gathered and analyzed.

I wear a helmet to prevent death from a traumatic brain injury. A jaw injury would suck and so would a broken leg, but I accept some risks and try to ride wisely to avoid a collision in the first place.

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SadisticPawz@reddit

Come on man. This diagram is easy to look up and there is actually a study behind it if you actually cared.

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BoringBob84@reddit

I don't have the time or the interest to verify every claim that random people make on the internet. The burden of proof is on the person making the claim. Until they do that, we should reserve judgement and remain skeptical. Too many people believe whatever they read and the internet is saturated with absolute bullshit.

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Hot_Block_9675@reddit (OP)

Good point, I'll edit it and name the source, thanks.

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Yeti_of_the_Flow@reddit

Don’t think you really grasped the point I was making.

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Hot_Block_9675@reddit (OP)

...and I don't think you read the article regarding all the death and carnage mentioned. That just scratches the surface.

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East_Worldliness2287@reddit

Agreed . Most Europeans don't lol.

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Hot_Block_9675@reddit (OP)

Huh? My full face Schuberth helmet is made in Germany. It also costs $800.00.

AGV and Nolan are also made in the EU. Yeah, they're equally as expensive.

The saying is "if you have a $5.00 head wear a $5.00 helmet".

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lanathebitch@reddit

You should leave.

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East_Worldliness2287@reddit

Ahh, you mean a motorcycle helmet .

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TopRepulsive4766@reddit

This is just an example. This is a dirt bike style. There are many styles. Many have visors or plastic face shields.

The idea of course is to protect the entire head, rather than just the top.

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Iuslez@reddit

How much do they impair peripheral vision and hearing? I'd consider those two as important security "features".

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TopRepulsive4766@reddit

Some full-face helmets do restrict peripheral vision. My motorcycle helmet does. Riding with a helmet that does makes you develop a lot of 'head-moving' habits. The dirt bike helmets don't restrict it as much.

It's similar with hearing. My fully-enclosed motorcycle helmet decreases hearing to some degree. I can still hear what's going on, but not as clearly as without the helmet. The dirt bike helmet I have hardly has any effect on hearing.

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AttitudeCharming7629@reddit

The article says the vast majority of cases are cars hitting people on e-bikes. E-bikes aren’t the issue.

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Danube11424@reddit

Here’s an example of a kid (Peyton) with millennial parents being reckless

https://youtube.com/shorts/6CpliTM3_DY?si=shbkCho_WPrInHsb

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TopRepulsive4766@reddit

If one of my sons dared to ride without a helmet, he wouldn't be riding for a while. Luckily my inflexibility in this regard has paid off. They don their helmets out of habit just like they put on clothes in the morning.

I do see kids in town riding helmetless. And I have mentioned it on occasion to their parents. But only around half of the ones I spoke with bothered to address the issue.

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chrispark70@reddit

We need infrastructure, not helmets. Gear is not the solution to safety. Helmets provide basically zero protection from car accidents.

RTFM: Bike helmets are certified for single vehicle accidents at bicycle speeds. Basically you falling off a bike at 10-15mph.

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TopRepulsive4766@reddit

Yes. This is very true. Hence the reason I have my boys wear dirt bike helmets. And of course, no helmet is going to help when a car is involved.

I still recommend helmets (even bicycle helmets) as some protection is better than none. I also recommend knee and elbow pads, but few people use them. My boys rarely use them for bike riding either. I do require them to use them for dirt bikes however. I hate digging gravel out of the boys' knees and elbows.

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chrispark70@reddit

While I am not against safety gear and do myself sometimes wear a helmet, I am very opposed to the constant admonishments on Reddit to wear a helmet. There is nothing inherently dangerous about riding a bike.

Amsterdam has one of the highest if not the highest bicycle commuting rate in the world and hardly anyone wears helmets, knee pads, elbow pads etc. The reason for this is fairly simple in that cars and bikes rarely are in the same physical space.

Dirt biking is inherently risky and safety gear highly recommended. Downhill skiing is inherently risky. Riding a bicycle to the store is not or at least should not be risky.

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Ok-Committee3163@reddit

I am sitting on a bench in a park reading this with only my cap on (not my helmet) I only started using it a few years ago and when I am doing a leisurely ride, like today, I typically don't wear it but when I ride at night or whenever I am riding in traffic or something like that, I try to remember it. I am with you.

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SwiftUnban@reddit

Quite a few people in this subreddit downplaying the need for a helmet, using bike infrastructure and low speeds as a justification.

I think people forget that small bumps can kill as well, people have died from head impacts falling over while standing.

while a measly 25kph doesn’t sound fast, when it’s the speed your head hits the concrete, a curb, or a light pole it is a very fuckin’ fast speed.

Concussions and brain bleeds are no joke, I’ve had a family member die from a non-motor vehicle head impact and almost lost another.

Everything you are, like, want, experienced, hated, loved, hundreds of thousands of unique memories rests in an organ with the structural integrity of soggy cereal protected by 1/4” thick skull. Don’t risk it.

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dariansdad@reddit

And put fucking lights on your bike. Jesus Christ, we're hard enough to see as it is.

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BWWFC@reddit

agree... except "motocross" is viable too. just something with a chin bar ;-p

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RodsofGod2350@reddit

I've seen how wild cyclists ride in NY. It's a matter of time before they get into an accident.

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godver3@reddit

Full face is entirely unnecessary. Bicycle’s go just as fast as e-bikes (that aren’t crotchrocket e-motos). A regular helmet is suitable for any legal e-bike.

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bandito12452@reddit

I’ve never hit my head but I have chipped a tooth and split my lip on a bike and skateboard. So I have a full face downhill mtb helmet now.

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InfluenceEfficient77@reddit

Same city car manslaughter rate is vastly increasing with no policies or regulation on cars.

But the same city wants to regulate the shit out of bikers

https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/pedestrian-death-driver-accident-22210904.php

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slipperytornado@reddit

Recs for full face helmets?

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SirWrong3794@reddit

Great article and really interesting. Not sure how I feel about the idea of registering my e-bike, having a license plate, and then getting speeding tickets mailed to me. I’m not sure if that would have the impact on safety I think we all want and need. Perhaps more infrastructure!

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chrispark70@reddit

No it isn't. It is pure propaganda by a foreign newspaper with a long, long record of yellow journalism and propaganda.

Take this stupidity

"While there is a shared concern about people recklessly riding the trendy machines,"

Like bicycles are "trendy" REEEEEEEEEEEE! Unless you consider 141 years as a trend.

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TopRepulsive4766@reddit

I would have an issue with requiring a licence also. And I don't think it would really have any impact on safety. And enforcement would be problematic.

Infrastructure and education seem like better avenues to achieve improved safety.

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chrispark70@reddit

NO. NO! NO!