The City Paper had an interesting look at the cyclists who don’t wear helmets in DC, and their reasons:
Unscientific observations of D.C.’s riding patterns suggest that about half of riders wear helmets. Riders commuting downtown during rush hour, wearing loafers and nice pants, usually wear helmets. Cyclists wearing gear like clip-on bike shoes or Lycra jerseys or padded shorts generally do so as well. In low-income areas, among messengers, and during noncommuting hours, helmet use goes down.
In the last 10 years, there have been a reported 232 bicyclist deaths in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Correctly worn, bike helmets are about 70 percent effective in preventing damage on impact.
Now, I think you’re an idiot if you don’t wear a helmet, but I’m not a purist. I not infrequently make the three block trip to the grocery store without a lid, which I have no real defense for beyond just not feeling like bothering with carrying it through the store. It’s a pretty lame habit, and one that I’m working on changing. I would oppose any helmet law for adults (but support one for children). That said, the reasons some of the folks give for not wearing helmets? Make me wonder how they get through the day:
Kelly Johnson, 43, says he can’t wear a helmet because he wears headphones when he rides. Which means that not only does Johnson leave himself vulnerable in the case of an accident, but he’s also boosting the chance that such an accident will occur. He also admits that he thinks helmets look “corny.â€
Bob Twillger, 28, who has been known to hang out at Capitol Hill Bikes, blames good helmet technology for his failure to wear one. “The lighter the helmet,†he reasons, “the more you put it down, and the more you damage it. It gets kicked around and beat up.†This from a man who takes credit for totaling a Toyota Camry with his forehead. “Every time I get hit, I get wilder,†he says. “More bulletproof.â€
Yeah, no relationship between hitting your head and brain damage at all.
