Does it make sence to anyone out there that we don't have to wear helmets on cycles but:?

Question

we have to wear seatbelts in cars?

Answer 1

I have mixed emotions about this. Two,or three years ago I lost a good friend because of an accident in town,in public. Bystanders at the scene reported trying to remove him from the vehicle which was on fire.All efforts were in vain.I had always supported the law up until this point,reasoning that in the event of an accident or loss of vehicular control you are more likely to regain control of your vehicle if you're not in the backseat.I am now of the opinion that any law which could possibly endanger life should be given a very hard second look.I wear mine but if I were the deciding factor in a nation-wide seatbelt law it would be left up to the individual.

Answer 2

As you've already been told quite a few times, wearing of a helmet in the UK isn't compulsery, but I have to comment on what pauline s has said there.....falling off a bicycle & landing on your head would not put you in a wheelchair for the rest of your life.....cycling maybe at top speed & doing wheelies while being hit by another moving vehicle could. Although it's common sense to wear a helmet as the wearing of one could avoid the inconvenience of having to go to the hospital for stitches to the head as a result of a fall if one were not being worn.....having a head on crash or getting your head smashed under an on-coming truck will not be avoided by wearing a helmet, in other words if a cyclist were involved in a really nasty accident, it's unlikely that wearing a helmet would in fact increase his chances of survival....have you ever taken one of these things apart? the measure of protection you'd actually get from wearing a helmet is minimum.... That's not to say wearing a helmet is a waste of time, I would say encourage your son to wear one at all times, you'd probably lose any claim on insurance if one were not worn, but learning to cycle properly & safely is the answer to increased awareness on the roads. I hate the thought that kids are cycling with the belief that because they wear a helmet they are somehow safe to cycle as they wish.......helmets help to keep injuries down a tad.....they don't have some special power to cause a cyclist immunity to head injuries or even death. I know of 2 people that were wearing helmets but still lost their lives in an accident & they were damned good riders too.

Answer 3

No, but i don't agree with the seatbelt law either.I believe if you are an adult, there are a lot of laws that shouldn't apply in regards to your own person and not hurting anyone else.one of the main reasons for the seatbelt law is so that they can search you without just reason.Thus the border blockades saying they are checking for seatbelt usage.

Answer 4

More people die in car crashes from something as simple as not putting on a seatbelt. Wearing a helmet is strongly advised but not a MUST-HAVE yet.

Answer 5

l realize to some this is a freedom of choice issue but with insurance rates and loss of life and personal injury, I'm surprised that in the States that helmets are not law. In Canada, helmets are mandatory and this law applies to children under the age of 16 riding a bicycle. I have a friend in Ohio who is a orthopedic surgeon and when coming to Toronto he found our trauma units too slow for his liking. He said it was due to our helmet law. God forbid that you would ever hit someone but if it did happen without a helmet, the chance of survival is greatly lessened. If we are caught without seat belts we not only get a $120.00 fine, we also loose 3 demerit points on on license. Too bad the Canadian Court System was not as tough on criminals. The police do their job but the courts are a joke.

Answer 6

the only way you can get away with not wearing a helmet is if you are over 21 and have a 10,000 dollar health policy or i think have taken a rider saftey course.

that's in texas.

it's not too sensless, cause the helmet only protects your head, it won't do squat for neck injury, or other bodily injuries. but the seat belt with keep you in the car, not through the windshield. i think i'd might rather fall off a bike w/o a helmet than go through a windshield.

Answer 7

I guess you don't live in California. Where we have both seatbelt and helmet law inforce. These laws have reduced death rates. But You should do both. Smart Habit.

good luck

Answer 8

It's just not feasible to enforce it. Same with seatbelt laws. Usually you get a ticket for a belt only if you are pulled over for something else first.

Answer 9

Washington State has a helmet law.

Answer 10

Don't know where you live, but helmets have been mandatory in most places for years. Mind you, most people don't wear them correctly, so they don't do much good.