If we can decide whether or not our children will be vacinated why can't we decide whether or not our children will be unhelmeted?
We have the choice to guard our children against diptheria, polio, tetanus and whooping cough but are deemed completely incapable of making the choice to guard our children against head injuries.
Does that mean "Big Helmet" is more persuasive than "Big Pharma"? - surely not!
Why should we trust our government to make the right decision for our children? - their track record isn't exemplary with regards to the nation's little ones.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
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hi freedom cyclist,
ReplyDeletenice work on the blog. I can see you have been busy getting your anti helmet view across. Are you not worried that you are losing sight of rational arguments in order to publish a piece most days.
My suggestion is that you invest more time into each piece an publish less often so one can easily follow your blog without missing something and falling behind. It'll attract more subscribers if your piece are featured for longer and better structured and researched.
Anyone can put a title on ideas but professionalism come from patience and perfection.
All the best for the holiday season. Enjoy your time abroad.
Thank you, anonymous, for your comments - I think you're spot on with your remarks but in my defence for the frequent posting, the blog started in a bid to save my relationships with family and friends. They (the family and friends) are heartily sick of me and my helmet cause, and never want to discuss it - and I had to chat to someone even if it ended up being everyone in cyber space - hence the commencement of the blog! It's a sort of 'sanity diary'! and I pop up thoughts as they pop into my head - in a way I suppose I'm diarising everything so that when I start my formal submissions for the District Court I have an electronic notebook of sorts - but I do know what you mean, and I do agree with you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your advice and thank you also for your good wishes
Is this an open blogspot? If not, I apologise in advance for trespassing.
ReplyDeleteYour stance caught my attention. As a dad of children who love cycling the debate about the freedom not to wear a helmet is close to my heart. We live in a hilly area so the temptation to let the bicycle go with gravity is too strong to resist, with the result that speeds of 50 KmH are easily reached. In spite of frequent admonishments, occasional groundings, and warnings of the huge risks from such dangerous use of the bike, the crazy downhill racing has continued. When I encourage them to wear their helmets, they plead that none of their friends do, and they would look soft. It is for this reason that I think compulsory use of the helmet should be there for under-18s. They are genuinely oblivious to the danger, as I remember being when I was that age. So, I am not with you on this one.
David McCarthy, Cork, Ireland.
Hi David - this is an open blogspot and you are welcome to leave comments - you are certainly not trespassing.
ReplyDeleteI understand your plight with your brave little ones but still do feel as parents we should have the last word in raising them - it should be your call, and somehow you should still have the authority to persuade them to don a helmet if those are your house rules - it shouldn't be up to our governments to parent our children.
Once again thank you for your comments
David,
ReplyDeleteThe faster you go the less effective a helmet is. They are rated up to 12 mph. When you get to 15 mph you are 50% above the design limit.
The mass of the helmet increases the kinetic energy of your head. At higher speeds the extra energy over takes any dissipation capacity of the helmet.
There is good evidence that helmets increase serious injuries.
Folding Bike,
ReplyDeleteCan you point us to studies (if you know of any) that support the proposition that helmets can increase injuries? It is easy to criticise the lack of evidence of their benefits but it would be good to point to studies going the other way.
Colin Clarke, from the CTC in the Yorkshire and Humber Region, UK has written a useful paper "The Case Against Bicycle Helmets and Legislation"
ReplyDeletehttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/cyclehelmets/attachments/folder/1560752942/item/list
Dear Freedom Cyclist
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. I feel as a parent one should be able to have the choice to wear or not wear a helmet concerning my family. My son & I have recumbent trikes I feel the Helmet Law is ridiculous. I agree if Governments put more into direct routed cycle pathways & more people riding there would be less health related problems amongst the community. I would love to see less cars on the road & more people riding bicycles.
cheers
Kent Jefferies