No More Accidents
Bike helmet safety is a big problem in our society. People do not realize that a bike helmet to a biker is the same as a seat belt to a motorist. We as bikers need all the protection that we can get since we don’t have the tank-like protection of a ’88 Ford Tempo. So now I am going to tell you a story of a personal experience, the basics to a helmet and some statistics
Even though bike helmets are designed to lessen the impact in one particular spot and disperse the force throughout the helmet. The helmet however is not the most safest thing to but in our society. Most manufactures today tend to make helmets that have a lot of holes and are made for fashion instead of for being a good helmet. The plastic coating on most helmets is there to prevent less friction when you are sliding down on your head. The air holes on the helmet provide better air flow and a fresh new style but they lessen the fact of the force upon impact will have less of a space to disperse the force into. Do not get me wrong all the bicycle helmets on the market pass at least the minimum of the standard. In Austrailia the market had to lower the standard of their helmets because they were soo expensive, so that people would buy their helmets.
Being in a bike accident is a very tramatizing thing to go through. I went through several accidents, but one accident in particular knocked some sense into me about helmet safety.
One summer morning I woke up like every other day. I did all the normal things one would do in the morning like taking a shower, eating breakfast and getting dressed. After I got myself all set up to go out for the day, I called up one of my friends to go do something. It was another one of San Francisco’s beautiful weather days so we decided to go bicycle riding and to play some basketball. So, then I start to head out of my house to get my bicycle ready for departure about 10am.
Now I am on my way to my friends’ house. The first half of my ride was pretty basic, all it was just a nice cruise down hill. The second part however was not so much difficult as I just had to keep my eyes on the path.
As cars were able to go faster, safety became a concern to track officials. Helmets were designed to dissipate impact energy, and prevent damage to the drivers head. The first helmets looked like hard hats; later on they developed a chin strap. The first full face helmet was made by Bell, but wasn’t worn until the Indianapolis 500 in 1968. But NASCAR, didn’...
Millions of people all over the United States choose motorcycles over automobiles for the thrill, speed, and high performance capabilities. On the other hand, motorcycles are not at all the safest way of transportation. Motorcycles do not provide the passenger with the outer protection that cars provide, therefore, when one crashes, the results are usually much more serious. Injuries to the head are responsible for 76% of fatalities when dealing with motorcycle crashes many of which could have been prevented had the rider been wearing a helmet. For this reason, many states have adopted the motorcycle helmet law. The law states that every passengers must wear a helmet at all times when riding on a motorcycle. This law has created a great deal of controversy. One side supports the law, believing that it protects motorcyclists from danger and saves the economy a great deal of money. The other side argues that the law is unconstitutional and it violates our right to freedom. However, statistics show overwhelming support in favor of the motorcycle helmet law. Although wearing helmets cannot prevent motorcycle crashes, they can greatly reduce the number of deaths caused by head injury as well as lowering taxes, insurance rates, and health care costs. Therefore, the helmet law should be put into effect in every state across the United States.
The future of hockey protective equipment is closer than originally thought. New helmets and equipment designs aid in the protection of all skill level...
How well do helmets prevent concussions from occurring and prevent the development of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)?
In addition, future innovations and designs are on the way to further reduce head impact res...
For children in this group, a helmet can save you or reduce the severity of the damage via 53%. The same studies, cited using the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, show a forty-four% prevention and reduction in injury among adults.
The statistics show that padding around the waist protects the stomach and the middle part of the body. Hits coming from the stomach can lead to serious problems. It will lead to a lot of injuries to. It will effect the person badly if they do not were more padding around the waist. My second evidence is that more protection to the head will protect the brain the brain is one of the most important parts of the body. People can be in a lot of trouble if they get many concussions. "A new study finds that football helmets currently used on the field may do little to protect against hits to the side of the head, or rotational force, an often dangerous source of brain injury and
“A football helmet gives you an awful lot of protection….but you don't have to be a doctor or an engineer or even a football player to realize that the football helmet does not block all the measured force produced when some 300-pound player, with hands the size of a Christmas ham, whacks you in the head dozens of time in a game and season after season.” (Quoted cyril wecht), Football helmets need to be designed so that no one will suffer needless head injuries.
...y will occur (Demarest). By increasing the amount of padding in a helmet the time of the collision is further increased, thereby decreasing the force of an equivalent transfer of momentum.
While the use of helmets does aid in protecting players from brain trauma, they also increase the risky behavior of players; this is called risk compensation. Risk compensation is the adjustment of individual behavior, responding to the perceived changes in risk (TheFreeDictionary.com). Most people that wear helmets have a pre-conceived idea that, because they have a helmet on, they can possess more daring behaviors and be fine. The helmet is basically thought of as a tool to hit harder, or improve performance in today’s culture. Adventure writer and pilot, Lane Wallace (2011) accurately understands the dangers of helmets being used incorrectly, and how they are used as weapons instead of safety. Wallace also theorizes like the NFL, a change in football culture and of viewpoints towards helmets would vastly reduce trauma to the
According to statistics, motor vehicle accidents are the number one leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths, making up close to 45% and more than quadrupling all other causes. Although these statistics can be overwhelming knowing that driving a motor vehicle on a daily basis comes with a lot of risk, an individuals chance of injury can be lowered by following basic rules of safety. The American Trauma Society believes that the injury rate could be reduced by 50% if people would simply apply existing information about prevention. Wearing a seat belt while riding in a motor vehicle is by far the easiest way to prevent injury and death, and should be done anyhow because it is a federal law to do so. In addition to seat belts, motor vehicles are equipped with air bags, an automatic form of protection designed to reduce the risk of injury. In the past decade, air bags have saved the lives of close to 3,000 people. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted a study of real-world motor vehicle crashes and were able to conclude that the combination of seat belts and air bags is 75% effective in preventing serious head injuries and 66% effective in preventing serious chest injuries. Unfortunately for about 100 people in the past decade, their lives were saved at the expense of suffering a less severe injury caused by the air bag itself. However, when proper air bag safety is applied in conjunction of wearing a seat belt properly, most injuries ...
Have you ever known somebody who was injured in a car accident? What do you think his attitude about seat belts was after they saved his life? If you knew that a seat belt would save your life, you would buckle up! It took years of legislation and public awareness campaigns to make seat belt use mandatory. Now a new topic regarding public safety is coming to light: people are dying or becoming seriously injured in seemingly minor accidents on bicycles when the rider's head strikes the concrete. When the head is unprotected "the brain continues to move in a forward motion while the skull stops moving" (Macyko1), causing trauma. What is needed is a way to protect the brain "by absorbing the energy from the impact, buying extra time for the brain to slow down" (Macyko1). Bicycle riders need to wear helmets to protect their brains from injury, yet unfortunately the public is simply not aware of this need and many people will continue to die or be seriously injured unless something is done. Bicycle helmets save lives and should be required by Arizona State law for riders of all ages.
Many reasons for this big change in sports related head injuries, mostly has to do with the protective equipment used and the regulation...
This topic is a constant and heated debate among people. Many people argue that the rider should have the freedom to choose whether or not to wear a helmet. Although, many people feel this is a selfish perspective because when others have accidents, it becomes other people’s concerns. This is said because some people believe that the families, loved ones, or tax payers will be paying for the rider’s injury bills. Along with freedom rights, riders complain that the helmets are heavy. With the weight of the helmet, arguments are made that injuries could increase with the spinal cord or neck. Likewise, people think that helmets can become a distraction or “get in the way”. When riders say this, they are referring to their ability to see or hear what is going on in the environment. “These senses have been studied in the context of motorcycle activity and do not appear to be impaired, and in certain circumstances, may be improved” (Auerbach). Research has been shown that helmets do not cause distractions or impair hearing or vision
1. Studies have shown that wearing a helmet can reduce your chances of head injury by 85%