Helmets look dumb. Whatever. Get over it.
Up until about a month ago, I would have totally been the guy fighting back logic with a shrug of the shoulders and some ill informed debate about whatever studies have been done to disprove the effectiveness of helmet use. I never used to ride my bike with a helmet: I could have been in rush hour traffic weaving between cars going 25+ mph, or bombing a hill on the countryside on weathered roads. It didn't matter. Riding without the admittedly fashion no-no gave me a sense of freedom and ego.
And don't get me wrong. I ride hard and aggressive... very aggressive. Looking back, I can't help but to acknowledge that I truly LUCKED out in so many cases (especially with urban riding). It doesn't matter how alert and confident and experienced you are... When it comes down to it, luck plays a huge role. Aside from yourself, one thing that you have absolutely no control over is the person(s) driving around you.
It just so happened that my best friend of nearly 6 years had that very real rude awakening last month. He was T-boned by a speeding vehicle that blew right through a red light. He shattered the windshield, and was tossed twenty-something feet into the air, landing behind the car with only his hands to break his fall. His right wrist and thumb were shattered (a big deal for a guy whose life revolves around bass and bicycling) and his head took the rest of the fall. His forehead was deeply wounded and bled all over the street and onto his glasses as he called for his own ambulance. Later his doctor was baffled by how relatively lucky my friend was. Had he landed any differently, hemorrhaging or internal bleeding or permanent damage would have almost certainly happened. HE LUCKED OUT. And that was the last straw.
Since then, he and I and all of our friends have decided to finally take a hint and start wearing helmets. Yeah it looks dumb... but so do people who continue to lack any sort of common sense.
You decide.
By Brian Davidson, Bike Temple Messenger, January 17, 2011
