tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980421295592818922.post6335777182703787147..comments2023-10-23T14:15:29.331-07:00Comments on Shallow Cogitations: A Mandatory Helmet LawHank Greerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243840232233423724noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980421295592818922.post-66222967955903431442011-08-22T02:46:14.607-07:002011-08-22T02:46:14.607-07:00Let's hear it for the nanny state!Let's hear it for the nanny state!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980421295592818922.post-19925784577645515872011-08-21T08:53:12.183-07:002011-08-21T08:53:12.183-07:00Given the apparently low percentage of women bicyc...Given the apparently low percentage of women bicycle commuters and recreational riders in Spokane County, I actually thought the 20% statistic seemed high for women. Particularly since I do see more men taking risks.<br /><br />If it's true, maybe drivers are more likely to hit women. Why? Is that why women ride less?<br /><br />I get the sense that Stickman and the helmet law are the prelude to a big crackdown on bicycling and bicycle political activism. They are definitely attempts to be "authorative" rather than promote discussion of the realities of bicycle safety in a car-dominated county.<br /><br />I'd urge people to read the material critically, and also the supporting documentation (when they supply it, the don't in their ads). Keep the good, question the bogus.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980421295592818922.post-58299887032874371742011-08-21T07:36:43.381-07:002011-08-21T07:36:43.381-07:00Third Anon,
I ran the same queries but only for m...Third Anon,<br /><br />I ran the same queries but only for males and found that they do make up the majority. However, like you point out, that doesn't mean anything all by itself.Hank Greerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15243840232233423724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980421295592818922.post-83336776519106756712011-08-21T02:26:47.130-07:002011-08-21T02:26:47.130-07:00The StickmanKnows campaign chooses the following s...The StickmanKnows campaign chooses the following statistic as one of the most important for its newspaper ads: "In Spokane County, 4 out of 5 cyclists injured in a collision were male."<br /><br />But, there's no mention of the percentage of cyclists who are male. The assumption may be that men take more risks as cyclists, but the statistic doesn't prove that. <br /><br />Even in Portland, male cyclists outnumber female 2 to 1 (as of 2006). Spokane has nowhere near the proportion of female cyclists as Portland.<br /><br />The problem with so many of these "facts" from the "safety" people is that they are incomplete. <br /><br />The larger gender issue is "why aren't women riding bicycles?"<br /><br />Also, note that Stickman thinks the injury rate for males ON BIKES is relevant, but not injury rate for men IN CARS or the gender makeup of drivers who collide with bicycles.<br /><br />We need an objective approach to the statistics on bicycle safety, thanks for bringing up the issue.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980421295592818922.post-83488990238988717262011-08-20T16:06:41.827-07:002011-08-20T16:06:41.827-07:00Are there any studies on the impact of helmet laws...Are there any studies on the impact of helmet laws on the percentage of people who ride, and perhaps on the prevalence of obesity (particularly in children) in the population?<br /><br />Everybody rides bikes in places like the Netherlands, people look a lot fitter, fewer kids are fat, there are relatively fewer serious accidents...but few riders wear helmets.<br /><br />The American approach seems to be to make bicycling as specialized, expensive, dangerous, and stigmatized as possible.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980421295592818922.post-87476552898640892762011-08-20T15:48:57.869-07:002011-08-20T15:48:57.869-07:00One of the "expert" proponents of the he...One of the "expert" proponents of the helmet law helpfully explained that it's not the car hitting the bicyclist that causes injury, it's the pavement hitting the bicyclist's head. <br /><br />The sophistry in this account of causation shifts blame for injury to the bicyclist, no matter if the driver was at fault. And of course, the logic completely excludes infrastructure and law, the responsibility of governments.<br /><br />The most successful programs of bicycle/ped injury reduction systematically focus on collision reduction, and identify those elements most linked to collision prevention. <br /><br />Helmets don't prevent collisions.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com