The data are clear. People in motorized vehicles suffer
far more head injuries then bicyclists. Find
just a few of the charts available here. Over my many years of pushing back
against overzealous bike helmet promotions, I’ve enjoyed suggestions by
level-headed people that car occupants should wear helmets before any more bike
helmet promotions or laws are allowed. That was always an amusing and soothing
concept for me. But I had no idea that motoring helmets were ever actually
manufactured.
This
recent article in Forbes by Carlton Reid, a very level-headed author and
bike advocate, reveals the stunning attempt by an entrepreneurial car parts
manufacturer to sell motorists on the safety of wearing their helmet while in a
motorized vehicle. Over three years, they sold a paltry 500 helmets. Carlton
actually found one of those 500 and bought it on eBay.
Every selling point they made matches the points used
by bike helmet pushers. And they had so much more evidence backing their
claims. So why has our society worldwide, with rare exceptions like the
Netherlands, bought into the bike helmet hysteria so blindly? My thought while
reading the article was that the car industry was never silly enough to push
motoring helmets. Come on, why would they make their product seem dangerous?
Duh. But wait, the bike industry readily pushes bike helmets. Doh!
Carlton’s article is a great read for many other
reasons beyond the motoring helmets. Enjoy. But really, someone actually made a
motoring helmet? And it did not sell. That is a whole new data point for me.
Thanks Carlton.
Sue