Helmets & Statistics

There has been a great deal of debate about the use of helmets by cyclists, both the pedal type and the motorized type. There have been large numbers of statistics quoted, but I have never seen a really good statistical picture of the situation.

However, even without the numbers there are some questions we might want to ask, like: What is the cost associated with a person who ends up permanently crippled because they were were involved in a cycling accident and were not wearing a helmet? Or maybe we don't want the answer to that question, and that's why we argue about the statistics.

Death is easier to deal with in some ways than a crippling injury. If you die in an accident your life is prematurely over, but so are all your problems. People you leave behind will grieve for you, but they should eventually recover enough to get on with their lives. The financial burden is finite, unless you were the chief provider for others and failed to make provisions for them.

Severe injuries can go on forever, and so can the associated costs. You may be unable to work or you may require on going medical care. You may not even have enough brain function left to maintain any kind of relationships with your family or friends. For me that would be the very worst scenario. I think I would rather be dead, but at that point you don't have even that option. I suspect that anyone with a severe brain injury will die prematurely. That is bad when that is the best you can hope for.