However, I grew up in the era where bicycle helmets were still uncommon. The only kids I knew who had them were dorks with overprotective mothers. They were ridiculed incessantly by their peers, and rightfully so. Helmets looked clunky, silly, and had the air that the bicycle enthusiast lacked common sense to take care of himself.
Then the world changed. Helmets have now gone from being used by just overprotected kids and professional bicyclists to pretty much everyone I see. It's truly a rarity if I see some fellow without a helmet, and when I do, I perform a double-take in shock. What happened? What took place in the world where suddenly everyone worried so much about personal safety? Is anything statistically proven? What's going on? What did I miss?
My first thought was that, in this day and age, people are scared by their television every day... about everything. The news and media aims to frighten the populace, as do the advertisers. Don't buy it? Watch some medical ads. We live in a world where pharmaceutical companies make commercials that frighten people into wondering if they have certain symptoms that could be cured by whatever drug the TV is pushing at the moment. All those terror-dripping ads end with a phrase like, "Ask your doctor if Shit-Rite is the drug for you." Ask my doctor? How about, if my doctor ever perceives I might be having said problem, he'll offer a suggestion first, prick.
Anyway, this bicycle helmet phenomenon bothered me in that, something about it doesn't sit quite right. When I was a kid, I never suffered any severe head trauma, nor did any of my friends, and none of us wore helmets. To a bunch of ignorant ten year olds, that was considered gay. Sure, I'm aware that accidents happen, people get injured or die, and that you can't make an omelet with breaking a few eggs. Yet, for our world, it was of no consequence. It didn't mean anything. Helmets were just bad fashion choices, safety hazards be damned!
I did try to look up this issue, however, to answer my questions above - to solve this mystery as it were. I found some statistical data on the matter HERE. Looking at all this data, there is no clear, concise answer to this issue. Debaters on both sides of the fence can pick and choose various numbers on here and argue whatever bullshit they want. It's like a gigantic, meaningless smorgasbord of fuel for either party.
Arguing further on the matter, there is a humorous and intelligent discussion of the issue by the writers at Cracked. They go into how safety regulations don't necessarily make people safer, as this allows humans to turn off that "common sense" factor and let others take care of them. According to them, safety regulations and helmets changed nothing in statistics. You can read more into that bit in this ARTICLE. You'll have to scroll down to its ranking within the 5 safety measures listed.
Beyond that, you'll find a gallery full of opinions and wonderful "insights" across a variety of blogs (including this one) that discuss at full length on whether or not bicycle helmets actually work. Personally, I think that's a moot point, and I feel Cracked has that covered quite well, albeit with a sense of humor. I feel bicycle helmets fill a different void for people, one in which we aren't keen to admit because it makes us look stupid.
With that out of the way, here goes...
Having a helmet is more about acquiring bicyclist stuff than anything else. It's about buying all the gear and fulfilling the image. Many people I see out and about riding their bikes don't merely have a helmet. They have the whole tight, colorful outfit, wiggling their spandex asses in the air without a care in the world. They aren't just your every day human who happens to be out for a nice ride, maybe out to pick up a gallon of milk at the local grocer's. They're PROS! They're weirdos who dropped a ton of change at Dick's Sporting Goods, so that they can feel the part.
It's like anything else in this world... There's a lifestyle and a clothing line sold to bicycling, as there is with motorcycles. Don't trust me on the motorcycle part? Go to a biker bar on Friday night, and tell me if there is anything familiar with how all the burly biker dudes are dressed. High school cliques do it too. As do sports clubs, business socialite events, Hot Topic employee weenie roasts, and a plethora of other niche groups all across the globe. To be the part, you have to look the part, right? That's how we identify ourselves with a certain crowd or lifestyle.
Bicycling is no different. It's just ascended/descended (you choose the word) to this level (through advertising) where the only way we can really communicate our involvement in the trade is by spending a week's paycheck buying tight, flaming outfits, so we can ride to the park on Saturday. Nothing more, nothing less. Having a helmet for safety is just padded rationalization meant to quell a terribly frightened individual or someone who needs an excuse to purchase more wonderful goods.
I do miss the days where biking was for a bunch of average kids in a variety of T-shirts and shorts experiencing the freedom to cruise where they want without having to have anything more than a functional bicycle. Consider me old-fashioned, but we didn't have to worry too much about fitting an image we saw on television.
I'll eat my words though someday. I often felt pedestrians walking down the street weren't well-protected enough from potential cars hitting them or other disasters waiting to happen. That's why I wanted to sell them all knee pads and elbow pads. It's for their own safety. Not my own personal profit... even if I do happen to produce a scary commercial terrorizing pedestrians into buying pads.
