Cycling & bikes - THE CASE FOR A MANDATORY CYCLE HELMET LAW (IN THE UNITED STATESOF AMERICA) by Andre Jute

On Aug 28, 5:32*am, dbrower wrote:
Andre Jute wrote:

What is your argument against saving perhaps up to 400 American
cyclists by mandatory helmet laws, Franki-boy? Do tell.

I think the viable counter argument is (picking a number from air)
50,000 heart attack deaths a year that would have been prevented by
people riding who don't because they won't wear a helmet. * *I am not
saying the number is valid, or that the conclusion on preventable
heart attacks is correct, but that seems to be the gist of the
argument.

I agree that cycling has health benefits. I don't agree that
significant numbers of people will stop cycling because of mandatory
helmet laws. The history of automobile seatbelts is just one of the
many examples weighing against acceptance of that straw man of the
anti-helmet zealots.

Pointing solely at the "400 American deaths" without considering the
other alternative is an emotional appeal, which can work if the other
health factors can be buried and ignored. *

I've said all along that I believe in the health benefits. But we're
making those health benefits multitask rather extensively. The very
relative safety of cycling depends on them, and now we want to justify
around 235 to 400 unnecessary death by these unquantified health
benefits. That's starting to sound expensive.

It does seem shortsighted.

On the contrary, it sounds like there is a case here to bring cost-
benefit to bear on an uncertainty being used for emotional blackmail
by the anti-helmet zealots. I have make a mathematical case for the
lives saved. Let the anti-helmet crowd make a mathematical case for
the heart attacks saved -- after they first prove that people will
stop cycling if forced to wear a helmet, and the those who stop won't
be replaced by new cyclists, in short that cycling growth will be
stunted.

For the record, I wear a helmet all the time, but don't have a strong
opinion either way on making it legally mandatory.

I'm with you. I too wear a helmet all the time. I'd wear a hat or cap
anyway because I'm very fairskinned. I'm not promoting any case here,
merely putting honest statistics on the table. My interest is merely
to stop Krygowski lying about the numbers, not to promote one side or
the other. (If I were interested in promoting one side or the other,
I'd do it so insidiously, the insensitive clowns here won't even
notice I've been in action.)

Andre Jute
Teach your daughter mathematics, Mrs Worthington!