Recumbent Accident Rates?

On Sat, 7 May 2011 07:15:02 -0700 (PDT), in rec.bicycles.tech Dan O
wrote:

Classic Krygowski.
So would a wearing helmet be any benefit in any of those activities?
No? Would wearing a helmet be worth the cost? Is wearing a helmet
worth the cost when bicycling? Is a used bike frame worth $675? To
you? To me?
I believe he acknowledged that he doesn't expect to convince you of
anything.
And stopped wearing one... because it costs something, right? And
statistics have convinced you that the benefit (if you acknowledge any
benefit at all, that is) is not worth this cost. But I - and I
imagine many others - do not make this cost/benefit decision based on
anything that goes on with other people. I base it on my own
experience and perception of *my* own individual risk.
Classic.

Without trying to be obnoxious about it, I would simply suggest that
Frank, like many people in many different forums, is searching for the
"silver bullet".

By that, I mean the "QED" piece of evidence that, once and for all
time, sets the hypothetical matter to rest. There is simply no such
thing.

That mentality isn't limited to those of us in the United States;
however, however, other societies seem to tolerate life's ambiguity
better than we do. We (in the US) tend to declare "Mission
accomplished", game over... and we're honestly confused when the other
side of the matter disagrees. "Why, they're *terrorists*, of
course... why can't they see that we won?"

Helmets work for the same reason condoms work; they're passive
devices. That said, the old "Sheath that dagger before you bag her"
campaigns of the '80s were profoundly ineffective at reducing STDs.
That doesn't mean condoms don't work, though.

I still choose to wear a condom when I cycle.

Back to my point... I had one here, someplace, I'm sure.

In human behavior, there are no definitive studies, no statistical
"silver bullets" ... the intelligent consumer of research looks at the
whole body without trying to find that which proves some religous
belief or pet theory. Ultimately, the individual has to make an
informed decision and accept responsibility for that decision.