WSJ article on Dutch helmet-resistance

"Getting These Cyclists to Use Helmets Is Like Tilting at Windmills"
"Bicycle-Loving Dutch Hate Headgear; 'We Are Not in Germany'"

"But among Holland's millions of bikers, helmets are almost
nonexistent—and resistance to them is fierce. Only 0.1% of Dutch
bikers wear helmets, in contrast to 15% in nearby Sweden and 38% in
the U.S., according to the British cycling organization CTC."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...le_Lifestyle_5

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

On 11/3/2010 1:19 AM, wrote:
"Getting These Cyclists to Use Helmets Is Like Tilting at Windmills"
"Bicycle-Loving Dutch Hate Headgear; 'We Are Not in Germany'"

"But among Holland's millions of bikers, helmets are almost
nonexistent—and resistance to them is fierce. Only 0.1% of Dutch
bikers wear helmets,[...]

The Dutch must not realize that Magic Foam Bicycle Hats™ prevent over
70% of *leg* injuries.

--
Tom Sherman - 42.435731,-83.985007
I am a vehicular cyclist.

On Nov 3, 1:19*am, wrote:
"Getting These Cyclists to Use Helmets Is Like Tilting at Windmills"
"Bicycle-Loving Dutch Hate Headgear; 'We Are Not in Germany'"

"But among Holland's millions of bikers, helmets are almost
nonexistent—and resistance to them is fierce. Only 0.1% of Dutch
bikers wear helmets, in contrast to 15% in nearby Sweden and 38% in
the U.S., according to the British cycling organization CTC."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...57557425061616...

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

The article states that the Dutch don't have a particularly high rate
of head injury via bike riding, then goes on to say that adults are
hard headed (ha) to not wear a helmet.

It's a classic concern troll ploy. Cycling isn't dangerous, but if you
don't wear a helmet you don't care about safety.

Showering isn't dangerous but if you don't...

Op 3-11-2010 7:19, schreef:
"Getting These Cyclists to Use Helmets Is Like Tilting at Windmills"
"Bicycle-Loving Dutch Hate Headgear; 'We Are Not in Germany'"

"But among Holland's millions of bikers, helmets are almost
nonexistent—and resistance to them is fierce. Only 0.1% of Dutch
bikers wear helmets, in contrast to 15% in nearby Sweden and 38% in
the U.S., according to the British cycling organization CTC."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...le_Lifestyle_5

Cheers,

Carl Fogel


Whoe, ha,ha,ha..
Dutch wearing helmets for daily use cycling? Must be a foreigner to come
up with that idea...

Lou

On 11/3/2010 12:52 PM, Lou Holtman wrote:
Op 3-11-2010 7:19, schreef:
"Getting These Cyclists to Use Helmets Is Like Tilting at Windmills"
"Bicycle-Loving Dutch Hate Headgear; 'We Are Not in Germany'"

"But among Holland's millions of bikers, helmets are almost
nonexistent—and resistance to them is fierce. Only 0.1% of Dutch
bikers wear helmets, in contrast to 15% in nearby Sweden and 38% in
the U.S., according to the British cycling organization CTC."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...le_Lifestyle_5


Cheers,

Carl Fogel


Whoe, ha,ha,ha..
Dutch wearing helmets for daily use cycling? Must be a foreigner to come
up with that idea...

Lou

"The Netherlands boasts the world's highest per capita use of bicycles.
It has thousands of miles of paved bicycle paths, with traffic lights
specifically for riders. It is dotted with sheltered bike parking.
Trains have bike compartments. Bikers get priority on most roads, and
youngsters take biking tests."

On Nov 3, 12:10*pm, Duane Hébert wrote:
On 11/3/2010 12:52 PM, Lou Holtman wrote:









Op 3-11-2010 7:19, schreef:
"Getting These Cyclists to Use Helmets Is Like Tilting at Windmills"
"Bicycle-Loving Dutch Hate Headgear; 'We Are Not in Germany'"

"But among Holland's millions of bikers, helmets are almost
nonexistent and resistance to them is fierce. Only 0.1% of Dutch
bikers wear helmets, in contrast to 15% in nearby Sweden and 38% in
the U.S., according to the British cycling organization CTC."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...57557425061616....

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

Whoe, ha,ha,ha..
Dutch wearing helmets for daily use cycling? Must be a foreigner to come
up with that idea...

Lou

"The Netherlands boasts the world's highest per capita use of bicycles.
It has thousands of miles of paved bicycle paths, with traffic lights
specifically for riders. It is dotted with sheltered bike parking.
Trains have bike compartments. Bikers get priority on most roads, and
youngsters take biking tests."

Those things are too abstract, they need to wear a symbol of caring
about safety on their heads, regardless of the efficacy or risk.

Op 3-11-2010 18:10, Duane Hébert schreef:
On 11/3/2010 12:52 PM, Lou Holtman wrote:
Op 3-11-2010 7:19, schreef:
"Getting These Cyclists to Use Helmets Is Like Tilting at Windmills"
"Bicycle-Loving Dutch Hate Headgear; 'We Are Not in Germany'"

"But among Holland's millions of bikers, helmets are almost
nonexistent—and resistance to them is fierce. Only 0.1% of Dutch
bikers wear helmets, in contrast to 15% in nearby Sweden and 38% in
the U.S., according to the British cycling organization CTC."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...le_Lifestyle_5



Cheers,

Carl Fogel


Whoe, ha,ha,ha..
Dutch wearing helmets for daily use cycling? Must be a foreigner to come
up with that idea...

Lou

"The Netherlands boasts the world's highest per capita use of bicycles.
It has thousands of miles of paved bicycle paths, with traffic lights
specifically for riders. It is dotted with sheltered bike parking.
Trains have bike compartments. Bikers get priority on most roads, and
youngsters take biking tests."



Exactly, and that without wearing helmets.
Let me tell you a story.
When I was in highschool (middelbare school in Dutch), all the teenagers
between 16 and 18 years old rode mopeds (brommers in Dutch). We could
ride them without helmets up to 40 km/hr. At some moment helmets became
mandatory and guess what, within a eyeblink mopeds almost vanished
completely. When they introduced mopeds that couldn't go faster that 25
km/hr and could be rode without helmets, mopeds got popular again by
teenagers. But of course upgrade kits got available very soon....
Mandatory helmets for bicycles in the Netherlands is not gonna happen.
Period.

Lou

On 11/3/2010 2:22 PM, Lou Holtman wrote:
Op 3-11-2010 18:10, Duane Hébert schreef:
On 11/3/2010 12:52 PM, Lou Holtman wrote:
Op 3-11-2010 7:19, schreef:
"Getting These Cyclists to Use Helmets Is Like Tilting at Windmills"
"Bicycle-Loving Dutch Hate Headgear; 'We Are Not in Germany'"

"But among Holland's millions of bikers, helmets are almost
nonexistent—and resistance to them is fierce. Only 0.1% of Dutch
bikers wear helmets, in contrast to 15% in nearby Sweden and 38% in
the U.S., according to the British cycling organization CTC."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...le_Lifestyle_5




Cheers,

Carl Fogel


Whoe, ha,ha,ha..
Dutch wearing helmets for daily use cycling? Must be a foreigner to come
up with that idea...

Lou

"The Netherlands boasts the world's highest per capita use of bicycles.
It has thousands of miles of paved bicycle paths, with traffic lights
specifically for riders. It is dotted with sheltered bike parking.
Trains have bike compartments. Bikers get priority on most roads, and
youngsters take biking tests."



Exactly, and that without wearing helmets.
Some might have thought that this was due to all of the
facilities ducking...

Let me tell you a story.
When I was in highschool (middelbare school in Dutch), all the teenagers
between 16 and 18 years old rode mopeds (brommers in Dutch). We could
ride them without helmets up to 40 km/hr. At some moment helmets became
mandatory and guess what, within a eyeblink mopeds almost vanished
completely. When they introduced mopeds that couldn't go faster that 25
km/hr and could be rode without helmets, mopeds got popular again by
teenagers. But of course upgrade kits got available very soon....
Mandatory helmets for bicycles in the Netherlands is not gonna happen.
Period.

Yeah, I was just adding that part about the facilities to show
that the Netherlands isn't typical compared to North America.

On Nov 3, 11:22*am, Lou Holtman wrote:
Op 3-11-2010 18:10, Duane H bert schreef:





On 11/3/2010 12:52 PM, Lou Holtman wrote:
Op 3-11-2010 7:19, schreef:
"Getting These Cyclists to Use Helmets Is Like Tilting at Windmills"
"Bicycle-Loving Dutch Hate Headgear; 'We Are Not in Germany'"

"But among Holland's millions of bikers, helmets are almost
nonexistent and resistance to them is fierce. Only 0.1% of Dutch
bikers wear helmets, in contrast to 15% in nearby Sweden and 38% in
the U.S., according to the British cycling organization CTC."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...57557425061616....

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

Whoe, ha,ha,ha..
Dutch wearing helmets for daily use cycling? Must be a foreigner to come
up with that idea...

Lou

"The Netherlands boasts the world's highest per capita use of bicycles.
It has thousands of miles of paved bicycle paths, with traffic lights
specifically for riders. It is dotted with sheltered bike parking.
Trains have bike compartments. Bikers get priority on most roads, and
youngsters take biking tests."

Exactly, and that without wearing helmets.
Let me tell you a story.
When I was in highschool (middelbare school in Dutch), all the teenagers
between 16 and 18 years old rode mopeds (brommers in Dutch). We could
ride them without helmets up to 40 km/hr. At some moment helmets became
mandatory and guess what, within a eyeblink mopeds almost vanished
completely. When they introduced mopeds that couldn't go faster that 25
km/hr and could be rode without helmets, mopeds got popular again by
teenagers. But of course upgrade kits got available very soon....
Mandatory helmets for bicycles in the Netherlands is not gonna happen.
Period.

Lou- Hide quoted text -

I have to ask -- what did the kids who quit riding mopeds do for
transportation? Did they drive cars, ride bikes, skateboard? I don't
get the big issue with helmets -- why that would be a deal breaker for
cruising around on a moped. It's not like you're working up a sweat.

I understand that some people think that riding with a helmet makes
them look like a dork, or musses their hair or makes them hot -- so
they don't ride. That's the part I don't understand. I rode a bike
with a CAM walker fracture boot on one leg or the other for over six
months. http://orthotape.com/cam_walker.asp You would have to put a
boat anchor on my head before I quit riding. -- Jay Beattie.

On 11/3/2010 2:47 PM, Jay Beattie wrote:
On Nov 3, 11:22 am, Lou wrote:
Op 3-11-2010 18:10, Duane H bert schreef:

I have to ask -- what did the kids who quit riding mopeds do for
transportation? Did they drive cars, ride bikes, skateboard? I don't
get the big issue with helmets -- why that would be a deal breaker for
cruising around on a moped. It's not like you're working up a sweat.

I understand that some people think that riding with a helmet makes
them look like a dork, or musses their hair or makes them hot -- so
they don't ride. That's the part I don't understand. I rode a bike
with a CAM walker fracture boot on one leg or the other for over six
months. http://orthotape.com/cam_walker.asp You would have to put a
boat anchor on my head before I quit riding. -- Jay Beattie.

My 13 year old son has no problem with helmets. He grew up with them.
Cycling, skating, skiing etc. You won't get him to wear lycra shorts
though. He'd definitely not ride if they were mandatory g.

Guess it just depends on the kids.