CPSC/Safety Test Statistics - Where? - Page 3

08-23-2004, 06:56 PM

Glm wrote:

>
> I certainly don't want to rub salt into the wounds of the ongoing
> helmet debate, but I was wondering whether anyone knew where I could
> find statistics from safety tests (or other objective assessments)
> conducted on current bike helmets.

One of the few places I've found comparative results from objective
tests has been Consumer Reports magazine here in the US. They don't
report numerical answers, but with little color-coded bubbles indicating
things like "Excellent", "Good", "Fair" etc.

Based on their ratings, the definite trend is that less expensive
helmets have heavier weight, less ventilation, perhaps klutzier straps,
and more protection. For more expensive helmets, the opposite is true.

Your spelling indicates you may be east of the Atlantic. If so, I
believe the corresponding magazine is "Which?" but I don't know if
they've done such a test.

If they have, I hope they haven't been as credulous as Consumer Reports.
While skeptical of the need for things like extended warranties and
trash compactors, CR has been yet another source of tales like "Little
Johnny toppled off his bike. If not for his helmet, he might have
died!!!"

--
--------------------+
Frank Krygowski [To reply, remove rodent and vegetable dot com,
replace with cc.ysu dot edu]

08-24-2004, 04:10 AM

On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 21:56:13 GMT, Glm <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote (more
or less):

>On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 22:43:36 +0100, Just zis Guy, you know?
><[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 21:34:04 GMT, Glm <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in
>> message <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>:
>>
>> Yes, that's essentially right. Just as you wouldn't expect a computer
>> to survive being hit by a car when packed in its foam packaging
>> (actually rather thicker than the average lid!), you would be mad to
>> rely on a cycle helmet to protect you against serious injury or death.
>> Wear one or not, just remember it's made of meringue covered in
>> eggshell and ride accordingly :-)
>>
>>> Thank you for the response; and for the site.
>>
>> You're welcome.
>>
>> Guy
>
>I spent my youth cycling around the Cheshire countryside, and never wore a
>helmet. If I got hit by a car doing 80mph then I understood that that
>would be that. My mother cared more than I did. Always wore one on my
>motorbikes, though (which I raced off public highways, once or twice
>directly into trees in friends' orchards!).
>
>Now living in New York. Do my best to avoid metropolitan traffic, but
>spent quite some time riding around the Park at night and on weekends,
>when the place is closed to traffic. They have cycle lanes anyway
>(largely populated by careening rollerbladers, though). Having in the
>last fortnight witnessed 4 people decorate the road with lashings of blood
>after falling from bikes, I observed that a helmet might be useful in this
>kind of accident (six foot fall, 9.81 metres per second per second and all
>that). So, now I need to find one I actually like wearing; and which
>offers whatever protection is possible.

For cycle lane travel, where, as you point out, the worst injury to
the head is a minor (i.e. shallow) cut (albeit one that looks very
bloody), why not try a woolly cap. Or one of the 70's bike helmets
made of strips of padded leather.

>
>Failing that, I'll put a condom on my head. Should complement the spandex
>rather well, actually.
>
>
>Glm

--
Cheers,
Euan
Gawnsoft: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Symbian/Epoc wiki: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Smalltalk links (harvested from comp.lang.smalltalk) [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

08-24-2004, 04:10 AM

On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 21:56:13 GMT, Glm <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote (more
or less):

>On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 22:43:36 +0100, Just zis Guy, you know?
><[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 21:34:04 GMT, Glm <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in
>> message <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>:
>>
>> Yes, that's essentially right. Just as you wouldn't expect a computer
>> to survive being hit by a car when packed in its foam packaging
>> (actually rather thicker than the average lid!), you would be mad to
>> rely on a cycle helmet to protect you against serious injury or death.
>> Wear one or not, just remember it's made of meringue covered in
>> eggshell and ride accordingly :-)
>>
>>> Thank you for the response; and for the site.
>>
>> You're welcome.
>>
>> Guy
>
>I spent my youth cycling around the Cheshire countryside, and never wore a
>helmet. If I got hit by a car doing 80mph then I understood that that
>would be that. My mother cared more than I did. Always wore one on my
>motorbikes, though (which I raced off public highways, once or twice
>directly into trees in friends' orchards!).
>
>Now living in New York. Do my best to avoid metropolitan traffic, but
>spent quite some time riding around the Park at night and on weekends,
>when the place is closed to traffic. They have cycle lanes anyway
>(largely populated by careening rollerbladers, though). Having in the
>last fortnight witnessed 4 people decorate the road with lashings of blood
>after falling from bikes, I observed that a helmet might be useful in this
>kind of accident (six foot fall, 9.81 metres per second per second and all
>that). So, now I need to find one I actually like wearing; and which
>offers whatever protection is possible.

For cycle lane travel, where, as you point out, the worst injury to
the head is a minor (i.e. shallow) cut (albeit one that looks very
bloody), why not try a woolly cap. Or one of the 70's bike helmets
made of strips of padded leather.

>
>Failing that, I'll put a condom on my head. Should complement the spandex
>rather well, actually.
>
>
>Glm

--
Cheers,
Euan
Gawnsoft: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Symbian/Epoc wiki: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Smalltalk links (harvested from comp.lang.smalltalk) [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

08-24-2004, 04:10 AM

On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 21:56:13 GMT, Glm <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote (more
or less):

>On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 22:43:36 +0100, Just zis Guy, you know?
><[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 21:34:04 GMT, Glm <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in
>> message <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>:
>>
>> Yes, that's essentially right. Just as you wouldn't expect a computer
>> to survive being hit by a car when packed in its foam packaging
>> (actually rather thicker than the average lid!), you would be mad to
>> rely on a cycle helmet to protect you against serious injury or death.
>> Wear one or not, just remember it's made of meringue covered in
>> eggshell and ride accordingly :-)
>>
>>> Thank you for the response; and for the site.
>>
>> You're welcome.
>>
>> Guy
>
>I spent my youth cycling around the Cheshire countryside, and never wore a
>helmet. If I got hit by a car doing 80mph then I understood that that
>would be that. My mother cared more than I did. Always wore one on my
>motorbikes, though (which I raced off public highways, once or twice
>directly into trees in friends' orchards!).
>
>Now living in New York. Do my best to avoid metropolitan traffic, but
>spent quite some time riding around the Park at night and on weekends,
>when the place is closed to traffic. They have cycle lanes anyway
>(largely populated by careening rollerbladers, though). Having in the
>last fortnight witnessed 4 people decorate the road with lashings of blood
>after falling from bikes, I observed that a helmet might be useful in this
>kind of accident (six foot fall, 9.81 metres per second per second and all
>that). So, now I need to find one I actually like wearing; and which
>offers whatever protection is possible.

For cycle lane travel, where, as you point out, the worst injury to
the head is a minor (i.e. shallow) cut (albeit one that looks very
bloody), why not try a woolly cap. Or one of the 70's bike helmets
made of strips of padded leather.

>
>Failing that, I'll put a condom on my head. Should complement the spandex
>rather well, actually.
>
>
>Glm

--
Cheers,
Euan
Gawnsoft: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Symbian/Epoc wiki: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Smalltalk links (harvested from comp.lang.smalltalk) [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

08-24-2004, 04:10 AM

On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 21:56:13 GMT, Glm <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote (more
or less):

>On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 22:43:36 +0100, Just zis Guy, you know?
><[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 21:34:04 GMT, Glm <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in
>> message <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>:
>>
>> Yes, that's essentially right. Just as you wouldn't expect a computer
>> to survive being hit by a car when packed in its foam packaging
>> (actually rather thicker than the average lid!), you would be mad to
>> rely on a cycle helmet to protect you against serious injury or death.
>> Wear one or not, just remember it's made of meringue covered in
>> eggshell and ride accordingly :-)
>>
>>> Thank you for the response; and for the site.
>>
>> You're welcome.
>>
>> Guy
>
>I spent my youth cycling around the Cheshire countryside, and never wore a
>helmet. If I got hit by a car doing 80mph then I understood that that
>would be that. My mother cared more than I did. Always wore one on my
>motorbikes, though (which I raced off public highways, once or twice
>directly into trees in friends' orchards!).
>
>Now living in New York. Do my best to avoid metropolitan traffic, but
>spent quite some time riding around the Park at night and on weekends,
>when the place is closed to traffic. They have cycle lanes anyway
>(largely populated by careening rollerbladers, though). Having in the
>last fortnight witnessed 4 people decorate the road with lashings of blood
>after falling from bikes, I observed that a helmet might be useful in this
>kind of accident (six foot fall, 9.81 metres per second per second and all
>that). So, now I need to find one I actually like wearing; and which
>offers whatever protection is possible.

For cycle lane travel, where, as you point out, the worst injury to
the head is a minor (i.e. shallow) cut (albeit one that looks very
bloody), why not try a woolly cap. Or one of the 70's bike helmets
made of strips of padded leather.

>
>Failing that, I'll put a condom on my head. Should complement the spandex
>rather well, actually.
>
>
>Glm

--
Cheers,
Euan
Gawnsoft: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Symbian/Epoc wiki: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Smalltalk links (harvested from comp.lang.smalltalk) [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

08-24-2004, 04:45 AM

On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 12:10:56 GMT, Gawnsoft
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].antispam.net > wrote:

>
> For cycle lane travel, where, as you point out, the worst injury to
> the head is a minor (i.e. shallow) cut (albeit one that looks very
> bloody), why not try a woolly cap. Or one of the 70's bike helmets
> made of strips of padded leather.
>

Thank you for the response.

Not sure that I'd agree that "shallow" always applies: am aware of one
death from such accidents. Agree, however, that it's not quite as serious
as being mangled by an 18-wheel truck.

In fact, I am quite happy to wear a helmet: I don't think it makes me
silly (sic); and if I did I wouldn't care; likewise, I don't tfind them to
be a major discomfort or inconvenienece.

My challenge seems to be finding some objective, reasonably scientific
evidence (such as deceleration rates) that show what's good, bad and
ugly). Have trawled the web, to no avail.

Any thoughts in this regard would be appreciated.

08-24-2004, 04:45 AM

On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 12:10:56 GMT, Gawnsoft
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].antispam.net > wrote:

>
> For cycle lane travel, where, as you point out, the worst injury to
> the head is a minor (i.e. shallow) cut (albeit one that looks very
> bloody), why not try a woolly cap. Or one of the 70's bike helmets
> made of strips of padded leather.
>

Thank you for the response.

Not sure that I'd agree that "shallow" always applies: am aware of one
death from such accidents. Agree, however, that it's not quite as serious
as being mangled by an 18-wheel truck.

In fact, I am quite happy to wear a helmet: I don't think it makes me
silly (sic); and if I did I wouldn't care; likewise, I don't tfind them to
be a major discomfort or inconvenienece.

My challenge seems to be finding some objective, reasonably scientific
evidence (such as deceleration rates) that show what's good, bad and
ugly). Have trawled the web, to no avail.

Any thoughts in this regard would be appreciated.

08-24-2004, 04:45 AM

On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 12:10:56 GMT, Gawnsoft
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].antispam.net > wrote:

>
> For cycle lane travel, where, as you point out, the worst injury to
> the head is a minor (i.e. shallow) cut (albeit one that looks very
> bloody), why not try a woolly cap. Or one of the 70's bike helmets
> made of strips of padded leather.
>

Thank you for the response.

Not sure that I'd agree that "shallow" always applies: am aware of one
death from such accidents. Agree, however, that it's not quite as serious
as being mangled by an 18-wheel truck.

In fact, I am quite happy to wear a helmet: I don't think it makes me
silly (sic); and if I did I wouldn't care; likewise, I don't tfind them to
be a major discomfort or inconvenienece.

My challenge seems to be finding some objective, reasonably scientific
evidence (such as deceleration rates) that show what's good, bad and
ugly). Have trawled the web, to no avail.

Any thoughts in this regard would be appreciated.

08-24-2004, 04:45 AM

On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 12:10:56 GMT, Gawnsoft
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].antispam.net > wrote:

>
> For cycle lane travel, where, as you point out, the worst injury to
> the head is a minor (i.e. shallow) cut (albeit one that looks very
> bloody), why not try a woolly cap. Or one of the 70's bike helmets
> made of strips of padded leather.
>

Thank you for the response.

Not sure that I'd agree that "shallow" always applies: am aware of one
death from such accidents. Agree, however, that it's not quite as serious
as being mangled by an 18-wheel truck.

In fact, I am quite happy to wear a helmet: I don't think it makes me
silly (sic); and if I did I wouldn't care; likewise, I don't tfind them to
be a major discomfort or inconvenienece.

My challenge seems to be finding some objective, reasonably scientific
evidence (such as deceleration rates) that show what's good, bad and
ugly). Have trawled the web, to no avail.

Any thoughts in this regard would be appreciated.

08-24-2004, 02:21 PM

On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 22:56:17 -0400, Frank Krygowski
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

> One of the few places I've found comparative results from objective
> tests has been Consumer Reports magazine here in the US. They don't
> report numerical answers, but with little color-coded bubbles indicating
> things like "Excellent", "Good", "Fair" etc.
>
> Based on their ratings, the definite trend is that less expensive
> helmets have heavier weight, less ventilation, perhaps klutzier straps,
> and more protection. For more expensive helmets, the opposite is true.
>
> Your spelling indicates you may be east of the Atlantic. If so, I
> believe the corresponding magazine is "Which?" but I don't know if
> they've done such a test.
>
> If they have, I hope they haven't been as credulous as Consumer Reports.
> While skeptical of the need for things like extended warranties and
> trash compactors, CR has been yet another source of tales like "Little
> Johnny toppled off his bike. If not for his helmet, he might have
> died!!!"
>
>

Frank, thank you. Have always been wary of consumer reports in general
but I'll take another look at these. Much appreciated.

Glm