Cyclist escapes helmet fine on religious grounds

Abstract

Severe brain injury is caused by rotational acceleration (the head turning quickly). Bicycle helmets cannot protect against it, and are known to amplify rotational acceleration to levels causing permanent disability.

Helmets should not be misrepresented as preventing permanent disability when they are more likely to cause it.

What surgeons say

One of the most enduring fallacy about bicycle helmets is that they protect against brain injury. There is a widespread belief that helmets will prevent people from the type of debilitative permanent brain injury that leaves people unable to function normally. This article reports from a surgeon who operates on cyclists:

” “The ones with brain swelling, that’s diffuse axonal injury, and that’s bad news” …

the whole brain is shaken up, creating many little tears in its inner structure …

Such patients undergo personality change, can contract epilepsy and have difficulty controlling their anger. They might become unemployable. Depression is a common accompaniment to brain injury. Rosenfeld sees patients’ families shattered, too. “They’re never the same. It often leads to marriage disharmony and family breakdown.” …

Rosenfeld’s opinion is candid. “I don’t know if [helmets] do much to protect the inner part of the brain,” “

According to another Australian surgeon who operates on cyclists:

“The best evidence is that [a helmet] doesn’t make any difference to serious head injury when riding a bicycle …

initial research used to back the mandatory laws was “deeply flawed and criticised”. Some newer findings, he said, showed that these laws could increase the chance of serious injury. “.....more