https://whatsuptoday.org/2024/02/14/billionaire-mogul-suffers-brutal-bike-accident/
--
Andrew Muzi
am@yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Wednesday, February 14, 2024 at 7:21:16 AM UTC-8, AMuzi wrote:
> https://whatsuptoday.org/2024/02/14/billionaire-mogul-suffers-brutal-bike-accident/
> --
> Andrew Muzi
> a...@yellowjersey.org
> Open every day since 1 April, 1971

According to Frank, wearing a helmet didn't change a thing. Now I think it very unlikely that his his helmet saved his life since he didn't hit hard enough to break any bones nor did the person riding with him, But reducing the severity of injuries is what a helmet is for.

On 2/14/2024 9:36 AM, Tom Kunich wrote:
> On Wednesday, February 14, 2024 at 7:21:16 AM UTC-8, AMuzi wrote:
>> https://whatsuptoday.org/2024/02/14/billionaire-mogul-suffers-brutal-bike-accident/
>> --
>> Andrew Muzi
>> a...@yellowjersey.org
>> Open every day since 1 April, 1971
>
> According to Frank, wearing a helmet didn't change a thing. Now I think it very unlikely that his his helmet saved his life since he didn't hit hard enough to break any bones nor did the person riding with him, But reducing the severity of injuries is what a helmet is for.

You could try to say that to Richard Branson but from what I
understand of the man, you can't tell him much.
--
Andrew Muzi
am@yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Wed, 14 Feb 2024 09:21:10 -0600, AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:

>https://whatsuptoday.org/2024/02/14/billionaire-mogul-suffers-brutal-bike-accident/

You must have to be rich to get a hematoma. I just get a bruise.

On 2/14/2024 10:21 AM, AMuzi wrote:
> https://whatsuptoday.org/2024/02/14/billionaire-mogul-suffers-brutal-bike-accident/

Sounds like that guy falls off his bike a lot!

--
- Frank Krygowski

On 2/14/2024 8:04 AM, AMuzi wrote:
> On 2/14/2024 9:36 AM, Tom Kunich wrote:
>> On Wednesday, February 14, 2024 at 7:21:16 AM UTC-8, AMuzi wrote:
>>> https://whatsuptoday.org/2024/02/14/billionaire-mogul-suffers-brutal-bike-accident/
>>> --
>>> Andrew Muzi
>>> a...@yellowjersey.org
>>> Open every day since 1 April, 1971
>>
>> According to Frank, wearing a helmet didn't change a thing. Now I
>> think it very unlikely that his his helmet saved his life since he
>> didn't hit hard enough to break any bones nor did the person riding
>> with him, But reducing the severity of injuries is what a helmet is for.
>
> You could try to say that to Richard Branson but from what I understand
> of the man, you can't tell him much.

Every time someone's life is saved, or more serious head injuries are
prevented by a helmet, "he who must not be named" insists that there is
no proof that the helmet made any difference. It must be wonderful to
know more than paramedics, emergency room doctors, and neurologists.

--

“It must be nice to always believe you know better, to always think
you're the smartest person in the room.” — William Hurt as Paul Moore
“No. It's awful.” — Holly Hunter as Jane Craig (from the movie Broadcast
News)

On 2/14/2024 12:45 PM, sms wrote:
>
> Every time someone's life is saved, or more serious head injuries are
> prevented by a helmet, "he who must not be named" insists that there is
> no proof that the helmet made any difference. It must be wonderful to
> know more than paramedics, emergency room doctors, and neurologists.

About that: From the article, Branson believes his helmet saved his
life. There was no mention of medical personnel saying that.

But one poster here, long ago, talked about crashing his bike and going
to ER. As he told it, a doctor on duty asked if he had been wearing a
helmet. The cyclist said he had, and the doctor said it probably saved
his life. BUT the cyclist said he had lied. He had not worn one, and
lied just to avoid a lecture.

Every year there seem to be many hundreds of "My helmet saved my life"
stories. They demonstrate True Belief. But there has never been a
corresponding drop in bicycle fatalities. During the years that helmet
use became more and more common, pedestrian fatalities dropped faster
than bike fatalities. (Pedestrians die of TBI much more frequently than
cyclists. Look it up.)

And keep in mind that bike helmets are tested and certified only to
protect a decapitated human head at perfectly linear impacts of 14 mph.
What are the odds that they will save a life in a real impact at higher
speeds with one's entire body weight contributing to the impact?

Nonetheless, wear what you like! About six months ago I crashed badly
when a big dog hit me at full speed. It was only my third moving on-road
fall in over 50 years of avid riding. I went over the bars and yes, I
hit my head. But my cotton cycling cap obviously saved my life!

--
- Frank Krygowski

On Wed, 14 Feb 2024 15:25:53 -0500, Frank Krygowski
<frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

>On 2/14/2024 12:45 PM, sms wrote:
>>
>> Every time someone's life is saved, or more serious head injuries are
>> prevented by a helmet, "he who must not be named" insists that there is
>> no proof that the helmet made any difference. It must be wonderful to
>> know more than paramedics, emergency room doctors, and neurologists.
>
>About that: From the article, Branson believes his helmet saved his
>life. There was no mention of medical personnel saying that.
>
>But one poster here, long ago, talked about crashing his bike and going
>to ER. As he told it, a doctor on duty asked if he had been wearing a
>helmet. The cyclist said he had, and the doctor said it probably saved
>his life. BUT the cyclist said he had lied. He had not worn one, and
>lied just to avoid a lecture.
>
>Every year there seem to be many hundreds of "My helmet saved my life"
>stories. They demonstrate True Belief. But there has never been a
>corresponding drop in bicycle fatalities. During the years that helmet
>use became more and more common, pedestrian fatalities dropped faster
>than bike fatalities. (Pedestrians die of TBI much more frequently than
>cyclists. Look it up.)
>
>And keep in mind that bike helmets are tested and certified only to
>protect a decapitated human head at perfectly linear impacts of 14 mph.
>What are the odds that they will save a life in a real impact at higher
>speeds with one's entire body weight contributing to the impact?
>
>Nonetheless, wear what you like! About six months ago I crashed badly
>when a big dog hit me at full speed. It was only my third moving on-road
>fall in over 50 years of avid riding. I went over the bars and yes, I
>hit my head. But my cotton cycling cap obviously saved my life!

...or so you say....

On Wed, 14 Feb 2024 18:18:16 -0500, Catrike Ryder
<Soloman@old.bikers.org> wrote:

>On Wed, 14 Feb 2024 15:25:53 -0500, Frank Krygowski
><frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
>>On 2/14/2024 12:45 PM, sms wrote:
>>>
>>> Every time someone's life is saved, or more serious head injuries are
>>> prevented by a helmet, "he who must not be named" insists that there is
>>> no proof that the helmet made any difference. It must be wonderful to
>>> know more than paramedics, emergency room doctors, and neurologists.
>>
>>About that: From the article, Branson believes his helmet saved his
>>life. There was no mention of medical personnel saying that.
>>
>>But one poster here, long ago, talked about crashing his bike and going
>>to ER. As he told it, a doctor on duty asked if he had been wearing a
>>helmet. The cyclist said he had, and the doctor said it probably saved
>>his life. BUT the cyclist said he had lied. He had not worn one, and
>>lied just to avoid a lecture.
>>
>>Every year there seem to be many hundreds of "My helmet saved my life"
>>stories. They demonstrate True Belief. But there has never been a
>>corresponding drop in bicycle fatalities. During the years that helmet
>>use became more and more common, pedestrian fatalities dropped faster
>>than bike fatalities. (Pedestrians die of TBI much more frequently than
>>cyclists. Look it up.)
>>
>>And keep in mind that bike helmets are tested and certified only to
>>protect a decapitated human head at perfectly linear impacts of 14 mph.
>>What are the odds that they will save a life in a real impact at higher
>>speeds with one's entire body weight contributing to the impact?
>>
>>Nonetheless, wear what you like! About six months ago I crashed badly
>>when a big dog hit me at full speed. It was only my third moving on-road
>>fall in over 50 years of avid riding. I went over the bars and yes, I
>>hit my head. But my cotton cycling cap obviously saved my life!
>
>
>..or so you say....

https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/travel-and-transport/cycling/research-and-resources/safety-research
Conducted by the University of NSW, the study found that wearing a
helmet reduced the risk of head injury by 51%, serious head injuries
by 69% and facial injuries by 33%.

https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Economics/Personal_choice/Interim%20report%20d/c03
There is clear evidence from research that helmet wearers suffer fewer
head injuries and that mandatory bicycle helmet legislation leads to a
reduction in reported head injuries (Carroll, Kinnear, Helman, Hynd
and Cuerden, 2014). In Australian research, a case-series study by
McIntosh, Curtis, Rankin, Cox, Pang, McCrory and Finch 2013 found that
in the event of an accident, bicycle helmets significantly reduce the
likelihood and severity of head and brain injuries for cyclists by a
factor of 79 [per cent]. This study also concluded that if helmet
wearing rates increased, head and brain injury reductions would be
greater.
--
Cheers,

John B.

On 2/14/2024 4:36 PM, John B. wrote:

<snip>

> https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/travel-and-transport/cycling/research-and-resources/safety-research
> Conducted by the University of NSW, the study found that wearing a
> helmet reduced the risk of head injury by 51%, serious head injuries
> by 69% and facial injuries by 33%.
>
> https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Economics/Personal_choice/Interim%20report%20d/c03
> There is clear evidence from research that helmet wearers suffer fewer
> head injuries and that mandatory bicycle helmet legislation leads to a

<snip>

STOP! Forget all the data!

"He who must not be named" heard an anecdote about a doctor that told a
cyclist that a helmet saved his life but the cyclist was actually not
wearing a helmet.

This unverifiable story obviously trumps massive amounts of data and a
plethora of peer-reviewed studies.

--
“If you are not an expert on a subject, then your opinions about it
really do matter less than the opinions of experts. It's not
indoctrination nor elitism. It's just that you don't know as much as
they do about the subject.”—Tin Foil Awards

On 2/14/2024 7:36 PM, John B. wrote:
> On Wed, 14 Feb 2024 18:18:16 -0500, Catrike Ryder
> <Soloman@old.bikers.org> wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 14 Feb 2024 15:25:53 -0500, Frank Krygowski
>> <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>
>>> On 2/14/2024 12:45 PM, sms wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Every time someone's life is saved, or more serious head injuries are
>>>> prevented by a helmet, "he who must not be named" insists that there is
>>>> no proof that the helmet made any difference. It must be wonderful to
>>>> know more than paramedics, emergency room doctors, and neurologists.
>>>
>>> About that: From the article, Branson believes his helmet saved his
>>> life. There was no mention of medical personnel saying that.
>>>
>>> But one poster here, long ago, talked about crashing his bike and going
>>> to ER. As he told it, a doctor on duty asked if he had been wearing a
>>> helmet. The cyclist said he had, and the doctor said it probably saved
>>> his life. BUT the cyclist said he had lied. He had not worn one, and
>>> lied just to avoid a lecture.
>>>
>>> Every year there seem to be many hundreds of "My helmet saved my life"
>>> stories. They demonstrate True Belief. But there has never been a
>>> corresponding drop in bicycle fatalities. During the years that helmet
>>> use became more and more common, pedestrian fatalities dropped faster
>>> than bike fatalities. (Pedestrians die of TBI much more frequently than
>>> cyclists. Look it up.)
>>>
>>> And keep in mind that bike helmets are tested and certified only to
>>> protect a decapitated human head at perfectly linear impacts of 14 mph.
>>> What are the odds that they will save a life in a real impact at higher
>>> speeds with one's entire body weight contributing to the impact?
>>>
>>> Nonetheless, wear what you like! About six months ago I crashed badly
>>> when a big dog hit me at full speed. It was only my third moving on-road
>>> fall in over 50 years of avid riding. I went over the bars and yes, I
>>> hit my head. But my cotton cycling cap obviously saved my life!
>>
>>
>> ..or so you say....
>
> https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/travel-and-transport/cycling/research-and-resources/safety-research
> Conducted by the University of NSW, the study found that wearing a
> helmet reduced the risk of head injury by 51%, serious head injuries
> by 69% and facial injuries by 33%.
>
> https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Economics/Personal_choice/Interim%20report%20d/c03 " rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Economics/Personal_choice/Interim%20report%20d/c03> https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/travel-and-transport/cycling/research-and-resources/safety-research
> Conducted by the University of NSW, the study found that wearing a
> helmet reduced the risk of head injury by 51%, serious head injuries
> by 69% and facial injuries by 33%.
>
> https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Economics/Personal_choice/Interim%20report%20d/c03 ...

How nice that you've provided a couple of Australian links! Of course,
Australian helmeteers are hell bent on proving that their nationwide
mandatory helmet laws are wonderful, despite their terrible effect on
cycling popularity. Jake Oliver, in particular, has built his entire
career on pumping out pro-law propaganda.

So what could be wrong with the claimed reductions in head injury? Here
are some points:

"Head injury" typically means "any injury above the neck," and may or
may not exclude the face. If a helmet prevents a scratch on the forehead
or ear it's really no more important than a scratch on the elbow or
wrist. But it's great propaganda, because most people read "head injury"
and mistakenly think "brain injury."

And how are those percentages determined? By examining people who have
crashed and chosen to go to ER. So the population studied is a subset of
those who have crashed. But this next point is important:

The Population That Crashes Is NOT Representative Of All Cyclists.

Why not? For one thing, helmeted cyclists have been shown to crash more
often. That is, the helmeted percentage of riders showing up at ER is
routinely found greater than the helmeted percentage of all riders.

The most extreme example of this that I know of was the original,
seminal, "case-control" study of helmets by Thompson & Rivara in 1989,
the one that claimed "85% benefit" (a claim never corroborated since).
In that study, ~21% of the crash victims presenting to ER had worn
helmets. But street surveys at the time showed only 3% of riders in
helmets in those early days.

Why do helmet wearers seem more likely to crash? Hard to say. Maybe
because these days more racer wannabees wear them and ride harder than
average. Maybe helmet wearers feel protected and take more risks. Maybe
people who ride bareheaded are more likely to choose slower, more stable
bikes.

To me, that's mostly beside the point. I focus on the fact that the
great danger of riding without a helmet is gross exaggeration. Bicycling
is not, and never has been, a big risk of brain injury. Last I looked,
bicycling was responsible for just 0.6% of brain injury fatalities in
America. Pedestrians and people falling in their own homes died in far
greater numbers, but never get harangued about helmets. (Pedestrians are
more at risk even on a per-mile basis.) Motorists, too, suffer far more
fatal brain injuries despite seat belts and air bags. So IF thin helmets
were wonderfully protective, why not promote them for the 99+% whose TBI
deaths are due to other activities?

None of this matters to most people. The helmet propaganda has been
swallowed by most cyclists and most of the general public. Helmet use is
high, and helmet nannies are quick to shame anyone riding without one.
"Always wear a helmet" is the number one bit of "safety" advice, usually
before even basics like "ride in the same direction as other traffic."

I think if the energy wasted in helmet promotion had instead been
directed into education of kids, adult cyclists and motorists, riding in
America would have much better safety data. Not that riding is unsafe
compared to other activities! But the "Danger! Danger!" message from
helmeteers has contributed strongly to the disparaging of bicycling, and
has almost certainly dissuaded many people from ever riding a bike, or
letting their kids ride one.

--
- Frank Krygowski

On Wed, 14 Feb 2024 18:55:51 -0800, sms <scharf.steven@geemail.com>
wrote:

>On 2/14/2024 4:36 PM, John B. wrote:
>
><snip>
>
>> https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/travel-and-transport/cycling/research-and-resources/safety-research
>> Conducted by the University of NSW, the study found that wearing a
>> helmet reduced the risk of head injury by 51%, serious head injuries
>> by 69% and facial injuries by 33%.
>>
>> https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Economics/Personal_choice/Interim%20report%20d/c03
>> There is clear evidence from research that helmet wearers suffer fewer
>> head injuries and that mandatory bicycle helmet legislation leads to a
>
><snip>
>
>STOP! Forget all the data!
>
>"He who must not be named" heard an anecdote about a doctor that told a
>cyclist that a helmet saved his life but the cyclist was actually not
>wearing a helmet.
>
>This unverifiable story obviously trumps massive amounts of data and a
>plethora of peer-reviewed studies.

By you are right! How can the study of a paltry 60,000 incidents
possibly compared with hearsay?

--
Cheers,

John B.

sms <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:
> On 2/14/2024 8:04 AM, AMuzi wrote:
>> On 2/14/2024 9:36 AM, Tom Kunich wrote:
>>> On Wednesday, February 14, 2024 at 7:21:16 AM UTC-8, AMuzi wrote:
>>>> https://whatsuptoday.org/2024/02/14/billionaire-mogul-suffers-brutal-bike-accident/
>>>> --
>>>> Andrew Muzi
>>>> a...@yellowjersey.org
>>>> Open every day since 1 April, 1971
>>>
>>> According to Frank, wearing a helmet didn't change a thing. Now I
>>> think it very unlikely that his his helmet saved his life since he
>>> didn't hit hard enough to break any bones nor did the person riding
>>> with him, But reducing the severity of injuries is what a helmet is for.
>>
>> You could try to say that to Richard Branson but from what I understand
>> of the man, you can't tell him much.
>
> Every time someone's life is saved, or more serious head injuries are
> prevented by a helmet, "he who must not be named" insists that there is
> no proof that the helmet made any difference. It must be wonderful to
> know more than paramedics, emergency room doctors, and neurologists.
>
>
This sort of stuff is opinion of folks, and medical as do brain injury
charities have tendency to “something must be done” ie victim blaming.

Rationally doesn’t seem strong evidence that at a population level it
helps, and certainly not to needing regulation level, at individual or even
personal level more tricky.

And Frank is correct that cycling is singled out for most part, I believe
that helmets in cars would massively benefit folks hence their use in
racing airbags only do so much and so on.

And equally most use fairly lightweight helmets, don’t go for for example
Enduro/DH helmets with much more weight and coverage, plus chin guard which
can be removed.

Roger Merriman

On Wed, 14 Feb 2024 23:29:26 -0500, Frank Krygowski
<frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

>I focus on the fact that the
>great danger of riding without a helmet is gross exaggeration.

Assumes "facts" not in evidence.

.....as in many of Krygowski's posts.

On 2/15/2024 4:37 AM, Roger Merriman wrote:

<snip>

> Rationally doesn’t seem strong evidence that at a population level it
> helps, and certainly not to needing regulation level, at individual or even
> personal level more tricky.

Right, at a population level the evidence is diluted by the fact that
there just aren't that many head-impact bicycle crashes. At an
individual level the evidence is very strong.

No one is suggesting mandatory helmet legislation for adults. Education
instead of coercion is a better idea.

--
“If you are not an expert on a subject, then your opinions about it
really do matter less than the opinions of experts. It's not
indoctrination nor elitism. It's just that you don't know as much as
they do about the subject.”—Tin Foil Awards

Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com> writes:

> sms <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:
>> On 2/14/2024 8:04 AM, AMuzi wrote:
>>> On 2/14/2024 9:36 AM, Tom Kunich wrote:
>>>> On Wednesday, February 14, 2024 at 7:21:16 AM UTC-8, AMuzi wrote:
>>>>> https://whatsuptoday.org/2024/02/14/billionaire-mogul-suffers-brutal-bike-accident/
>>>>> --
>>>>> Andrew Muzi
>>>>> a...@yellowjersey.org
>>>>> Open every day since 1 April, 1971
>>>>
>>>> According to Frank, wearing a helmet didn't change a thing. Now I
>>>> think it very unlikely that his his helmet saved his life since he
>>>> didn't hit hard enough to break any bones nor did the person riding
>>>> with him, But reducing the severity of injuries is what a helmet is for.
>>>
>>> You could try to say that to Richard Branson but from what I understand
>>> of the man, you can't tell him much.
>>
>> Every time someone's life is saved, or more serious head injuries are
>> prevented by a helmet, "he who must not be named" insists that there is
>> no proof that the helmet made any difference. It must be wonderful to
>> know more than paramedics, emergency room doctors, and neurologists.
>>
>>
> This sort of stuff is opinion of folks, and medical as do brain injury
> charities have tendency to “something must be done” ie victim blaming.
>
> Rationally doesn’t seem strong evidence that at a population level it
> helps, and certainly not to needing regulation level, at individual or even
> personal level more tricky.
>
> And Frank is correct that cycling is singled out for most part, I believe
> that helmets in cars would massively benefit folks hence their use in
> racing airbags only do so much and so on.
>
> And equally most use fairly lightweight helmets, don’t go for for example
> Enduro/DH helmets with much more weight and coverage, plus chin guard which
> can be removed.

+1 for a sanity filled summary.

--

On 2/15/2024 5:12 PM, sms wrote:
> At an individual level the evidence is very strong.

Translation: "I believe in every anecdote."

> No one is suggesting mandatory helmet legislation for adults.

Mr. Scharf seems to be unaware that Australia and New Zealand helmet
mandates exist for all ages. He's unaware of legislation mandating
helmets for adults in various U.S. cities, and in several other
countries. And helmeteers continue to lobby for such laws.

My wife and I were stopped for lacking helmets while riding in a quiet
residential zone in New Brunswick, Canada. Apparently helmets are
mandated in some other Canadian provinces - or so said the cop who
stopped us.

Such ignorance!

--
- Frank Krygowski

On 2/15/2024 5:12 PM, sms wrote:
> At an individual level the evidence is very strong.

Translation: "I believe in every anecdote."

> No one is suggesting mandatory helmet legislation for adults.

Mr. Scharf seems to be unaware that Australia and New Zealand helmet
mandates exist for all ages. He's unaware of legislation mandating
helmets for adults in various U.S. cities, and in several other
countries. And helmeteers continue to lobby for such laws.

My wife and I were stopped for lacking helmets while riding in a quiet
residential zone in New Brunswick, Canada. Apparently helmets are
mandated in some other Canadian provinces - or so said the cop who
stopped us.

Such ignorance!

He should pay attention to his own tagline:
“If you are not an expert on a subject, then your opinions about it
really do matter less than the opinions of experts."

--
- Frank Krygowski