(11-05-2018, 12:59 PM)plam Wrote: On another note (somewhat related), I saw that the Bicycle Network of Australia was advocating for a pilot project making helmets not mandatory on footpaths and cycle tracks. They point out that personal protective equipment should be the last line of defence and there are many other things to consider for safety of those on bicycles.
I don't understand this. If I drop a watermelon from about head high it's pretty obvious what will happen to it when it hits the ground. It doesn't matter whether or not I drop it on a road, a sidewalk, an MUT, while stationary, moving slowly, moving quickly, in the presence or absence of traffic -- the result is the same.
(Yes, there's a straw man argument that my head is at about the same height while I'm walking so why not insist on helmets for walkers too, but the key difference is in my ability to cushion and control my fall if I stumble while walking, a luxury one does not enjoy while astride a bicycle.)
...K