<p>My daughter’s helmet broke the car’s windshield when she was hit. She is fanatic about wearing her helmet. Her brother and father wear their helmets, too. I wear my helmet…</p>
<p>I mentioned this thread to my daughter–she said there have been numerous complaints to DPS and some things have improved (more frequent Campus Cruisers) but there are still a lot of issues. She was appalled…
And, the discussion about helmets didn’t go well–I’m not there to enforce it and she doesn’t see many students wearing helmets. I’ll have to keep working on this.</p>
<p>An accident victim should never, ever be allowed to decide whether or not to be checked out by a doctor. My brother told police officers he was fine and they dropped him off at home. He didn’t remember any of that and woke up later in excruciating pain. An ambulance was called. He had a fractured pelvis and internal injuries, among other things.</p>
<p>Just things in general, such as the events last year; she mentioned that they used to get notifications of crimes but now it’s just when things are resolved. She thinks it would be useful to know if there was a robbery, for instance. I think that HImom and menloparkmom will be getting enough visibility with their notifications of university powers-that-be that there will be some improvements made in follow-up in these sorts of accidents.</p>
<p>It bugs me that colleges turn a blind eye on the helmet issue. If they wanted, they could ticket students who didn’t wear them and they could make as big a deal about helmets as they do about alcohol and rape prevention seminars at freshmen orientation. I could not believe it when I visited Stanford and saw all those kids racing around on bikes without helmets. You’d think people with such presumably fine minds would care about preserving them. But it’s a group mentality and I think colleges could make some effort to change the campus culture where helmets are concerned. Maybe a “no helmet, no bike” rule needs to be in place.</p>
<p>Actually, no they couldn’t. Technically, I suppose, they could sanction students (and only students) for not wearing a helmet if it were against a campus policy. But there’s no way for them to actually pull this off for the same reason they can’t enforce parking tickets given out on campus against non-students - they aren’t LEOs and it’s not against the law for an adult to ride a bike without a helmet. Imagine me, as a non-USC student, riding my bike without a helmet through the USC campus. The USC DPS would be conducting an illegal detention if they tried to stop me and ticket me for not wearing a helmet.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Thats a pretty dangerous idea, don’t you think? Competent adults have the right to refuse whatever they want to refuse.</p>
<p>Sounds like someone needs a helmet (a very cool helmet), a headlight or two, and a taillight for the next holiday. Halloween is coming up; I’d use that as an excuse. She should also be wearing biking gloves; you’d think that these are for comfort, but they are really for protection when falling.</p>
<p>Send her over to the forums at teamestrogen.com; the posters there would be happy to give her a “come to Jesus” chat about helmets, I’m sure.</p>
<p>For headlights, I like the Planet Bike ([PLANET</a> BIKE - Bicycle Accessories: Home](<a href=“http://www.planetbike.com%5DPLANET”>http://www.planetbike.com)) 1 watt Blaze for a handlebar mounted light, the Sport Spot for the helmet mounted light (yes, use both; way better than just one), and the Superflash for a taillight.</p>
<p>Someone who has received a concussion is not competent to decide to refuse medical care.</p>
<p>What if someone refused medical care and the persons in charged allowed them to do so, but they then were involved in another accident?</p>
<p>I admit that even if they had been seen, they still could be released and have problems later- but basic precautions should always be taken.</p>
<p>I happen to think that not only should bikes be required to have lights and riders helmets, but I think they should be registered and licensed like autos.</p>
<p>( It is a state law in CA that riders under 18 wear helmets including skateboards & skates & all ages in Chico and El Cerrito)</p>
<p>I had a friend who was in an accident and hit his head although he didn’t lose consciousness.( it was a car accident in a parking lot- no damage to car but he hit his head on the windshield, it was before shoulder harnesses) He was seen in a hospital, released and died four days later.</p>
<p>As to the bikes at Stanford, a girl I knew Junior year (back in the 70’s) had her jaw broken in a bike accident, and the number of bikes has dramatically increased since then. After her accident, I totally gave up on bikes.
So Owlice, you think that this spiffy outfit will get my daughter to wear a helmet?
And I think the “come to Jesus” talk is definitely worth it. We have a family friend who has been in two VERY serious bike accidents and is only alive because of a helmet, but my daughter says that’s because he’s a serious road racer. This is going to be a tough battle.</p>
<p>OK, have sent both my kids the links posted above and urged them. Have spoken with S about it & will continue trying to speak with D about it as well.</p>
<p>emeraldkity4 - in my brother’s case, he did not have a concussion but he was in shock. He is still in significant pain from his injuries 20 years after the accident.</p>
<p>HImom, I’m so relieved that your D is okay.</p>
<p>Icarus, it would be a great start if they made helmets mandatory for students. Of course, they can’t enforce for non-students, but the majority of people biking on college campuses are students and those are the people they have an obligation to try to protect – not outsiders who wander in. In my state, it’s now illegal to ride motorcycles without a helmet. It would be a good thing for states to pass laws on bicyclists as well. Bicyclists are just as vulnerable as motorcyclists if they are hit by a car.</p>
<p>Any thoughts by anyone on how to go beyond having this be a wish by many of us and getting colleges to seriously consider requiring students to wear bike helmets on campus? </p>
<p>Motorcycle helmets are required in most states; seatbelts properly worn are required in ALL states for federal highway funding.</p>
<p>the only thing I can think of- is some sort of fundraiser through the bike clubs on campus- perhaps each person could get pledges from other students for how many hours they pledge to wear their helmets ( including in class), and donate it to kids with head injuries.</p>
<p>Perhaps after that sort of involvement, wearing one to prevent an injury wouldn’t be that big of a deal?</p>
<p>I have never understood not having laws requiring helmets of bicyclists. Is there a huge bicycle lobby out there fighting against it? I thought helmets were considered cool now though. All the cyclists I see in this area wear helmets - they look like they spend a fortune on all the duds. My D rode horses all the time before going to college and she was so accustomed to wearing a helmet that she would sometimes jump in the car and not realize she was still wearing it until we got home. You would think cyclists would feel that way too if they were required to wear them as kids.</p>
<p>which led some cyclists to conclude that wearing a helmet is more dangerous than not wearing a helmet. </p>
<p>Some riders don’t like helmets because they are hot (they say) and uncomfortable (they say). For a long time, professional cyclists didn’t wear helmets in some parts of their races (like the uphill climbs), but that has changed in just the last few years. </p>
<p>In much of Europe, helmets are required only if a rider is riding a “racing bike”. I’m told by our European suppliers that, as a practical matter, that means if the rider is wearing spandex, s/he better be wearing a helmet too.</p>