it's a beautiful day in new york today and i was out walking early. on a few saturdays in august, the city shuts down park avenue in order for people to walk, skate, run or ride their bikes. it's really lovely seeing this main avenue without a car and so many people enjoying a rare freedom.
so why would anyone risk their life and ride their bike without a helmet. i saw so many people not wearing helmets this morning. there was a mom with 2 small children on the back of her bike, a man who didn't have a shirt on either, a beautiful young woman with 2 men - but they were wearing helmets, and there were also children without helmets on their heads. as an adult if you make the choice to take your life in your hands, it's your choice, but as a parent it's so irresponsible not making your child wear one.
truth be told, i would normally not notice if someone's helmet is on or not, but 3 weeks ago my friend nancy was in a bad bike accident. she was riding and a dog off a leash ran across the park drive in central park. nancy hit the dog and even though she had her helmet on she was still injured. it's hard to see someone you care about with many black + blue marks, and scabs, and a fractured pelvis, and part of her head shaved because she needed cranial surgery. yes, wearing a helmet...but it's hard not to wonder the outcome if she hadn't had it on.
the statistics suck - of the roughly 700 biking deaths per year, over 90% of those people were NOT wearing helmets. it's kind of like not putting your kid in a car seat, or not wearing your seatbelt, or playing russian roulette. so think about wearing a helmet and putting a leash on your dog.
wwcd: just in case, i ordered one of these wrist ids for my son...you may want one too
i couldn't agree more. so many lives are forever changed by this choice. why do we call them "accidents?" they are the thing that happens that we are NOT EXPECTING.. so we prepare with a certain level of understanding, and take our chances beyond that. Not wearing a helmet seems like vanity trumping intelligence. or not believing in mortality.
ReplyDeletefrom aunt judy:
ReplyDeleteI have a very dear friend that in a very short time will be needing a kidney. every time we are in the car together and pass some moron on a bike, motorcycle without head gear, forget the leg and total body protection, always say there is your kidney.
In Florida it was a law that you must wear all protective gear when on bikes, motorcycles, etc., then we were given Jeb Bush. don't know who paid him off, but he rescinded the law to the amazement of every emergency room in the state. surgeons across the state have pleaded with him to change the law. I have no sympathy for these idiots that have chosen to ride any form of bike on the road - provides more people with body parts.
Closing Park Ave...must be so lovely to walk, ride, whatever.
Hope your friend is on the mend.
some don't wear helmets, because they are ugly, uncomfortable, give horrible hat head, make you hot, sweat, or are just plain ugly, BUT the alternative is so much worse. Thank you for writing this, and spreading the word about helmets and RoadID. xox
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