Do People Really Need to Wear Bicycle Helmets? [FBHW]

Free Beer, Hot Wings and Zane had some high minded discussion on the show this morning, talking about a recent article on bicycling in the New York Times. Well, fancy that! They were probably also sipping chai lattes and decompressing from yoga class as well!

All kidding aside, the article raises some interesting points in regards to bike safety and helmet laws, supposing that more people would ride bikes if they didn't have to wear helmets.

According to several surveys and statistics, the chance of hurting yourself while riding a bike responsibly are not as drastic as they're made out to be by a lot of bicycle safety advocates. The guys had an interesting debate on the topic, coming at it from different angles.

"When I see somebody on a bike without a helmet, I just think - good luck breaking your coconut open," said Free Beer, wondering why anyone would want to avoid taking extra precaution. "I don't understand why you would choose to be less safe."

Hot Wings recalled how he would bike everywhere when he was younger, often without a helmet, and that he ended up fine.

"What they are suggesting is that it's not as big a deal as you're led to believe by safety advocates," said Hot Wings.

Zane tried to make a point about the difference between riding a bike and other activities that are perceived as being more dangerous, but ended up confusing himself with percentages. The guys then rightly made fun of him.

We think it all comes down to context. If you're riding around a city environment, where there's more traffic and things that could potentially knock you off, then wearing a helmet makes more sense. But in general, if you're responsible, riding a bike is a pretty safe way to get around.