Thursday, February 7, 2019

The Only Thing We Have To Fear Is Fear Itself, Which Is Why We're So Obsessed With Helmets

If I might redirect you briefly to the Bike Forecast, I feel compared to share with you the current state of affairs here in New York City.  Basically, in response to the death of a cyclist killed by a hit-and-run driver, the NYPD is ticketing people on bikes...for stuff that isn't even illegal:

This is far from the first time the NYPD has targeted cyclists for made-up infractions:

Yet oddly, as far as I know, no motorists have been summonsed for driving without wearing a flame-retardant suit or any other improvisational non-violations.

Of course, even the most staunch helmet apologists recognize that the police can't just go around ticketing you for stuff that's perfectly legal...well, most of them anyway:

More wisdom from the professional peloton.

Speaking of helmets, recently I shared my profoundly insightful Outside column about why that recent scooter study is fucking stupid:


And now Consumer Reports has released its own...report:

As you know, I visited Consumer Reports not too long ago.  Not only was I grateful for their hospitality, but after touring their headquarters I'd trust the fuck out of them when it comes to which washing machine will clean my underpants more thoroughly or which phone is least likely to shatter when dropped.  Also, they've got a fantastic salad bar:


By the way, sorry for the non-sequitor, but my four year-old just typed this while I was in the bathroom:

dddddddddddddddddddddddddddffffff       bgtrdfghjuytrfdfggggggg                 ggtf45tyhbgfde34567'

One day my entire publishing empire will be his.

So right, Consumer Reports.  What I was saying is that, while they definitely know from TVs and stuff, I'm not sure they should be weighing in on transit.  Here are just a few troubling portions of their study--which of course opens with an anecdote:

As he set out, Grasso noticed construction ahead and steered from the side of the street up onto the sidewalk. As he maneuvered, the scooter hit a bump, and he crashed head-first into the ground. “The whole unit just flipped forward and smashed my face into the cement walkway,” he said. 

Yeah, I realize this is going to sound victim-blamey, and I apologize, but YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO RIDE THE SCOOTER ON THE SIDEWALK. 

Grasso’s story is far from isolated. He’s one of an estimated 1,500 people across the country injured in an e-scooter-related crash since late 2017, according to a Consumer Reports spot tally from major hospitals and other public agencies, such as police departments, we contacted in recent weeks.

Sucky for sure, but is that even a lot?  Consider:

According to the American Association for Justice (AAJ), "for every accident that happens on an elevator, there will be 18 accidents suffered on escalators."

The AAJ also states that "escalator-related injuries and deaths in the U.S. have been steadily rising every year." In 1990, there were just under 5,000 escalator injuries and deaths. By 2000, that number had doubled, with over 10,100 people hurt or killed on escalators. In 2013, there were 12,260 reported escalator injuries and deaths in the United States.

Of course none of this means much without knowing the total number of scooter trips--which of course they don't:

CR’s analysis is limited, to be sure. Without average trip lengths in each city, for example, it’s impossible to calculate the rate of incidents. A recent study from Portland’s Bureau of Transportation found the city’s injury rate to be 2.2 per 10,000 miles traveled and 2.5 per 10,000 e-scooter trips taken. The study noted that figure “may not be related to rental e-­scooters, so the actual rate is likely lower.”

So in the absence of anything truly alarming let's just worry about helmets...

Experts told CR they’re concerned about the availability of helmets, especially when considering the nature of the ride-share business model, which allows anyone with a smartphone to rent a scooter from wherever the last rider leaves it, often from the side of the road.

And helmets...

“Who’s carrying a helmet with them?” says Oscar Guillamondegui, M.D., medical director of Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s trauma ICU. Guillamondegui estimates treating about 20 patients for scooter injuries. “I have only seen one person wearing a helmet. And that was my son, because I demanded it.”

And of course helmets:

Part of the reason for the low helmet use, some medical experts suggest, is that riding a scooter is a decision made in a flash, whereas riding a bike is more deliberative. A study published last December on Seattle’s bikeshare program found 90 percent of cyclists wore helmets when riding their personal bikes; only 20 percent of bike share riders did the same.

So basically, Americans are making somewhere between one and a gazillion scooter trips a year, some of them are getting hurt, so in conclusion everyone should wear a helmet.

I'm fine with that just as long as we extend the same warning to people who ride escalators.

Otherwise, I'm automatically discarding any study that includes repeated use of the words "concern" and "helmet."

from Bike Snob NYC http://bit.ly/2taSdof
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