The 'H' word

I hope your son does have a complete and swift recovery, Jo.

*hugs* helen s

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On 18/12/03 7:02 am, in article [email hidden],

Jo Hardman said:

Don't want to start a Christmas flame war by mentioning the dreaded 'H' word, but felt I had to
mention my son's accident. All my teenage children refuse to wear the offending headgear. My 18
year old was last night in collision with a motorbike, almost certainly a low-speed incident,
although we do not know details as yet. All injuries were caused by impact with road surface,
rather than the motorbike. He has spent the night in surgery as a result of a subdural haematoma
and depressed skull fracture. Fortunately the surgeon has told us that the operation went well, so
we are hopeful for a complete recovery. I suspect this is one family where teenagers right to
choose may be severely curtailed in the future.

My sincere sympathies and wishes for a full and speedy recovery.

My last major accident was a few days short of my 18th birthday (a long time and many tens of
thousands of miles ago) when I crashed on some loose gravel and ended up with an interesting set of
scars on various parts of my body and a trip in an ambulance.

As with all parents we want to protect our children from danger. It is very tempting to reach out
for anything that may offer hope of protection. It is a natural reaction and completely
understandable. However one has to be careful that the remedy is appropriate and works. I am not a
medical doctor (though I am a professional scientist and parent) but one has to consider a number of
things. Would the H have prevented this injury without causing any worse injury? How likely are
injuries like this compared to the 'normal' background of life (eg motoring etc.) so is specific
treatment justified for one particular activity as opposed to others? And finally, will this
accident have an effect on behaviour for your son and for the others in the family?

ANyway, wishing your son a speedy recovery and a happy christmas.

..d

Jo Hardman scribed with passion and wit:

Quoted message said:

Don't want to start a Christmas flame war by mentioning the dreaded 'H' word, but felt I had to
mention my son's accident. All my teenage children refuse to wear the offending headgear. My 18
year old was last night in collision with a motorbike, almost certainly a low-speed incident,
although we do not know details as yet. All injuries were caused by impact with road surface,
rather than the motorbike. He has spent the night in surgery as a result of a subdural haematoma
and depressed skull fracture. Fortunately the surgeon has told us that the operation went well, so
we are hopeful for a complete recovery. I suspect this is one family where teenagers right to
choose may be severely curtailed in the future. Jo

Wishing him a speedy recovery and the rest of you some stress free time over Christmas.

--
Ian

catrike.co.ukcatrike.co.ukOpen ↗

Hope your son makes a full and fast recovery and you all enjoy Christmas. Hope too that he (and the
rest of you) isn't put off cycling whether it's with or without headgear. Bill

Two wheels are cool but four's a bore.

On Thu, 18 Dec 2003 07:02:55 -0000 someone who may be "Jo Hardman"
<[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

My 18 year old was last night in collision with a motorbike, almost certainly a low-speed incident,
although we do not know details as yet.

Was he a pedestrian or a cyclist at the time? If the latter, will you be making him wear a helmet
when he walks anywhere? In absolute and relative terms pedestrian helmets are more likely to reduce
the chances of injury and death than cycle ones.

Does he travel by car? Car helmets are also more effective in absolute and relative terms than
cycle helmets.

Quoted message said:

All injuries were caused by impact with road surface, rather than the motorbike.

That sounds like a strange crash.

Quoted message said:

we are hopeful for a complete recovery.

As is everyone else on this group I imagine.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E I will always explain revoked
keys, unless the UK government prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

Jo Hardman said:

Don't want to start a Christmas flame war by mentioning the dreaded 'H' word, but felt I had to
mention my son's accident. All my teenage children refuse to wear the offending headgear. My 18
year old was last night in collision with a motorbike, almost certainly a low-speed incident,
although we do not know details as yet. All injuries were caused by impact with road surface,
rather than the motorbike. He has spent the night in surgery as a result of a subdural haematoma
and depressed skull fracture. Fortunately the surgeon has told us that the operation went well, so
we are hopeful for a complete recovery. I suspect this is one family where teenagers right to
choose may be severely curtailed in the future. Jo

first, i hope your son makes a full and rapid recovery. i also hope that the support he will need as
he gets better is not too emotionally + physically draining on you and your family.

how his crash and his injuries effect your and your family's attitude to your use of helmets
and, indeed, cycling itself is none of my business - so don't worry about starting a helmet
flame war with me.

the issue is not helmets. the big issue is 'why are our streets increasingly life threatening for
anyone not in a car?'. for years i have cycled and promoted cycling as 'fun and safe'.

the statistics haven't changed just because i was run over[1] and i still believe that, on average,
cycling is good and helmets are unnecessary [in fact, bad [2]]. but will i cycle much in the future?
i don't know. will i still let my daughters ride to school? i don't know. right now it just bloody
hurts and i wouldn't want to risk it, or worse, happening me or my children again. i realise this
isn't particularly rational.

but then, the week i was in hospital two of my uncles were also admitted - with heart attacks. we
have a transport system [cars] that [censored] you up whether you buy into it or not.

i have spent the past three weeks getting increasingly angry. the general response to my injury has
been [quote from policeman] "i suppose you'll take the hint now and travel with a bit more metal
around you". yeah, great - let's reduce injuries by putting another [censored]-poor driver in charge of a
tonne of metal at 50mph.

if, once your son is recovered, you are spurred to action challenge the real problem. join the
lobby groups or, best of all, get involved politically. it's car dependancy and a sort of
social acceptance of the consequential loss of life and serious injury that are the real
problem - not headgear.

i hope you'll excuse my rant but i really am hacked off right now and reading of yet another poor
sod hasn't helped! i really hope he gets well soon.

[1] as reported previously - was hit by renault clio on 1st dec. not a v. serious set of injuries in
the grand scale of things and, bar a wonky arm, will probably not be too effected in the long
term. just painful.

[2] just my opinion; as i say, not challenging you at all. the reason i am anti is that i have seen
just how much effort
+ money has gone into helmet promotion round here [by local council, nhs, schools, lobby groups etc]
as an easier alternative to actually making the roads safer.

"Jo Hardman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

[snip tale of woe]

You may know my views, but to make points about evidence and the like would be a Poor Show
when the appropriate response is sympathy, relief that it was not worse and best wishes for a
speedy recovery.

--
Guy
===

WARNING: may contain traces of irony. Contents may settle after posting.
chapmancentral.demon.co.ukchapmancentral.demon.co.ukOpen ↗

Well, to Jo obviously my hopes for a full and speedy recovery.

As to "[Not Responding]" <[email hidden]> ...

Quoted message said:

[1] as reported previously - was hit by renault clio on 1st dec. not a v. serious set of injuries
in the grand scale of things and, bar a wonky arm, will probably not be too effected in the
long term. just painful.

Yes, well although your arm took the worst of it and you ironically praised your goretex hood for
'saving your life', weren't you unconscious for ~30min after the accident? Most doctors regard
concussion as a fairly serious matter.

Quoted message said:

[2] just my opinion; as i say, not challenging you at all. the reason i am anti is that i have
seen just how much effort
+ money has gone into helmet promotion round here [by local council, nhs, schools, lobby groups
etc] as an easier alternative to actually making the roads safer.

I wouldn't see that as a reason to be anti. I also can't see any reason to dispute that helmets can
save you from serious head injury in certain kinds of accident. Just because they won't save you
from all injury in every kind of accident doesn't mean they are no use at all.

Rich

Sorry to hear of the accident and I hope that your son makes a speedy recovery. In my line of work I see a lot of cyclists after they have been involved in accidents and it would be easy for this to put me off cycling altogether. However the following keeps me going:

1. I love cycling. It is great and I am not going to let the statistically low threat of someone knocking me off prevent me from doing something I love.

2. The health and social benefits of cycling far outweigh any risk of injury.

3. Cyclists recover from their injuries far faster than other people involved in other accidents. I am not sure whether it is down to being fitter and stronger before the accident or just a determination to get back out and about but almost all the time a positive attitude shines through.

4. The more people who choose to cycle, the safer it becomes for everyone. Drivers become more used to dealing with cyclists in traffic and more car drivers will themselves be cyclists and show empathy with other transport modes.

5. If you want to wear a helmet and require kids in your care to do likewise just do it and don't care what anyone else thinks or says.

As I say I hope all goes well and that it doesn't stop you from enjoying being out on your bikes.

Robbie

Jo Hardman wrote:

<snip> add to the previous wishes of a speedy and full recovery

Quoted message said:

I suspect this is one family where teenagers right to choose may be severely curtailed in
the future.

Perhaps best not to push here: they may wish to jump anyway in light of what has happened and it's
slightly less likely to dent their cycling habit which in the long run could be worse for them than
if they take them up voluntarily. Imposition remains a choice, but it would seem premature to use it
when they may want to start wearing them anyway.

If the various children haven't yet had a copy of a good cycle training manual (Cyclecraft by
John Franklin is usually mentioned here) then I'd personally start there rather than lids. Not
being in an accident won't be guaranteed by any stretch of the imagination, but if the odds of
being in one to start with come down that may be more effective in keeping their heads safe than
what they wear on them.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Jo Hardman said:

Don't want to start a Christmas flame war by mentioning the dreaded 'H' word, but felt I had to
mention my son's accident. All my teenage children refuse to wear the offending headgear. My 18
year old was last night in collision with a motorbike, almost certainly a low-speed incident,
although we do not know details as yet. All injuries were caused by impact with road surface,
rather than the motorbike. He has spent the night in surgery as a result of a subdural haematoma
and depressed skull fracture. Fortunately the surgeon has told us that the operation went well, so
we are hopeful for a complete recovery. I suspect this is one family where teenagers right to
choose may be severely curtailed in the future. Jo

Thanks for all your good wishes. My son is in fact doing remarkably well - he was fully alert and
stuffing his face with shepherd's pie hours after surgery! The details of the accident now appear a
little hazy. Having originally been told he was knocked off his bike, it now seems likely that he
was walking to get his bike. To be honest I don't care much how it happened as long as he is making
a full recovery. Jo

Quoted message said:

1. I love cycling. It is great and I am not going to let the statistically low threat of someone
knocking me off prevent me from doing something I love.

2. The health and social benefits of cycling far outweigh any risk of injury.

3. Cyclists recover from their injuries far faster than other people involved in other accidents.
I am not sure whether it is down to being fitter and stronger before the accident or just a
determination to get back out and about but almost all the time a positive attitude shines
through.

4. The more people who choose to cycle, the safer it becomes for everyone. Drivers become more
used to dealing with cyclists in traffic and more car drivers will themselves be cyclists and
show empathy with other transport modes.

5. If you want to wear a helmet and require kids in your care to do likewise just do it and don't
care what anyone else thinks or says.

What excellent items.

Cheers, helen s

--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam-- to get correct one remove dependency on fame &
fortune h*$el*$$e**nd***$o$ts***i*$*$m**m$$o*n**s@$*$a$$o**l.c**$*$om$$

"Jo Hardman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Thanks for all your good wishes. My son is in fact doing remarkably well - he was fully alert and
stuffing his face with shepherd's pie hours after surgery! The details of the accident now appear
a little hazy. Having originally been told he was knocked off his bike, it now seems likely that
he was walking to get his bike. To be honest I don't care much how it happened as long as he is
making a full recovery.

Good news!, Just make sure he wears the helmet when out walking ;o)

On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 11:08:19 -0000 someone who may be "Jo Hardman"
<[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

My son is in fact doing remarkably well -

That is good to hear.

Quoted message said:

Having originally been told he was knocked off his bike, it now seems likely that he was walking to
get his bike.

See. I said there is a good case for pedestrian helmets:-)

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E I will always explain revoked
keys, unless the UK government prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

Frank X said:

"Jo Hardman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:j%AEb.694$TK2.38@newsfep3-
gui.server.ntli.net...

Quoted message said:

Thanks for all your good wishes. My son is in fact doing remarkably well - he was fully alert and
stuffing his face with shepherd's pie hours after surgery! The details of the accident now appear
a little hazy. Having originally been told he was knocked off his bike, it now seems likely that
he was walking to get his bike. To be honest I don't care much how it happened as long as he is
making a full recovery.

Good news!, Just make sure he wears the helmet when out walking ;o)

Only when he is walking?? I am going to make him wear it in bed!!