Helmet equality: Hockey or bike, both protect your brain
Jun
8
Written by:
08/06/2010 7:16 AM
Today a reporter asked me: “Why do you always compare wearing a hockey helmet to wearing a bike helmet? Is this really appropriate?”
Suddenly I hear Lisa Simpson yelling in my head: “Yes, this analogy is completely apt! It is apt I tell you!”
Now aside from being a firm believer that you can learn almost anything from the Simpsons™, the reason I use this comparison is simple: I want parents and kids to think of bike helmets the same way they think of hockey helmets. Parents insist on their kids wearing a hockey helmet when they play the game and you rarely hear a kid say: “Hockey helmets are so lame!”
I know, you’re thinking: Of course we don’t have a problem getting kids to wear hockey helmets. Hockey is part of our national collective psyche. The pros wear helmets all the time!
But, other pros wear helmets too. Lance Armstrong wears his helmet while cycling. What’s the big difference between how people use these two types of helmets? Many adults do not wear their bike helmets. And, as many parents know, kids often adopt the good (and bad) behavioursof the adults around them. Yup, it’s just that simple.
If I can’t get you to wear a helmet by appealing to your sense of social responsibility, maybe I can dazzle you with some scientific proof. Yes, there are real scientific comparisons to be made between bike helmets and hockey helmets.
So here is what the science tells us. A hit to your head while cycling will have a similar result as a hit to your head while playing hockey. Yes, you can injure your brain doing either activity.
In order to ensure that a bicycle helmet and a hockey helmet will protect the head in the event of a hit, similar tests are done on both, including collision with a hard surface and other persons and sliding along a hard surface.
But there are also differences between the two kinds of helmets. Bike helmets are also tested for collisions with cars and they must be able to with stand a single blow from large objects, at relatively high speeds.
Hockey helmets, on the other hand, are also tested for skate penetration; blows to the helmet with pucks, sticks, and boards; and they must be able to withstand a variety of repetitive impacts, from both large and small objects.
So go on, wear your helmet! Do it for the kids and your head!
Copyright ©2010 Safekids Media
1 comment(s) so far...
Re: Helmet equality: Hockey or bike, both protect your brain
The comparision between Bike Helmets & Hockey Helmets is V-interesting in more ways that one. It's an excellent comparison made by Safe Kids! There's another important comparison that can be made. Apparently, today, the Gov't of Canada will be introducing new product safety laws. Hopefully that will mean that ALL Helmets that are sold in Canada must be certified to a safety standard. So, if you go to a store and buy a Helmet that does not have a certified safety sticker inside, you will be able to report that and stop importing helmets that are not certified. It will be a wait and see what the gov't does. Many safety groups in Canada have been trying to get Bike Helmets under the Hazardous Products Act, just like Hockey Helmets! It hasn't happened, yet. In otherwords, Hockey Helmets in Canada must be certified under the Hazardous Products Act, while Bike Helmets are currently not under this act. In the meantime, you must check inside your Bike Helmet for a certified safety sticker. Do not buy a Bike Helmet unless it has a certified safety sticker inside! Wearing ur Helmet when Cycling is Good Karma :D
By Mary Ellen Lower on
28/07/2010 10:59 AM
|