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Discourse on bike helmets.

Mandating bicycle helmets has been lobbied against by the cycling lobby here for years, main argument being it adds a barrier to entry for new riders.

I am a commuter and I've previously pedalled around 30mph. Even though I don't go that speed most of the time, I wear a helmet because I'd rather that break than my skull.

TL;DR - You wouldn't buy a $400 bike without a lock. You can afford to get a helmet.

@thatbrickster but what if i simply don't want to wear a helmet

@condret Not a legal requirement and not up to me. Do what you want.

@thatbrickster oh, i though this discourse was about making them legally mandatory

@condret @thatbrickster Based harm principle enjoyer

@condret The context was two sides (several people) arguing pro and anti helmet. I prefer to wear one because it'll break the momentum going to my head should I fall off, and because I once landed on the back of my head in a self-inflicted accident that my helmet protected me from.

@thatbrickster ok, i misunderstood the first post

I don’t understand what “Mandating bicycle helmets” means then. Would this be like how it works in Japan?

I should start wearing a helmet

I think the same should be the case for seatbelts.

@Hyolobrika @thatbrickster can we talk about how cars got thick doors and walls first

Why?

@Hyolobrika There's a valid case for not wearing seatbelts in case of accidents, but the benefits of wearing one outweighs the risks. Only time they shouldn't be used is if you're seated sideways.

If you're that bothered by it, get a 70s car and ride in the backseat. Seatbelts weren't mandatory there then.

@condret

@Hyolobrika @thatbrickster thick car walls = heavy, less agile cars = less fun

@thatbrickster @condret I meant legally mandatory since as far as I can tell they only hurt the person who chose to take that risk. I still wear my seatbelt.

I'm also annoyed by those newish cars that beep whenever they detect that someone isn't wearing their seatbelt (by measuring the weight on the seat and having contacts in the belt receptacle AFAIK).

@condret @thatbrickster Is that mandated by law?

@Hyolobrika @thatbrickster yeah, through safety standards kinda

@Hyolobrika @thatbrickster i hate these cars. it's my decission whether i obey a law or not, not the car's

@condret @thatbrickster If I ever own one I'm ripping out the speakers

@Hyolobrika @thatbrickster my parents got an ev recently. it won't let you drive with a lose seatbelt

@condret Disgusting. I don't want technology to coerce me to do things because edge cases usually aren't recoverable (i.e. when the system fails or develops a fault).

@Hyolobrika

@thatbrickster @Hyolobrika when i talked with my dad about this. he thinks they designed this in cooperation with insurrance companies to make it cheaper. i told him that they should instead minimize profits for investors to keep insurrance cheap. then he told me that i am a communist

@condret @thatbrickster It's a shame because EVs are much quieter and less smelly than combustion engine vehicles.
They just have to use them as an opportunity to decrease freedom.
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@condret @thatbrickster I actually kind of agree with that because other people may be riding with you in your car.

@condret @thatbrickster they should modify it so it always thinks the seatbelt is in

@thatbrickster
>Mandating bicycle helmets has been lobbied against by the cycling lobby here for years
Wait, what? That sounds like the opposite of what they would do.

@SuperSnekFriend @thatbrickster
People were against seat belt and drinking and driving laws too.

@Hyolobrika @thatbrickster yeah but the quieter part already ruins them for me. i wish they sounded as aggressive as professional electric rc cars

@condret @thatbrickster I'm glad I don't live near you.

@condret @thatbrickster Oh, "as professional electric rc cars". I'm not sure what you mean by those and I've never heard them so I can't say if it would bother me or not.

@Hyolobrika though you won't hear much of the sound of the cars, watch this https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VaXLtPGrTGQ



@thatbrickster

That's a cool noise actually.