Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.misc From: tomk@netcom.com (Thomas H. Kunich) Subject: WHO and you too Message-ID: Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest) Date: Mon, 28 Oct 1996 23:06:52 GMT Did you want to know what the WHO thinks of bicyclists? How about the very best bicyclists in the world? Say those who rode the Olympic road events: "Goats: Olympic Bicycling Road Racers. The Olympic Bicycle Road Race was held on the streets of Atlanta. Nearly 300 bicyclists - the best in the world - raced in men's and women's races for Olympic medals. This was an internationally sanctioned race, and riders are not required to ride with helmets, as they are in US sanctioned races, and as they are on track events. Many athletes did not wear helmets - not only risking their own safety, but setting bad examples for those children and adults who hold the dream of being like them. The international sanctioning group, the teams, and the athletes have shown again that they care little for others." It's nice to know that WHO knows so much about bicycling that they can judge which riders know what they're doing and which don't. For instance, they believe that the best racers in the entire world "have shown that they care little for others." While WHO bureaucrats know far more than these racers. The WHO is also into forcing motorcycle helmets on people despite the experience in the United States that mandatory helmet laws for motorcyclists have only succeeded on bringing the motorcycle industry to it's knees. "One potential problem exists: The motorcycle is often the only mode of transport for an entire family and frequently children who ride with their parents are helmetless, even though their parents are wearing them. This is because there seems to be no adequate and affordable helmet for children and parents haven't really been educated about the need for their children to wear helmets too. Police are reluctant to enforce helmet laws for children if helmets are not available." Obviously the WHO believes that the police are being slackers for not enforcing helmet laws and bringing these violent law breakers to justice. And if facts don't help then by all means resort to lies. In regards to the mandatory helmet laws in Australia and New Zealand WHO states: "Although critics claim that bicycling has decreased in these countries because of the helmet wearing requirement, I find it hard to imagine that many sensible people have given up cycling, especially given the number of cyclists of all ages I saw." So there it is, only insensible people give up cycling because of helmet laws. Certainly no civic minded public official would mourn the loss of such cyclists in his jurisdiction. And what of Europe, say Paris for example? "Helmets are highly effective in reducing brain injuries, yet despite the death of Fabio Casartelli in the Tour de France last summer the message did not reach Parisian bicyclists. The legions of unhelmeted French bicyclists constitute an enormous untapped market. Given the effectiveness of helmets in preventing head injuries and the trend toward greater helmet usage in other Western countries, it seems inevitable that more French bicyclists will start wearing helmets. In coming years, we plan to document the changes and compare them to changes in several U.S. cities." Comments? Well for one, helmets are NOT highly effective at reducing brain injuries. The Australian and New Zealand experience indicates that helmets may even increase your chances of head injuries! Furthermore the attending physicians for Casartelli stated categorically that his injuries were to his FACE. No helmet could have saved Casatelli and the WHO know this very well. But they are promulgating lies for the purpose that they reveal in the above paragraph: "enormous untapped market". WHO and businesses are both gainers if helmets are mandated. Bell and other companies can sell their helmets that cost pennies to make, and sell to well over $100 apiece. Bureaucracies benefit because they need to grow to control yet more regulations. Who loses to WHO? Just those paying the bills, the taxpayers of the world being bullied by their feckless governments. Those people who actually use their bicycles pay more. Those paying for the medical care of their aging populations pay more. Those who yearned for freedom have it stolen away by bureaucracies and tyrannical governmental agencies who cannot leave even the most harmless people in their populations be.