Free-helmet day at the BU Bridge

By adamg on Thu., 9/17/2015 - 10:42 am

Turlach MacDonagh reports police were giving out free helmets to bicyclists without them this morning on Comm. Ave. at the BU Bridge.

Photo copyright Turlach MacDonagh. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.

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Comments

Dream on

By SwirlyGrrl
Thu, 09/17/2015 - 1:44pm

My last brake job for a car cost the same as my last bike.

If you can find a brake job for a wholesale price of $5-10 ...

I have a bike

By Rick C
Thu, 09/17/2015 - 4:11pm

But its difficult carting kids around on it.
I'll hold out for the Free Brake Job Day

Commonwheels

By Camberville
Thu, 09/17/2015 - 3:27pm

These guys often run free fix-it workshops, as I understand: http://www.commonwheels.org/

Never been to one of their events, but I'd imagine they could help you out with your brakes.

why do I see a lot of these helmets going into a closet in some BU dorm? I'm just surprised that they chose to target this area--I know there are a lot of bikers here but these are not for the most part kids who can't afford helmets.

I hate to grouse though--it's a good notion and I wish they'd do the same things with lights. Maybe at Ruggles or somewhere else on the SWC?

I dont think it being able to

By JeffT
Thu, 09/17/2015 - 12:54pm

I dont think it being able to afford the helmet or not was the motivator here. I think it was that BU which is on a congested and dangerous stretch of road, it is a new school year, and BU has a lot of foreign students who come from countries that probably have a much different bike/car culture than we do.

True

By Rick C
Thu, 09/17/2015 - 1:05pm

But isn't that racial/cultural profiling?

no.

By Malcolm Tucker
Thu, 09/17/2015 - 1:31pm

Different countries have different laws/regulations with regards to cars, bikes, etc. - and of course, Boston is somewhat notorious in the rest of the U.S. for its aggressive drivers and crazy roads. Students from other countries, or from other parts of this country, may not understand that in any way more than theoretical. A proactive effort to make sure they understand the rules of the road, and to try to ensure that they ride their bikes or drive their cars safely, is a good idea.

Nice try, though.

It's not done near Ruggles

By anon
Thu, 09/17/2015 - 2:08pm

because this is a BUPD program. They've been doing it for many years now.

It's partially because BU students hail from many states and countries with different bike cultures. Motorcyclists in New Hampshire don't wear helmets, for example- and that's in the US.

Cool

By spin o rama
Thu, 09/17/2015 - 1:22pm

"WAS THE CYCLIST WEARING A HELMET WHEN HIS TORSO WAS CRUSHED BY A TRUCK?!"

Wonder how many texting and driving violations they ignored during this.

Meanwhile, blocked bike lanes are only a few blocks from this. Safety only matters in some instances: https://twitter.com/spinorama84/status/64456172365...

ignorance knows no bounds

By anon
Thu, 09/17/2015 - 5:51pm

Here we go again! Hemlets CAN reduce the impact of head trauma when cyclists crash! Are you a doctor? I didn't think so. Educate yourself on safety!

Well

By SwirlyGrrl
Thu, 09/17/2015 - 11:39pm

I seem to recall a recent incident where a doctor was wearing a helmet.

Didn't keep the truck driven by an out of state driver ignoring traffic laws from crushing her skull.

Lights required, not helmets

By eddiil
Thu, 09/17/2015 - 1:29pm

Helmets aren't required by law. Why not spend the money on lights instead? Set up a "sting" and hand out/install free lights, which ARE required by law. Or do a little cost sharing and offer violators the option of a $20 ticket or a $10 bike light.

Helmet versus no helmut studies?

By anon
Thu, 09/17/2015 - 2:38pm

Visiting Philadelphia showed me two significant bike culture differences:

Bikes are frequently on sidewalks (at least in the Rittenhouse Square area) and bikers frequently, if not usually, do not wear helmets.

Are there any studies that compare harm and fatalities to bikers who wear and don't wear helmets?

I'm willing to take it on faith that a helmet will more likely keep my brain in my skull and functioning than sans the chapeau. But it surprised me to be in an area where biking is a common means of conveyance and yet see so few helmets. That so many were on narrow sidewalks was another issue.

God help us if most bikers road on Boston sidewalks. I'd carry a staff horizontally to be sure no bikes nick me as they fly down the sidewalk. I love biking and am glad that biking is maturing into a regular adult mode of transportation; but there are still plenty of child-adults who see anyone walking as mobile furniture to push aside.

The child-adults behind 4 wheel machines are dangerous enough. There are enough who see confuse driving with video games. Don't need to extend the video game confusion to sidewalks.

handing out helmets is one of those feel good activies...

By peter
Thu, 09/17/2015 - 3:33pm

...that isn't backed up by research on efficacy. The helmet studies that do exist are mixed on how much helmet use reduce or increase serious injury (yes, helmets can increase some types of injuries while potentially reducing others). Helmet testing simulates getting hit squarely on the head with a baseball bat pretty accurately, but not the rotational forces commonly involved in an actual accident. If you want to argue that common sense demands that helmets are "just better", then we need to ask why we want so much for cyclists to wear them, but not pedestrians, who have similar head injury rates to cyclists.

Handing out lights is a better use of money

By SwirlyGrrl
Thu, 09/17/2015 - 5:40pm

More than awareness of helmets, BPD should be raising awareness of the need for lights, as they ARE required by law from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise (and a very good idea for probably an hour before/after that and during low visibility weather conditions). Lights are cheaper than helmets, too.

But I've only been commuting and riding in the area for 31 years now, without getting hit, so what do I know?

sidewalk riding - MGH version

By downtown-anon
Thu, 09/17/2015 - 4:38pm

One place that I see frequent sidewalk ride is between MGH and the Esplanade bridge in Charles Circle. As you might image MGH encourages workers not to use cars and supports biking for employees by having a fairly large bike cage at the corner of North Anderson and Fruit St. (note a fairly large number of employees use the T). Anyway, the way a novice or road adverse rider gets to the Esplanade is to ride from the MGH area is to Cambridge St at North Grove (I don't observe how they get there) and ride the sidewalk to the bridge at Charles. I don't blame them in the sense it is pretty harrowing to get there by riding the proper way, but the sidewalk doesn't really support riding there. I would prefer they go to the bridge at Blossom, but that doesn't occur to them or the extra quarter mile doesn't seem worth it.

I donno how to encourage more cycling from MGH while also discouraging sidewalk riding. Better training on how to ride on the road could help, but I think there is a significant percentage that will never ride down Cambridge St. Way finding signs that say something like "This way to the Esplanade" pointing to Blossom St might also help.

Long time problem

By SwirlyGrrl
Thu, 09/17/2015 - 5:18pm

I seem to remember from my long-ago days at MGH that the agency overlap is a huge part of the problem. MGH knows it is an issue - at least, they did in the mid-1990s - but they have not been able to get the until-recently car-addled DCR to take any responsibility for pedestrian or cycling safety and widen those sidewalks going to and from that footbridge to support both modes. I believe Charles River Park was similarly averse.

Part of the problem is also this: how do you get FROM the Esplanade TO MGH without salmoning or using the sidewalk? You are right that this needs to be fixed, though.

Or, maybe, you do ... you just haven't managed to find them yet.

Feel free to go on about how to get around an area you clearly don't have the least concept about. Post a pic of yourself with a red nose ball when you do!