There's so much the world can learn from the dutch when it comes to traffic

bgnn 4 days ago | parent | next [-]

and the Dutch can learn to use helmets from the rest of the world instead of making fun of them (I'm Dutch).

This only began to become a problem with the introduction of e-bikes. Old people especially are not wearing them on e-bikes. On regular bikes where you are going 15km/h you should not have to wear a helmet. The infrastructure in the Netherlands protects cyclists enough (in general) and a fall at that speed is not really that dangerous (in general, again).

Though an e-bike goes 25km/h. This is a lot more dangerous and people should definitely wear a helmet when driving one.

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saagarjha 3 days ago | parent | next [-]

What infrastructure can protect you from hitting the ground with your head when you're on a bike?

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meiuqer 2 days ago | parent [-]

As i said, in general, going 15km/h is not fast enough to have a serious fall on your own. Only from external factors can riding a bike be dangerous, like from a car for example. in The Netherlands almost all cycle paths are isolated from cars as much as possible. So in general (again, in general) it is safe enough to drive around without a helmet.

The data backs it up. Look at the deaths per capita in the Netherlands. You can see a steep rise with the introduction of e-bikes, but before that it was one of the lowest in the world. And that is saying something when it is the most cycling dense country of the world.

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saagarjha 2 days ago | parent [-]

This doesn't address my concern?

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meiuqer 2 days ago | parent [-]

Isolated cyclepaths is the answer. This will (mostly) prevent cyclists to be hit by cars and smashing their heads on curbs.

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saagarjha 2 days ago | parent [-]

You do understand that people can fall off their bike without cars hitting them, right?

	▲	meiuqer a day ago \| parent [-]
		Yes, and as i mentioned, generally speaking that will not kill you if you wont go too fast. Like with an omafiets, you don't go that fast. I mean, we can go back and forth here all you want. You can look up the data yourself or visit the Netherlands and look around ...

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lostlogin 3 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I’m far from being the quickest cyclist out there and and my commutes are in the 30kmh range when it isn’t windy.

There are plenty of e-bikes that pass me, and I’d estimate they are doing 40kmh.

Not wearing a helmet would be mad.

	▲	meiuqer 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		those are speedpedelecs and i agree, you are insane if you don't wear a bike on that. e-bikes are usually 25km/h max in my countries (Benelux)

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skeeter2020 3 days ago | parent | prev [-]

who goes a max of 15 km/h on a bicycle? You'd get passed by a very fast runner. I easily go 25+ on my fully loaded bikepacking bike on typical commuting terrain.

also, nit: you don't drive a bicycle

	▲	lostlogin 3 days ago \| parent \| next [-]
		> also, nit: you don't drive a bicycle That bit is about e-bikes. I can get behind that phrasing.
	▲	meiuqer 2 days ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		On a typical dutch 'omafiets' you ride on average 15km/h. these are bikes that are used for every day trafic. bikepacking is a completely different way of cycling and has nothing to do with the way people in the netherlands use their bikes.

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Belopolye 3 days ago | parent | prev [-]

My wife enjoys telling the story from her time living in the Hague of watching drunk girls in mini skirts all attempting to ride side-by-side to keep each other upright, and...somehow managing to do it.

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herbst 3 days ago | parent | prev [-]

First and last and only time I saw actual brain on a street was in Rotterdam. I did wear a helmet in NL.