Why Don't Car Drivers Wear Helmets?

Curious question - but I would point to the history.

The driver was required to protect the public from his machine, but no one initially gave a fig about the driver.

As for why don't individuals CHOOSE to wear helmets? Why don't individuals choose to wear seatbelts? Why hate airbags?

People are contrary.

The way I understand it, is that the vehicle is supposedly designed to such safety standards that the driver does not need a helmet. I suppose this can be debated, but it seems about right, typically.

An interesting thing I have heard about wearing helmets, and I will treat it as an unsubstantiated rumor, but I have heard that it is actually against the law(around here, anyway) to wear a helmet in your car, unless you are participating in a race or driving on a race track of some sort. If this is indeed true (I admittedly do not know), one could surmise that the authorities do not want anyone wearing a helmet on normal roads, for fear that they were wearing it to drive recklessly.

Interesting question, none-the-less. :)

Yosh : That's indeed a good point. Can you verify if this is true? Will cops actually pull you over if they see you wearing a helmet? I think it'll be funny if they do, but they could also pull you over claiming that the helmet could restrict your vision of the road when in driving. Hmmm...things to think about.

Ah, the restricted vision is an interesting point. Of course, one could argue that you could still drive with only one eye, and the accompanying reduced periphery, but I think you are right there. They make the rules for the majority, not the exceptions.

I will investigate further, to see if it actually is a law here. Updates to follow!

Actually what you say is true. I amused to wearing seat belts all the time now if I am to to drive without seat belt i feel very much vulnerable, so I tend to drive very slow and safe. Wearing the safety belt tends to give an added sense of security. Therefore all the safety gadgets may be good for the driver but not for the pedestrians.

Anyway please do not treat this as an advise not to wear safety gear. I just wanted to share my feelings and wish to know whether anyone else too feels the same way.

After all what you call as unsubstantiated rumour may be a fact!

Impede vision and hearing.

Illegal I don't know but I would not go into a drive through bank with one on my head.

You can probably get away with it if you want to.

Just what we need, another goodie goodie trying to save us all from ourselves. Go put on your helmet and jump off a tall building onto a railroad track as the train is coming.

The helmet sounds good.............but what about my children riding in the school bus with no seat belts. Just after getting out of the school bus they get into our car and put a seat belt on. Da!

In a school bus the driver needs a (sound proof) helmet and a seat belt (straight jacket) to prevent him/her from going at the children.

In a car, a helmet may impair your hearing enough that you may not hear the siren on an emergency vehicle. If those making our laws all rode bikes, I'm sure we wouldn't be required to wear them. Riding is always risky even if you do everything necessary. Gravel on a turn, stopped cars in a turn, people running lights or stop signs. They all come in direct contact with the rider at some time or another. Hopefully never. Helmets work well at low speeds and can prevent serious injuries. However some riders doing 110 along the highways stand no chance of escaping serious injury with or without a helmet. You literally take your life in your hands.

I'm not sure of the details as to why it didn't come about, but in Australia there was push then an investigation a few years back into wearing helmets in cars. It didn't get far. However, it is law here for push-bike riders to wear helmets let alone motorcycle riders. BTW, it is also law here to wear seatbelts.

I worked for the "Traffic Accident Research Unit" Sydney Australia (forerunner to the present "Crashlab") up till ~1980 and remember the push to wear helmets in cars in the late 70's. The idea was to wear bicycle style helmets (not motorcycle or car racing style helmets) - no problems with vision, hearing etc. We knew it would have cut injuries but getting drivers to wear them was politically too difficult - the only reason I remember now was that every day would have been a bad hair day. I also have a more recent recollection, again from Australia, of the suggestion that a sort of foam rubber head-band would be useful - it flopped too.

Safety? was not an issue before the seventies (i think)

I know the car lobby or the manufacturers have delayed adding of safety featues, while now they are a great selling point.

How about all passengers start wearing seatbelts that should help.

Hi Ron I'll try the intelligent criteria out; First intelligent answer, by excluding comparisons with helmet wearers; I could easily design a soft bumper head clasp system to mounted in automotive seats where the headrest is. This safety system will not ratchet open upon sudden impact and will try to absorb the blow. If the occupant moves the head slowly forward it will open and remain open till they fall back. In combination with the seat belt it will prevent passenger forward travel. The clasp will not restrict sideways vision! Second intelligent answer, including comparisons, the driver will not be departing the vehicle due to the restriction of the seatbelt, therefore the passenger will have equal chance at vitally injuring any organ or body part in a collision. Thirdly, any vehicle should wear internal and external blow softeners. Fourth and last, the vehicle recline position of travel at those speeds is wrong, the driver should be belted forward over a chest rest with abdomen cushioning whilst the hips are restrained against the lower seat with the feet protuding forward. The long jump attempt position allows the face to fall down onto a saftey cushion when crashing thereby decreasing the probability of needing helmet style safety. It also removes most of the sideways vision restrictions!

But your absolutely right about helmet safety being superior in any potential collision followed closely by body armor, we can only hope designers have considered their vehicles an extension of these principles by adorning us with their vehicle designs, otherwise we may be better off voluntarily opting for helmet usage. Personally the slow speeds where I'm located make the most prominent vehicle danger being crushed by heavier vehicles.

Helmet would be great to remove distraction for the drive. See less and hear less. Can't talk to passenger, can't listen to radio, can't use cell phone. Road will be much safer.

Yea, right.

Why are racing seat belts illegal and the BS restraints allowed in cars on the road? It is about appeasing the masses for the least money. Not safety or the drivers well being. Traffic statutes are about revenue that is why there are fines.

Brad

i am quite sure that it is illegal to wear a helmet in a car in california. would probably only do some good in driver side collisions and possibly an all lateral crashes where head to head contact may happen. seat belts and shoulder harnesses confine the body to the seat "theoretically" , leaving the the head to go in the oppisite direction of the vector of greatest force in the accident. the extra mass added by the helmet will increase the distraction force of the neck and c1-c2. very deadly...... would be great to have the helmet tethered so the torso-carainial alignment is never moved out of normal range of motion. it would be very difficult to get people to wear such a system. helmets could surely be designed with more peripheral vision and ear holes for better hearing ability. and of coarse the bad hair day thing would probably require a new cabinet position in washington DC.

the truth is going to cost you...... the sacasm is free......

So why aren't drivers wearing helmets?

Because the Senator's wife doesn't want her hairdo messed up in that old helmet thingy?

Good answer. I was about to post something of this nature.

I'm sure it's because the car affords more protection to the driver then you get riding a motorcycle.

I also think that all the way at the top, everyone is concerned about their hair more then safety and they want to look good when they get there.

a heavy helmet would also make a whiplash more severe, i think