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Yep. Studies on helmet usage in skiing and snowboarding showed that as helmet usage became more common, brain injuries increased. People felt more protected and thus took more risks.


Which studies?

It wasn't this study:

An Evidence Based Review: Efficacy of Safety Helmets in Reduction of Head Injuries in Recreational Skiers and Snowboarders (2012)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3989528/

from Trauma & Acute Care which concluded:

* The use of safety helmets clearly decreases the risk and severity of head injuries as compared to non-helmeted participants in skiing and snowboarding.

* The beneficial effects of helmets are not negated by unintended risks as their use does not appear to increase the risk of neck or cervical spine injury as compared to non-helmeted participants in skiing and snowboarding.

* The use of safety helmets also does not appear to increase the risk of compensation behavior as compared to non-helmeted participants in skiing and snowboarding.

* Therefore, helmets are strongly recommended during recreational skiing and snowboarding.

I mean, sure, there are BMJ Sports Medicine Opinion Pieces by Dr Paul McCrory who was prolific with his thoughts on the matter but short on evidence, not to mention that whole, ummm, thing:

https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/56/23/1327

(The investigation into his extensive single author pieces).


While a common hypothesis there is no scientific proof of that effect in skiing/snowboarding.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3989528/

> Helmets do not appear to increase the risk compensation behavior among skiers and snowboarders.

Nor has it been proven with a bunch of other activities

> Convincing evidence in support of the risk compensation hypothesis has not been seen with the use of the face-shield in ice-hockey, motor vehicle seat belt use and motorcycle helmet use.

Though the data isn’t the best but what we do have does not seem to support that hypothesis.


You see this on sports too.

You still get concussions, and plenty of blood in rugby, but more serious amounts of concussions in grid iron because of all the excess padding.

People are more likely to charge head first with a helmet, and the helmet doesn't protect your brain from rattling about.


The head first tackle is illegal anyhow in American football, but they tackle differently to begin with because you want to down the runner as soon as you can and stop the play more than anything.


This feels like you are arguing a point that is irrelevant.

Are you saying that in Grid Iron there are no concussions? Hate to break it to you, but they are fairly common even before they broadened the definition last year.

Or are you saying that no player ever does a foul, or an illegal tackle?

If so, I'll link you to YouTube clips that disagrees with you.

They are constantly researching helmets and trying to reduce the chances of concussion, but ultimately wearing of a helmet introduces a risk factor, in the same way that that bigger cars make people feel safer so drive more dangerously.


Maybe helmet users just did’t die when headbutting something during snowboarding, so the increasing injury rate is actually good.




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