More Photos Below!Gallery
I’m thinking of safety devices and their effectiveness … and resistance to wearing them … and affect in injury after their use become widespread … Bike helmets are part of this, obviously.
We can tie helmet use in with skiing as well. And motorcycles, of course. And race-car drivers and, to get into some fun theory, car drivers in general.
The upshot on what I’ve seen about bicycle helmets is that their use has skyrocketed in past 20 years. Like, 100-fold. But head injuries are at a steady rate — a steady decline, indeed, due to ER improvement. No blips from the helmet, though.
We did see a big blip with the 100-fold increase in use of safety belts.
So that’s something.
Here’s something that seems related to me. And maybe more interesting.
PFD’s. …Anyone have data on PFD’s?
“Real” paddlers, boaters and fishers used to think it was lame to wear a PFD. They’d have one in the boat to be legal. But this mentality came from when they were all big and orange. They really could NOT be worn and still let you function normally.
In past 20 years, maybe even 15 years, PFDs have turned into an industry just like bike helmets. Now they are expensive “garments.” I could see some sectors whining even harder about them now. “…And they’re expensive! They’re a part of fashion, no less!” But the big thing is that now they’re high-tech. The makers would argue that they work wonderfully now. I’m inclined to agree. I suspect they make for a HUGE improvement in safety.
They usually have pockets for other essential safety gear or even extra goodies. They do not interfere with motion! They are light! They often include safety coloration and reflection. Dang, they’re even handy! They’re not ugly! They are designed for every duty area (some are camo, say, for hunters). I’d think that their use has, like bike helmets and seatbelts, skyrocketed.
They seem to be CLEARLY the best way to prevent drowning BY FAR. Also, today much more is known and publicized about drowning (no struggle, etc.).
Man, waders are known as fisherman-killers. They’re always getting in over their waders and swept away. Nowadays fishing vests are also PFDs most times. So there’s a problem nearly solved. Sure, it’s still a dicey emergency, but now we have our head above water at least.
So what do the stats reveal? I’m hoping good news!
…But I could see stubbornness in statistical response here in maybe a way that relates to stubbornness of response in bike safety. That might relate to the possibility that nearly all adult accidents relate to idiocy and alcohol. These might be VERY hard goalposts to move. : )
Maybe conscientious folk just don’t have many accidents anyway. What’s their rate? Hardly measurable? Yet they’re the ones who dutifully follow the suggestions. They change behavior when reason suggests that that would be smart to do.
Life is funny that way.
Personally, I just don’t have enough nice PFDs in my house to go around or we’d all wear em all the time. As it is, I give em to my kids first. I still won’t wear an orange blocky one. But they’re still in the boats. The only downside I see is coolness but they’re so minimal today that this is almost resolved. As regards coolness of fashion, I think they’re neat enough that teens would wear ’em. The disincentive is gone now except for the expense. Anyway, seems like perhaps parallels and mutual lessons here with helmets. Indeed, I’d think PFDs might be proven to be sizably MORE effective. Not sure if there are any naysayers.
Not to digress, but this topic maybe brings up things like avalanche devices. There have been quite a few nifty new devices in recent years. Expensive, too! I forget em all, but there are things like deploying chutes and such. Maybe O2 delivery? I don’t live in the mountains and so haven’t followed it hardly. But it’s in the OYB mission field!
And what about kayak design? …To prevent entrapment?
Has modernity helped the whitewater or snowmountain people?
To me, it seems like expertise hasn’t done all that much to improve snow mountaineering. Likely most injury/death in snow comes from impact. (Maybe a new ‘countermeasure’ is inflata-bracing?) It’s a high risk thing from word one. Like big-air sport. But, who knows.
Anyway, I’m thinking PFDs have been win-win all around. Likely a home-run. Anyone know?
Fishing used to be a reliable drowner, now the vests are very commonly also PFDs — I’m thinking “problem solved.” Sure, you can still get in trouble with PFD but, whew, it’s a better deal with one.
