Why Don’t the Dutch Wear Helmets?

After visiting the Netherlands recently I noticed an interesting phenomenon. It seems the Dutch don't wear bike helmets. I learned that under 1% of cyclists use helmets. I also learned that overall injuries to cyclists are way less than any place in the world, so what gives? From what I gathered, cyclists and drivers are more experienced and courteous and the roads are engineered to keep all road users. This includes bike infrastructure throughout the country.

[@safe-keeper1042]

"So did something interesting happen today, Hank?" "Oh ja, mom, we photobombed this random guy filming on the street and now we'll be in this KZbin video with 800 000 views!"

[@markadmiraal8351]

Haha the kids say hi, but they are in a class or something, so you here: move on, move on guys!

[@HolwerdaH]

Hanks don't exist in the Netherlands...

[@anneliekesars2563]

@@HolwerdaH true, its Henk here

[@panlomito]

@@anneliekesars2563 True, it's Henk and not Henck or Hank or Hanque or Hanc...

[@redfailhawk]

900k!

[@mamalook14]

We don't wear helmets because we'd rather break our neck than be seen with a helmet.

[@Rarehond]

Big Daddy yes 100% true.

[@FelixIakhos]

Now this is accurate

[@litchtheshinigami8936]

So true.. helmets look so loser like 😂😂 like i recently saw a group of kids with ones on when cycling... most of them looked like immigrants.. then there was this one blonde dutch boy among them whom just didn’t have a helmet 😂

[@alandia764]

Yes

[@jappe4762]

Waarom reageert iedereen in het engels hahahaha

[@streglof]

We don't wear helmets so we can recognize the tourists. Everyone who wears one is one.

[@jaredspence3020]

Why do you need to identify tourists? Sorry if that sounds like a stupid question but I can't think of a reason

[@joeytje50]

@@Engineer9736 k.

[@gerbenvanessen]

@@jaredspence3020 tourists don't know how to act on the roads, so they are a hazard.

[@user-qr3ee3zp8q]

@@Engineer9736 Dude it's a joke. Now sod off.

[@MTBenVoorMvML]

@@Engineer9736 Ok boomer

[@koljawertheim5344]

Ik dacht dat hij 5 minuten lang ging uitleggen dat als je een helm draagt je d’r belachelijk uit ziet

[@laurasanchez7105]

HAHHAHAHAHAHAHA IDD

[@Nikolais_sanity]

Whahaha geniaal😂😂😂

[@-Gous-]

Leg oasch Vesteah die höfte, und die ondere höfte ned

[@aryinc]

XD

[@ellacool5215]

Bhahahahaha

[@lambdalandis]

I think there’s also a culture in the US that views cycling as a dangerous, somewhat deviant hobby. So the people doing it are totally responsible for their own safety. It’s why cars get so mad when bicycles are in their way. They see it in the same light as someone doing handstands in the road

[@hannahspencer9857]

@Transplanted1 but where else are they supposed to cycle? We don’t have cycle infrastructure here.

[@AryzenI]

@@hannahspencer9857 not, you know, in the very goddamn center of the fucking lane? Or blocking the right turn lane when you're not gonna turn? I ride a bicycle in the US too and I try and at least not be a permanent obstruction when there's a car around!

[@bonotoli]

@@AryzenI I think what she meant is that no matter how respectful of a cyclist you are in the US, you eventually have to ride in the way of drivers because there's simply not enough infrastructure. I've seen countless roads where the bike lane just disappears randomly which forces you to ride at least partially in the car lane.

[@tiltil9442]

@@bonotoli Yeah, but you're not using swearwords. How is that poor person supposed to understand?

[@lrmorgan07]

@@AryzenI The center of the lane is the safest place to cycle if the road is not wide enough for a car to safely pass you. If you bicycle I would strongly recommend that you learn to take the lane when necessary. It is, unfortunately, a necessary part of riding safely in the US. Ironically, the reason that many cyclists block right turn lanes when going straight is because they're not comfortable moving to the center lane, which is the safest place for them to be.

[@type17]

Best response on helmets I heard from a Dutch person was "Helmets are needed to protect from dangers, but we've got rid of those dangers".

[@JNelson_]

I'd like to see how they got rid of the ~2 metre fall from your bike onto hard pavement.

[@rezer481]

Joshua Nelson we don’t fall, and I barely see accidents happen ever

[@franknewman1194]

@@JNelson_ 2 metres? How tall do you think these bikes are?

[@Tsmitsss]

@@JNelson_ biking is like walking in the netherlands, you dont fall, it is so common i have actually never seen a person 5+ years old fall. It is second nature for us.

[@JNelson_]

@@Tsmitsss Betting on yourself not making a mistake is a terrible idea. There is a reason something like 80 percent of drives think they are above average. People overestimate their own skills. There are plenty of things that I am good at but am I that good that I would bet my life on it? Is the question you have to ask. Considering there is literally zero downsides to wearing a helmet it just seems like peer pressure. I've seen an close friend simply fall off there bike and crack their skull on the pavement and it ruined their career.

[@a.thiren2459]

The answear is simple and given midway in the interview: Every car driver is also a cyclist.

[@davestraight8219]

also unlike other coutries because of the infrastruture - you run a cyclist over - youre in deep doo doo

[@mw3609]

@@davestraight8219 - 50% liability at all times, if the byciclist makes a mistake you can settle your liability-dispute in civil court via article 6:126 of civil code.

[@danielspillett5393]

dont wear them much in uk but i am half Dutch

[@WeedMIC]

this is the answer - inho

[@smart_friendalways4226]

Yup... no crazy drivers

[@bricology]

As someone who lived in Holland for a while, and cycled everywhere, and also lives in a major city in the US where I *also* cycle a lot, I think there are a few other factors at play. 1. The majority of cyclists in the US ride bikes with drop-bars, which puts them in a head-first position, and impairs their peripheral vision and binaural hearing. In the Netherlands, most people ride what are affectionately called "omafiets" or "opafiets" (grandma or grandpa bikes), which put the rider in an upright position, enabling them to really stay aware of everything around them, and if they *do* happen to collide with something or come-off, their head is unlikely to be the thing that gets hurt. 2. The Netherlands has *lots* of dedicated cycling roads called "fietspads" that parallel main streets, but are separated from car traffic by a curb. That goes a long way towards preventing cyclists and cars mixing. 3. Speeds of both cars and cyclists in the Netherlands are generally slower in urban areas than in the US, and there are more turns, curves, bridges, etc., which mean that both cyclists and drivers are required to go more slowly and carefully. 4. Cyclists in the Netherlands are much more common, and they become almost a mass, or a train, which greatly improves their visibility to cars. 5. One of the smartest things about cycling in the Netherlands is what's called "the Dutch open". That's not a tennis match, it's a way people learn to open car doors (from the inside). In the US, we tend to operate the door latch with our closest hand. Not so in the Netherlands; they're taught to use *the further hand* to reach over and grasp the latch. Doing so automatically turns the shoulders and head towards the back of the car, and make it much easier to check for cyclists riding by before flinging your door open into their path. If Americans could learn that simple trick, hundreds of cyclists would be able to avoid going to the hospital every year.

[@hajenso]

I think your point #1 deserves much more attention than it usually gets - which in the US is approximately zero.

[@p.a.438]

It’s actually “fietspaden” :)

[@juditmatroos4459]

It's "fietspaden" not "fietspads" Sorry❤

[@twanheijkoop6753]

Never heard or seen a dutch open as a dutch person

[@juditmatroos4459]

I'm dutch and I think your point 2 is the most important one I cycle to school 30 minutes everyday and there is only 1 road where I have to ride directly next to cars

[@SevenBates]

I interesting how the locals there keep pointing to the cultural reasons they don't wear helmets, and then implying the infrastructure reflects their dedication to safety and their community. To them, this is more of a cultural issue than a civics and enforcement issue. As stated a few times in this video, the principal danger is being hit by a car and the Netherlands has, by design, placed drivers of cars in positions where they cannot feel comfortable enough to be distracted. As an American, this is the revolutionary idea, demonstrated practically. Because our culture catered to the petrochemical / automotive industry, our cities are car-centric, and our laws only reflect the conveniences for drivers. By design, people in the Netherlands have to worry about all the lane narrowing curves, poles, tiny roads that only allow room for one vehicle to pass in each direction; there are numerous methods that make cycling so much safer, by just slowing cars down. When I first saw these things, I was very irritated and had to remind myself that my perspective was skewed by my American upbringing. The cognitive dissonance was significant.

[@Propelbikes]

Well stated

[@FrankHeuvelman]

_"To them, this is more of a cultural issue than a civics and enforcement issue. "_ And that is because we can afford ourselves the luxury to think like that. We have been working on that luxury for over fifty years by now. I also think that we give an example that will be followed all over the world ones Global Warming really kicks in.

[@SevenBates]

@@FrankHeuvelman here's hoping!

[@FrankHeuvelman]

@@SevenBates Hoping won't do the trick, Seven. Just like praying to God or counting on Trump isn't going to save the day.

[@kraknoix0075]

It even goes as far as people not wanting to drive into the city because they know it will take forever to drive through it in a car, gurther making the city safer because less cars

[@svoksis]

Netherlands is pretty much built for biking, all flat, bike lanes and roads everywhere

[@RoastHardy]

Let's go !!!

[@verleptehenk]

I took flatness into consideration when building it, none of that mountain bullshit.

[@eldin0074]

@@verleptehenk we wouldn't survive mountains, we already get annoyed when we have to cycle against a head wind

[@runajxhrxnx1502]

@@eldin0074 thats why we germans use helmets. We have old broken roads and the terrain is also hilly. at least that's the case in the east. We also don't have any bicycle paths. I know someone who would have died without a helmet here😅

[@SamVekemans]

I don't think it was always that way. Was it? I think it was a contious government decision to install the dedicated cycling infrastructure, to separate the pedestrians, cyclists and automobiles.

[@peter1062]

Would it be safer for American pedestrians to wear a bullet proof vest? Probably, yes. But is the real problem the lack of protection, or is it the surplus of flying bullets? When you can reduce speed and volume of motorised traffic, and have protected cycling infrastructure, and cyclists go at a relatively slow pace, sitting up straight, you don't need helmets. When you dress up in lycra, and ride 40km/h or even faster, yes, please wear that helmet.

[@Roman-tj4bl]

I mean its not a big problem in the Netherlands, but when I ride down a bigger hill I would not want to miss my helmet. I don't use a helmet on a city bike either and I still feel safe but when I take my racing bike I rarely go out without. Edit: it just dawned on me that you probably targeted that last sentence towards cyclists but I have no idea what lycra is :D

[@noxis93]

@@Roman-tj4bl Spandex, the tight stretchy material cyclist wear is made of.

[@BrokenCurtain]

@@Roman-tj4bl You wrote two words that don't belong in a sentence together: "Netherlands" and "hill".

[@grootsChannel]

@@BrokenCurtain yup

[@computeraddic675]

@@BrokenCurtain Yes,but we have bridges,a lot of bridges.Small and big and high.

[@derp195]

"Every driver is also a cyclist" That's the key. In America, drivers have so much distain and so little understanding. People buzz me from inches away at 60 mph all the time because they hate cyclists and don't want there to be bikes at all. Then they vote against better bike infrastructure, because they don't realize that better infrastructure means less conflict between bikes and cars. They don't want to move forward, they want to move backward and remove bikes from the picture entirely. I've even been told to grow up and get a car (I have one) when I take my bike to run errands because it's more convenient than driving. Really toxic.

[@leannevanzessen3951]

Wow thats sad. I wish America had better infrastructure: more bike lanes, walk paths and public transport, really weird that you nééd a car in America, how do 14 year olds visit their friends??

[@derp195]

​@@leannevanzessen3951 Personally, I was lucky enough to be friends with a neighbor, but a lot of kids just have to hope a parent is willing to drive them. I think kids in the city have it a little better, but with all of the stranger danger nonsense, I don't think most city-dwelling parents allow their kids to go anywhere by themselves either. I live in Chicago now, and I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen a kid under 16-17 going anywhere without parental supervision this year. And people wonder why all our kids are depressed with poor social skills.

[@leannevanzessen3951]

@@derp195 Ahhh, I see! That must be annoying for both the kids and the parents to always have to drive or maybe you're just used to it:)

[@dwwolf4636]

Zoning laws :/

[@philippe9604]

@@unnecessaryapostrophe4047 who hurt you lol

[@ellispandit-spaanderman3742]

Actually in Netherland we have laws, that make a automobile driver "guilty" when he hits a cyclist or pedestrian, even when the cyclist made the traffic mistake. So the vulnerable traffic users are protected by law. This means, that when a car driver hits a cyclist of pedestrian, he has to pay for the costs! This among others makes safety for cyclist very well, apart from the fact that Netherland has a huge network of cycle roads.

[@justhecuke]

They had a law like that in China, too. What ended up happening was people would purposefully try to get hit by cars so they could win money in court or extort the driver for money. You can find videos of that behavior on KZbin where pedestrians try their best to get in front of evading cars and then exaggerate their injuries like a pro footballer. Perhaps the Dutch are too well-mannered for things to devolve like that, but it's a pretty obvious exploit for these sorts of automatic-guilt sorts of laws.

[@ellispandit-spaanderman3742]

​ @justhecuke In Netherland no one would ever do that, for they will be exposed! The money they may receive will only be for the unavoidable medical costs, not for grief. Who wants to be sick and/or in hospital just to receive the costs of the same treatment? No one does, it wouldn't make sense! Even the money doesn't come in the hands of the victim, but will go directly to the medical insurance company. It's the insurance company who will claim the costs, not the victim!

[@justhecuke]

@@ellispandit-spaanderman3742 the point is to use the process as punishment so you can extort a payout from the driver. Courts take a lot of time, plus reports and interviews and such. You can avoid that for only a few hundred dollars though, so a lot of people end up paying. And if exposure is the worst that happens, there's nothing to actually stop someone from doing it unless judges are willing to go against the letter of the law. I'm fairly sure they'd also get a payout for property damage to bikes and bags and such.

[@ellispandit-spaanderman3742]

@@justhecuke It simply doesn't work like that in Netherland. The whole point is, that the claim will be done by the insurance company and never by the victim. The money never comes in the hands of the victim. So why would you get yourself injured on purpose! Really, you don't understand how it works in Netherland. I am not talking of China or any other country for that matter.

[@justhecuke]

@@ellispandit-spaanderman3742 you are missing what I am saying. The driver will still get dragged into it, their insurance will go up, insurance typically requires an official report of some sort to document the incident. And the victim could use the money to fund treatment for existing conditions like a bad back, pain in knees, etc... I think you are just too trusting and can't wrap around how these systems can be abused. Then again, the Netherlands have many systems that can be exploited but don't seem to be due to cultural norms.

[@Ominous89]

1: Dutchmen know how to drive the bike 2: Our infrastructure is designed to divide cars and bikes. 3: No one wants to look like Calimero. Because that is not fair.

[@MalcolmJameson_1]

No its just that you ride bicycles way too slow. No need for a helmet if your average speed on a ride does not exceed 20kph ever. And max speed does not exceed 35kph ever. Dutch now little about realy cycling. they just commute, which is same as walking with your bicycle.

[@suicidalbanananana]

@@MalcolmJameson_1 I love how you seem to have a thing against dutch cyclists in many replies to many comments, fight the power!

[@DonWouter1]

@@MalcolmJameson_1 lol you are commenting everywhere hating on us. You probably went downhill once and hit 35kph and now you think you're a pro

[@David-km2ie]

@@MalcolmJameson_1 You have never seen an old grandma riding an electric bike ;)

[@JeMappelleFrikandel]

@@MalcolmJameson_1 Get out of here, we Dutch basically grow up in the bike saddle, of all the countries in the world we are the closest thing to master cyclists.

[@mytimekook4536]

Because we are strijders

[@bradleythomas9687]

Euphoriakook juist

[@lollypokemon]

Kga stuk

[@ellacool5215]

Idd😂😂

[@eldin0074]

Op onze stalen ros!

[@VictoriaSuger]

Ga stuk😁👌

[@arnoldpaalder6959]

We often cycle without touching the handlebars.

[@huffler9988]

ik had verwacht dat alle mensen in de reacties hier echt pissed om zouden worden.

[@BLGDrive]

ja ik doe het elke dag

[@jessecoc6247]

For kilometers straight

[@McLegg]

Fucking madlad

[@jessecoc6247]

@@seb9940 nee ik bedoel echt "for" zakkenwasser

[@remcovanwoerkom2016]

Although I agree that part of the reason why biking is safer here, is drivers' awareness of bikers. I can say without a doubt that the main reason it's safer in NL is the fact that our infrastructure is made for cyclists to safely bike around. Dedicated bike lanes and protected intersections do more for cyclists than any helmet or protective device could.

[@dedikke2857]

If you go cycling for sport: where a helmet If you go cycling to comute: make good infrastructure

[@CoMpLeTeBeNJ]

Wear*

[@ollie976]

Ticho Plays you know he is a dutch bc of grammer mistakes

[@isolatiecellencomplexdevri2632]

@@ollie976 *grammar

[@ollie976]

Isolatiecellencomplex de Vries ironically im dutch too

[@Steentje06]

This is it

[@TjopStick]

Cycling is for the dutch people like walking. You dont wear a helmet when you walk. 😭😂😂

[@donaldbump9223]

Depends on the place you walk...

[@vaux_manvv7520]

This doesn't make sense as walking is generally done on a pavement, however cycling lanes are shared with drivers. It should never be compulsory to wear a helmet but if I have a serious fall I would rather have a helmet on.

[@bamischijf_2757]

@@vaux_manvv7520 I think that we use the bike so much that the helmet is a too big hassle. We learn this at a very young age and most teenagers bike 7 kilometers a day minimal. Bringing the helmet every where we go is too much of a hassle not only because of this but also because every car driver is conscious about bycliclist on the road.

[@vaux_manvv7520]

@@msmit3669 lucky you, in UK the cycle lanes are not that great

[@ericbarneveld7812]

Hahahahaha

[@djonidjoni9017]

"Every car driver in Netherland are also cyclist...the know how to behave" ..., 👍👍

[@666louis]

Here in Germany it feels like you're being hunted by the cars and they're intentionally trying to kill you.

[@bramvanzelst4552]

@@666louis lol

[@peterebel7899]

As long as they do not tow a caravan across the Alps.

[@Andi-jp5oe]

666louis as a daily bike commuter in germany, you are 100% correct

[@Deelom100]

@@666louis same in Belgium

[@HugeFrigginGuy]

This video certainly raises an interesting point I hadn't really thought of before! Here in the US we have prioritized cars to the detriment of all other forms of transportation and conflicts between motorists and those who seek to use our overburdened and under designed roadways is inevitable. It seems that the popularization of helmets is a way to pass the burden of responsibility to the cyclists opposed to the municipality, for building a thoughtful and inclusive infrastructure. "Oh, they were seriously injured? Were they wearing a helmet? No? Clearly an irresponsible cyclist!"

[@alwaysplaythegame]

This video also ignores the fact that 5x as many people die on bicycles in the Netherlands as compared to the US. The argument is made that the Dutch travel 2-5x as many 'miles per death' which is valid (and varies greatly by year but the USA is generally a list topper on deaths per billion miles regardless). The USA is big, and both the urban and rural sprawls are built for roadway speed - dangerous for pretty much all forms of transport honestly. Europe was built on the backs of pedestrians, and as such is more compact and much slower. Helmets, no helmets, cars, bikes, motorcycles, etc - all stats are going to show the USA as a dangerous place to get from A to B. Add in the fact that people who bicycle every day are much safer on average than those who bike recreationally (per mile) and you get some of those statistics. However, you can't deny that more people die on bikes than in cars in the Netherlands (slightly as it's close to even). Nor can you ignore the fact that you are safer with a helmet on than not wearing one. Studies have shown that you are about half as likely to have a head injury wearing a helmet and even more impactfully 34% less likely to be killed. Some would say that is incredibly low, others that it's a lot for one small helmet to impact. Technically helmets are the most meaningful in single-bike crashes, so a study of experienced commuters might show a different impact (although I personally wouldn't be sure if it would be lower or higher).

[@kraknoix0075]

@@alwaysplaythegame yeah logical isn't it? More people ride bikes so more people die on them. Now compare how many people die in cars, you're going to get the opposite. Point is people in the US don't even ride bikes because they know it's a risk. Accidents happen, but every bit of road in the netherlands is designed to mitigate that risk

[@Blackadder75]

@@alwaysplaythegame a helmet is a good thing for wielrenners and people on speed pedelecs. Because they go 40-50km/h But not needed for ordinary 'fietsers' It's very impractical to carry that thing around that's why nobody wants to wear it unnecessary. Look how popular low speed scooters are, because you don;t have to wear a helmet...

[@alwaysplaythegame]

@@Blackadder75 That's what people say but it isn't backed up by any study or metric. You are more likely to die or suffer significant head injury when not wearing a helmet vs wearing one (at any speed). The safety vs inconvenience balance is clearly tilted against wearing them for most in many of these scenarios, but that doesn't make it just as safe.

[@Blackadder75]

@@alwaysplaythegame I am not saying 'just as safe' I am just saying that it's safe enough, you already seem to understand why.. it;s a risk vs reward vs hassle scenario. very low risk / low reward vs huge hassle (remember we Dutch often make 1000 bike trips a year, we don;t want to carry around helmets

[@jacobvandermeulen1970]

I'm dutch. In my country a cyclist wears a helmet when he (or she) is cycling as a sport.

[@gabbermaikel]

and that is why wearing a helmet makes cycling more dangerous. Its allways the idiots with a helmet on that are the most dangerous. They think they are on a closed race track, or atleast they see it like that and everybody needs to make space for them.

[@jacobvandermeulen1970]

@@gabbermaikel No.

[@ToolkiT73UK]

Agree the racebikes in groups wearing helmets are notorious for acting like arseholes.. maybe the helmet gives a false sense of security (plus pack mentality off course)

[@ArmageddonAfterparty]

@@gabbermaikel It's yuppies and audi drivers buying fancy racing bikes and making life hell for normal cyclists. I hate them.

[@gabbermaikel]

@@ToolkiT73UK well the truth is that the saddle on those bikes stops or slows blood flow to their genitals wich then damages it causing it not to work how it should. And then they end up being impotent and wel they offcourse get pissed of by that and that makes them mad everyone and everything.

[@JRZPlayz]

In English they say: "I wear a helmet for protection" In Dutch we say: "Ben je gek, zo'n lelijk ding ga ik echt niet op doen tijdens het fietsen!"

[@laurensdh]

Precies xD

[@8266]

And I think that’s beautiful

[@JRZPlayz]

@TheMerkat55 Protection for your head of course

[@JRZPlayz]

@@8266 Haha mooi man

[@shoddy]

@TheMerkat55 You missed the whole joke man

[@acyutanandadas1326]

I mostly have gotten knee, foot and ankle injuries-- never head ones

[@erikloupias7511]

You must take more risks then average if you get injured as often as you inform us of.

[@acyutanandadas1326]

@@erikloupias7511 Thanks for your concern I'm 71 and have had onr knee and 2 foot injuries in 54 years

[@Widdekuu91]

@@acyutanandadas1326 Ooohhh that explains it, you're 71 xD I've had one foot injury (a scratch with no blood, but it was a big scratch) when I crashed into my friend, I forgot to tell her we had to go left and she went right. We didn't fall though, but her pedal scraped against my foot. We laughed about it afterwards.

[@litchtheshinigami8936]

Acyutananda das arm too for me 😂 mostly knee though but all of those cases it was my own stupid fault like going too fast then driving off a ledge and just flying into the bushes (i’m a bit clumsy and have shit balance so i’m used to getting injured in stupid ways... cutting myself on something is also common with me.. i often don’t notice untill someone else points out i’m bleeding or i notice something wet on my hand and notice it is blood.. usually my reaction is just an oh okay or a sigh)

[@acyutanandadas1326]

@@litchtheshinigami8936 In the Norse mysteries we say even men should bleed once a month from battle or work

[@mikeb1039]

20 years ago I was with my twin nieces who were about 7 at the time. We were on bikes but stopped and talking. One of them lost her balance and slowly toppled over backwards, tripped by her bike 1/2 way down. So she pivoted at the waist as she fell. Her butt hit first and then her torso seemingly acclerated THROUGH the fall and her head struck the pavement with a force I would not have believed possible in such a mild, slow motion fall. Her head was at the end of a motion "whip" and the force was amazing. There was 0 doubt that if she hadn't hit had her helmet on we would have been to ER in short order. Possibly worse. Was amazingly scary. Your pumpkin hits HARD when you smack it falling.

[@RalphTGP]

Wearing a helmet in NL is the equivalent of wearing sandals with socks.

[@josdenhartog7385]

😂😂😂😂😂👍

[@dudragon49]

I love my sandals with socks on a cool summer day...

[@ericofantastico]

German standard

[@joepinkston6842]

Sandals with socks are making a come back. I don't wear sandals much at all but I figured I'd toss that out there.

[@0xsergy]

@@dudragon49 why not just go sandals, lol.

[@stevens6547]

I read a news article about a kid on a bike who was killed in the US by a speeding drunk driver. It was mentioned several times that he was not wearing a helmet and they emphasized how important it was, almost shifting part of the blame. To me this is like saying if your kid gets shot by a crazed gunman and they were not wearing a bullet proof vest, then they are partly responsible. Crazy

[@robertvirnig638]

I am alive today because I was wearing a helmet. I was run down by a drunk driver going approximately 40mph and no amount of situation awareness could have predicted that she would swerve into a right-hand turn lane at that speed 100 ft from an intersection. This is the USA, not the Netherlands, and you need to wear a helmet here unless you like playing Russian roulette. Admittedly this was one time in probably more than 100,000-lifetime miles, but you never know when your number is going to come up. I've been in more accidents than that, mostly when I was young and reckless, but none of them would have killed me. I wear a helmet no matter how short the trip is.

[@bujablaster]

Blame really doesn't matter, it won't bring that kid back to the life. Point was should he have helmet he would probably live today, nothing more, nothing less. Comparing it to bullet proof vest is laughable, at least, sorry.

[@TatteredMind]

@@robertvirnig638 in the US we have it all wrong. PPE (personal protective equipment) should be the last line of defense against harm. Keeping fast traveling cars away from cyclists and pedestrians is more safe then putting helmets on them. If cars and pedestrians need to intermingle then make the cars travel at human speed. You do this by making the lanes narrow, not straight, and not flat. If a car needs to travel fast, then it is assumed they need to travel far as well. So put the fast lanes away from the people. Having a car able to get to 100 mph (or 40 mph) near squishy meat bags, aka pedestrians, is a recipe for death (or serious injury in your case)

[@robertvirnig638]

@@TatteredMind Here in the Greater Los Angeles area (I live in a suburb some 70 miles from LA) we have a continuous grid of parallel streets extending 100s of miles in all directions each with heavy high-speed traffic. We do have bikeways along many rivers, aqueducts, and beaches, and while they serve sport cyclists well who have no particular destination in mind they are unlikely to go where you need to go on a commute. There is nowhere to put any additional dedicated bikeways that would get people to any given destination in this massive grid. Also, bikes here should not be the focus for future infrastructure because average commutes are so long, often much more than 50 miles, that they are beyond being practical for the typical cyclist. Instead, we need a massively revamped public transit system to service the needs of the most people and to get as many cars off the road as possible. Perhaps once that is done wider bicycle lanes may be possible but I don't see any world where bicycles could be completely separated from automobile traffic. So despite having perfect weather for it, I don't see Southern California ever becoming a utopia for cyclists and they will always have to accept sharing the road with cars.

[@TatteredMind]

@@robertvirnig638 you've got it worse in LA 8k people per SQ mi, here in Houston 3k people per SQ mi, we have 3 ring roads 5mi, 12mi and 24mi from center of downtown but cars are still directed through the city center where work, shopping and living should be. Instead it's full of grid straight streets and parking lots. In the suburbs 12 miles from the city center and 30 mile from work, I still have everything essential within a few miles. But those miles are unsafe unless I'm in a car and everything is so spread out cause of massive parking lots for the massive trucks and SUVs that carry 1 or 2 people 3 miles speeding by at 40+mph. With abundant parking and inconsistent/long wait times for public transit using my own car makes more sense. But if there were less parking and more transit or walkways or bike lanes cause there are more offices, houses, apartments or shops. I might live closer to where I work and then I'd have the option to walk or bike. But since the streets are wide, flat, and straight it invites drivers to drive faster and further. Therefore, walking and biking feels unsafe and more people use cars to go over 3 blocks. Not to mention the lack of shade for walking if walking anywhere. We tend to take the safest and most direct route. And as it is now driving everywhere is the safest and most direct route. Taking a bus uses the same route and stops at the same lights and is stuck in the same traffic. So why take the bus? Because you can't afford a car. When the bike lanes appear and disappear and have no separation from 2 ton death machines with a driver who just left a bar with who knows how many drinks, why bike anywhere with purpose? Because biking is exercise not transportation. Like you said we need less cars on the roads. But to do that we need to make driving individual cars less desirable for some and therefore we'd need less roads and we could convert some of those streets to bike lanes or walkways and possibly housing/shops. Less car traffic needs less roads. More walking/biking needs more walkways/bike lanes. A bit of chicken and egg. Long journeys can still be by car but can also be by train when cities or destinations are accessible near train stops. Not train stops in the middle of nowhere and you need a car to leave the train station. Compare our two cities to Amsterdam 10k people per SQ mi and Tokyo 13k people per SQ mi. It's either bike (pedal or motor) or transit for most local transport and some shops are within walking distance.

[@isabellorenzoverharen3938]

If a car hit us we just say “KIJK JE WEL GOED UIT JE DOPPEN KUT” And then we stand up and we WILL GO AGAIN!

[@mdenouden3y6]

And the reason we can do this is because the collisionpoints between cars and bicycles are set up so the cars are going slow. The infrastructure is designed to protect the weaker participants of traffic before anything else.

[@solangeloshipper9529]

😂😂😂😂

[@IvoTichelaar]

Well in my dialect it's teringlijer instead of kut, but the message and effect are the same. ❤️

[@daileydeleeuw7437]

Nee tegenwoordig is het kanker leijer en wordt er nog een keer over je heen gereden

[@jairoribeiro2029]

The best was the closing...children are full of joy everywhere. Greetings from Brazil.

[@Taeriqify]

Dutch law also states that if a cyclist is hit by a car it is assumed that the driver is guilty. This could also play a part in the low amount of accidents.

[@Indy_21]

Good to know. But, you don't necessarily fall because of a car. Plus, thinking that you don't have to wear a helmet because the car driver insurance will pay, could easily be paying for your coffin then or your wheelchair. 😬

[@MrEpicMouse]

Also a reason they keep driving here tho. How many times cars have pushed me to fall unto the sidewalk by some cutting ass is insane.

[@Indy_21]

@@MrEpicMouse oh gosh! Glad you're okay though. Some really don't understand that having to slightly turn is not the same on a bike than in a car, you can't just turn your handle bar like that 👿. I'm always stressed with having to ride near the gutters which can easily translate into falling, my fear it'd be to the left where the rolling cars are... 😕😫

[@aika8127]

@@Indy_21 the Netherlands bike infrastructure is incredibly safe compared to any other country. And every driver is looking out for a sudden biker. Of course accidents don’t stop but are mostly fairly minor. I’ve been hit once but the driver was going incredibly slow. So I didn’t suffer from any injury.

[@Indy_21]

@@aika8127 everyone seems to think you can only have an accident because of a car. It can happen for many reasons.

[@topcat8804]

Not wearing a helmet is not a 'trend' in Holland - it's always been that way

[@chris1978nl]

Because Dutch can actually drive a bicycle.

[@klapsigaarenbasgitaar1931]

@Christiaan D Well that's the kind of thing people tell you in countries where they don't wear seatbelts in cars: that's for people who can't drive...

[@francinewillemsen7214]

We are mostly biking not for sport (then we use a helmet) but to go shopping, to go to school or work, or just going somewhere else. It is not convenient having your helnet with you.

[@Wasbever_14]

T is gewoon ziek lelijk lol

[@derp195]

@@chris1978nl A lot of American cyclists are very skilled riders. You have to be, because with non-existent infrastructure, if you make a mistake (or allow a car driver to make a mistake), you could easily be killed.

[@mrjack08722]

I never thought about the whole "Every car driver is a cyclist." but that makes total sense.

[@mrjack08722]

@Willy Wonka Yeah gas and diesel has been going Up big time. Its been kinda nuts.

[@Manni4]

@Willy Wonka nah the whole country is build for cars. It'd take years to build proper infrastructure (yt channel recommendation: not just bikes) and to develop a mindset like the one in the netherlands. I guess many will switch to an EV. Americans will probably never understand that bikes are better than cars

[@woutervanooijen279]

And every car driver that isn't a cyclist himself has kids that are.

[@dazzlingdexter5060]

@Willy Wonka we have a shortage of cars. Hopefully they fixthe lack of public transportation problem soon

[@paulvu823]

@@Manni4 Not years, decades

[@Galiuros]

All I can say is that after 42 years of bike commuting in Tucson (All I do is commute.) I've cracked 3 helmets. That's 3 possible concussions I didn't suffer. One of those crashes involved being hit by a motorist. Like wearing a seatbelt, the idea of wearing a helmet is the possibility of having an accident and being protected. It's a small price to pay. Ultimately, it doesn't matter how well you ride. It's about how badly they drive.

[@sethtenrec]

Exactly, I wonder how many concussions could be avoided in the Netherlands. It’s just a social norm to go bareheaded ….By brainless people.

[@PieOrCake1974]

I hear you. I used to commute a short distance to and from work on a bicycle. One day I took a shortcut down a hill through a grassy park. I lost control and I was thrown over the bars headfirst onto the ground. Although I nearly passed out from the impact, I'm grateful that my helmet split in half so that my skull didn't have to.

[@stuartperry8141]

If you hit your head when driving 70 mph down the interstate. Do you wear a helmet then?

[@Galiuros]

​@@stuartperry8141 That's a false equivalency. When you are in a car you are wrapped in metal, have a seat belt on and the inside of the car is cushioned. You are doing everything practical to protect yourself. Wearing a helmet in a car can actually make it more unsafe because it can block your view by limiting how your head turns. When you are on a bike, wearing a helmet is the practical way to protect yourself. You could build a wire cage around the bike and wear a motorcycle helmet. But, that would discourage riding a bike to begin with.

[@PieOrCake1974]

@@stuartperry8141 1. Who commutes on an interstate highway on a bicycle? I certainly wouldn't. Those roads are designed for high-speed motor vehicles. 2. What commuter is even capable of riding a bicycle at 112km/h? I know that I'm not. I don't really understand the point that you're trying to make.

[@drizer4real]

Also a car driver is always responsible in a cycle-car accident

[@ThatSuckzz]

Yeah true, but that's more of a insurance thing. Because the car driver is by law obligated to have a insurance for when he damages someone or something. So when a accident happens, the car driver will most certainly be insured.

[@Sander-zj3wi]

Not true. At first the car driver is responsible for the damage. If he can prove that the bike was at fault, he can claim damage with the bike owner. This is also true when he can prove force majeure, e.q. when a bike came out of nowhere or the car driver could not have anticipated the bikers action and followed all rules. If the car driver could have prevented a accident, even when he did follow all rules, then he is responsible.

[@Marc_NL666]

Exactly, this is a very important point. Cyclist are very much protected by law when it comes to damage and injuries sustained in an accident with a car. Car drivers are therefore very cautious because even if the accident is not your fault, you will have a hard time proving it and you'll end up paying (either for the damage, or for a raise in insurance premiums).

[@MicraHakkinen]

The correct term is not responsible, but liable. Because cyclists and pedestrians are considered vulnerable, the law states that in an accident between any motor vehicle and a pedestrian or cyclist, the motorist is initially assumed to be fully liable, regardless of who is at fault. And if the pedestrian or cyclist was at fault, the burden of proof always lies with the motorist. Even then, rare exceptions notwithstanding, motorists are unlikely to get anything better than a 50/50 shared liability.

[@MicraHakkinen]

@@peachesby Of course not, but that statement holds true regardless of the law.

[@mannycalavera2335]

5:20 The Netherlands. Where 12 year old girls are almost the height if an average grown man in some other countries.

[@illuforce]

She is probably considered short in the united states.

[@henkoosterink8744]

@@illuforce Haha, we are the tallest of the world, you in the US are tiny.

[@0xsergy]

@@illuforce the only probable thing is that most americans probably don't know how to google facts. :D

[@hugolbr2498]

@@illuforce how come each time I see a north american comment on KZbin, they always make a fool of themselves because they lack knowledge?

[@josephyang4997]

The Dutch have one of the tallest average heights in the world, much taller than the US.

[@morris2392]

We don’t wear one, because the infrastructure is so good. And safe

[@melboro8745]

As said in the video

[@pimdeboerr]

Yet more than 400 people between the age of 4 and 16 die or get disabled per year due to not wearing a helmet in The Netherlands.

[@goofverdinus165]

@@pimdeboerr well shit happens,

[@barefeg]

That ended when idiot mopeds started riding on the fietspad

[@Darikage]

@@barefeg yeah i ride on a 50cc geared moped and i dont go on the bike lane with it, its just stupid. I'm gonna keep saying that mopeds gotta get off the bike lane its too dangerous

[@crashpilot5006]

As a Dutch man, 40 years old. I do get the incentive to wear bike helmets. Especially with the era of E-Bikes. Even grandma's can cycle at 25 km/h with those. I do feel that the end speaker of this video sums it up nicely. As a dutch driver and cyclist... we either drive the bike or cycle the car. It is so inherent to our way of life that it is "normal" and that is your real answer to this question. We have gotten so used to cyclists as a driver, and as drivers we are very familiar with cyclist that it doesn't realy warrent an helmet. How ever with the E-bikes I am not so sure, we need adjusting to those, especially those who are driving. I cannot rely on common intuition anymore.

[@mitsos306ify]

Well said!

[@gary7vn]

Falling off your bike and hitting your head on pavement or cement is going to cause serious injury at any speed. Ebikes can go faster yes, but you can bust your skull open quite efficiently at 15kph too. I wear a helmet. It's a nothing thing that can save your life.

[@MichaelSmith-fg8xh]

200+ cyclists die every year in NL, 900+ hospitalised. Helmets would halve the fatalities.

[@Yep6803]

i don't wear helmet tbh but im wondering if start or not...

[@Yep6803]

btw there's no european wear it, it is a weirdo american habit thinking we do

[@Aranimda]

If you see someone wearing a bicycle helmet in the Netherlands, then these must be German tourists. :-)

[@thomasschafer7268]

Big Job man. No drugs by driving. 🙃🙃🙃

[@Gepstra]

@@thomasschafer7268 wut?

[@DanielinLaTuna]

😂🤣😃😃😄😅😆

[@stevenhammerich6368]

Noone for real Noone in Germany is wearing a helmet

[@PineappleOnPizza69]

Ah yes. Germans. Old habits never change. Erika: *intensifies*

[@bertoverweel6588]

I am 67 years and cycle about 63 years and never used a helmet . It is very safe to cycle in the Netherlands.

[@Propelbikes]

I think most cyclists wish their home country was more like the Netherlands. I know I do ;)

[@outsideworld76]

Nederlanders leren eerder fietsen dan lopen xD

[@pyroglyphics]

Translation from the above: "we Dutch learn to ride a bicycle before we know how to walk". True story by the way😁

[@duncandevries]

@@outsideworld76 dat is zo waar😂

[@bertoverweel6588]

@JAffacakeSON BLAHA Yes I know, cycle 😂

[@LittlxxPuDDing]

One other thing: Cycling in the Netherlands is safer because almost everywhere there are separate cycle paths and bicycle lanes. We often don't have to ride on the same road as the cars.

[@jurjenbos228]

And there's the law too: if a car hits a cyclist, it is the car's fault, unless he can prove otherwise. Period.

[@chinguunerdenebadrakh7022]

@@jurjenbos228 The law means jack shit after you're dead. It's like saying you won't have to ever worry about murderers because killers get jailed.

[@chinguunerdenebadrakh7022]

It isn't just cars that are a danger to cyclists, do you really trust every other cyclist to be proficient in the use of bicycle, to start braking at an appropriate time? The Dutch might be good at cycling, but do you think the same for tourists? Or just drunk Dutch? The other danger is just you yourself, you might misjudge a turn and run into a concrete wall, crash into a fence because you didn't pay attention from sleeplessness the night before or the road was too icy. You might say you would never do that, but accidents are never intentional, no driver ever intended to get into an accident, that's why it's called an accident. It is better to "look stupid" and wear a helmet than regret not having done so after getting paralyzed.

[@alexvantilburg1292]

@@chinguunerdenebadrakh7022 you're right. The laws don't matter if you're dead but the laws cause people to be more careful. For example in your murder example people will murder less if there is a law then if there wasn't one.

[@garretgang8349]

@@chinguunerdenebadrakh7022 True, but getting hit by a another cyclist is a lot safer than getting hit by car. And dying because you were inattentive/careless enough to bike into a concrete wall thins out the number of inattentive careless people.

[@pennyroyal3813]

The final scene with the kids was heart warming. The whole video was good too.

[@geistwesen.]

they have the happiest kids:)

[@CynicusRex]

His smile was so genuine. Loved it as well.

[@flyshacker]

Very interesting. I never heard this side before. "Motorists are careful because THEY are also bicycle riders!"

[@Propelbikes]

It sure would be nice if we had a similar experience here in the states.

[@flyshacker]

@@Propelbikes Right! For example, their bike lanes are usually quite separated from auto traffic, as your tour video pointed out. Much safer. And more car drivers over there are bike riders themselves - I think that probably makes a huge difference in having respect for cyclists. Thanks for presenting this information.

[@Propelbikes]

I totally agree! This does make a big difference and where there isn’t room the roads are designed to prevent speeding.

[@petertraudes106]

1. Not wearing a helmet is not a trend but a long settled tradition. 2. Motorists are also cyclists so instinctively know how to behave. 3. Cyclists and public space love each other (eye contact, using all senses including your ears to determine what is happening) 4. Article 34 of the dutch traffic code (wegenverkeerswet) says that in the case of a collision between a cyclist and a motorist the motorist is allways liable for damages to the cyclist even if the cyclist made a traffic infraction. Exception force majeur.

[@Propelbikes]

Excellent points. I appreciate your informative reply. This is still all new to me, but I’m excited to learn more.

[@gregsettle9725]

"...every car driver is a cyclist..."! Here in the states, every car driver is a lunatic.

[@jmlepunk]

I'm a Frenchman in the US and God is your comment true

[@paulschmidtke425]

So true

[@Viking380]

Every car driver is on his phone

[@joeturner8184]

We all drive farther. The distance from Amsterdam to the Hague is a relatively normal commute distance for many people who work in cities. At around 32 miles it is substantially shorter than mine. We aren't used to cyclists because many of our roads and towns stretch too far for bike travel to be practical. The lower usage of bicycles, due to distances traveled, is a reasonable, though regrettable, cause for American drivers simply to not expect cyclists to be present on the road from moment to moment. The gentleman commenting near the end of the video made another point very clearly. They determine use of helmets practically with consideration given to the expected speed of travel. Given the distances we travel in the U.S., even our cyclists travel faster to make their travel practical.

[@kimantonsen5595]

It costs around $ 4000, and normally takes about 30 hours of driving and 10-15 hours of theoretical training to get a driver's license in modern developed countries. How is the norm on this in "the land of the poor and homeless people"?

[@aerialmanx4852]

The Netherlands has this habit of treating it's people like adults

[@Originalcopy20]

Yes and no

[@LogiForce86]

Hm, not really as new generations are increasingly scared about everything which is influenced by peoples opinion like here on youtube that come from foreign countries with different cultures, infrastructure and ideas. Which results in our government more and more giving in to those fears by making up new laws that more and more treat us like children that need to be held by the hand and thus taking away our freedom and with that our right to self-determination. Personally I believe that it's my prerogative to determine myself what is dangerous and what risks I am willing to take with my own body. Example. If I feel that an upcoming Covid19 vaccine isn't safe than it's my prerogative to make that determination and to act upon it by maybe not taking the vaccine, because as an adult I should simply be factually informed as I am grown up enough to understand what is written or being said and capable enough to go in-depth on matters I know still too little about. Same with bike riding. Nobody says you can or can't wear a helmet here and it's your prerogative to make your own determination on what you feel is best for you. If you know that you are the type of person to ignore danger because of your safety gear, than maybe it's better to go without if you're thus a defensive driver when vulnerable. On the flip side if you're feel too vulnerable or still consider the dangers too high despite all the safety matters the bicycling infrastructure provides, than maybe you could conclude to take some safety precautions so that you are still defensive but not scared stiff. If you're scared stiff you don't have the response time to avoid upcoming danger or feel comfortable enough to look ahead because you sense that danger is too close. So these are all matters to think about but at the end of the day the choice is yours and should be yours alone. That is your prerogative as an adult human being, that is the freedom you should have and with bicycling do have in this country. Last example is that the same goes for the German Autobahn. You can drive as fast as you want but as an adult and someone who earned their drivers license, it is your duty as much as it is your prerogative to judge the road conditions before even thinking over pushing that throttle pedal to the floor. For example there might be too much traffic and an increase in traffic, and especially late on the day when people are tired from work they can misjudge you coming up behind them with great speed. If you are fast in the left lane and someone wants to overtake a truck that's going 80-90 km/h... you better hope that road surface is dry and free of oil. Another thing that can happen is the weather... local rainshowers can make for changing conditions, and they change fast when going 200+ km/h. Also maybe it's around freezing point above the road surface and if a local drizzle hits that road and freezes up to become black ice... accidents will definitely happen. So yes you are free to do so on many things in the world, but again it's your duty and prerogative to determine the safety above all and secondly for others.

[@honderdzeventien]

Don't overdo it, LogiForce86 bc basically he's right. Yeah, those grown ups are a nuisance, true. But one day you'll find out to have been grown into one. Just ask Socrates;-) Your autobahn metaphor rocks solid though, that's 4sure. Points for you

[@LogiForce86]

@@honderdzeventien I am 34... which you could have deducted from the figures in my nickname if you at least had some basic algebra under your belt. So should I assume that you didn't finish grade school yet in the same way you assume I am a child because I disagree with some laws being made in this country? So instead of looking down on each other let us just take each other seriously? This is exactly what I meant with the fact that in this country we are starting to belittle people and thus start to make laws to hold their hand l, because each of us thinks more of himself than the other rather than staying on equal level and taking each other seriously. It might be a little harsh but in a way you could say that by enacting this behavior we are violating article one of the constitution of the Netherlands. The one that tells us all that we shall not discrimination on any grounds or reason. Let me quote from the document available on the governments website. "Article 1 All persons in the Netherlands shall be treated equally in equal circumstances. Discrimination on the grounds of religion, belief, political opinion, race or sex or on any other grounds whatsoever shall not be permitted." As you can read we should all be equal. No matter if you are king Willen-Alexander of Orange or the cleaning lady who cleans public toilets. Each of us is different and thus we hold different views because our lives and our being caused each of us to hold different knowledge and wisdom. Yet having more or less of it should not be a reason to discriminate. You quote Socrates yet I wonder what he would have said to reflect. Maybe something like... if you want to belittle people, what does that tell about you? What gives you the right to stand above others, let alone trample upon them? Does it matter if one is a child or an adult? Doesn't a child need but mere guidance yet needs to learn from its mistakes? So what makes a child a being of so little value that they are to be looked down upon? Or why does an adult need to be superior to a child? Isn't an adult not a dult instead for he has stopped to ask questions that matter as he doesn't see them as he is blinded by his duty as a grown up? So tell me, why aren't you able to be respectful and put people of all ages on equal footing, and yet decide to discriminate and look down upon children instead? Something to contemplate indeed and quote fascinating as it seems this whole free society is falling apart because we don't take each other seriously anymore. Which starts with our Prime Minister and the ones before him as they all disregarded the people's opinion as voiced in the many councelling referendums we had in the past. Or the fact that he thinks he can get away with giving away the tax payers money to foreign countries, whilst he firstly promised he would not. Worse of all he is a repeating offender in this regard. So yeah, if we already have a leader who should set an example that ends up not taking the Dutch citizens seriously, how can one expect the rest of the people to have a backbone and do what is right? After all, if the leader is already like that and he is the example than without discrimination I should expect the same behavior of all Dutch citizens? After all... it does state that in the Dutch constitution, it states that we are all equal. Luckily we aren't the Borg like in Star Trek. So it isn't that strict but how far does this constitutional equality go? Does it only go up to criminal law or is there more to it? Why would a tanned person be different from a blanc person? I mean it isn't criminal to have different skin color or even hair color, yet some people think you can't discriminate on color. Yet if you can't discriminate between color how can you discern colour at all? Why should you want to ignore that mark on a person that makes them unique? Anyway, I digress. All I am saying is that you shouldn't look down upon people and risk making a fool of yourself in the process. Someday karma will come back at you like a boomerang from your blind spot.

[@honderdzeventien]

@@LogiForce86 Don't you think I hadn't deducted that? I'm just 46, pal. I think you misread a light comment with a notch-notch wink-for something far more. Something that wasn't there at least. I'm born Dutch, I'll die Dutch, my kids are both 50% Greek, I don't see why you feel the need to lecture me about this when, as I mentioned, the guy is basically right. Have you read my comment at all? Please don't be upset about me trying to strike a sort-of positive response, or light harted, anything, but definitely _not_ something that would trigger you. Then again, the internets are odd places so now and then;-)

[@davideoff3621]

I'm an American bicyclist who rode in Amsterdam for two days during a vacation. Although laid out well for bicyclists, central Amsterdam was kind of crazy because of the sheer volume of bikes, cars, pedestrians, and trains in the road. I was impressed by how patient and considerate all the bicyclists were in heavy traffic. We took a trip about 20 km outside of Amsterdam and once you get out in the suburbs the traffic decreased a lot and biking was safe and very enjoyable.

[@georgplaz]

only the old town is this hectic in amsterdam, because of thousands of tourists. just go to the outer districts within amsterdam, its really chill there

[@Yep6803]

Welcome in Europe LOL

[@georgplaz]

@@Yep6803 what does that have to do with europe?!

[@SanderSA-ny3lh]

Amsterdam isn't part of the Netherlands anymore though. It's more of a penal colony where we send people we don't like. A bit like Groningen, except people speak English by default. 😉

[@dimrrider9133]

@@SanderSA-ny3lh and they r the wokers nobody like

[@lybanhamar6230]

I can speak for many Dutchies: Helmet destroys your tidy haircut

[@gwine9087]

So does a massive headwound. The single biggest killer of bicyclists is curbs, not cars.

[@teun0het]

GWINE you have a source for that? I don’t believe you

[@lucasdevijfde3428]

@@gwine9087 I mean if I manage to somehow hit a curb like that it'd probably fucking want to die

[@GOAT_GOATERSON]

@@gwine9087 where are you from?

[@Skitz0frenix]

There's a genius invention called a Hairmet as seen in the best comedies ever called Scrubs 🤓

[@noosebrother]

i personally find it odd that you can ride a motorcycle without a helmet in the states, but they look at us weird for pedalling a pushbike without one.

[@powerpuff_avenger]

@Kevin L You're not seeing all the comments of 'muricans trying to prove us wrong here and trying to impose their culture onto ours?

[@DFX2KX]

That varies by state. I've lived in three: Helmets where required for all open-air vehicles in Ohio and Georgia, and Iowa requires helmets for neither. most states require them for any motorcycle, even if pedal bikes don't require them.

[@FML22]

Most US states mandate helmets for motorcyclists. Some states don’t.

[@BrandonJohnson-yb8xn]

I ride a motorcycle and have a helmet but I don’t always wear it. It is much more fun without one no one can deny it. In summary it is all risk vs reward

[@noosebrother]

@@BrandonJohnson-yb8xn i have tried that (it's illegal here) and i confirm it is indeed an experience. but for me risk is rather high for the reward. (visor up or open face helmet is my lemonade to that whiskey .. though that comes with a load of other issues *bugs* )

[@emmakusters8443]

Also, there is a law in the netherlands that when you (as a car driver) hit a cyclist, you are always responsible. This law exists to protect the cyclists.

[@Stormcloakvictory]

Sadly even when the cyclist was responsible for the collision in every way possible.

[@JeroenSchoots]

@@Stormcloakvictory true, but no cyclist is crashing for fun. It hurts.

[@halilalexanderzeverboom7012]

Ja dit antwoord maakte me iets wijzer in uitleg aangaande iets als fietsen in ons land. 👍

[@santono2310]

@@Stormcloakvictory Not when they literally run into you but otherwise yeah. Luckily doesn't happen often though.

[@ilsevandijk]

Unless for when there is concrete proof it was the cyclists fault

[@LMoneL]

I live in Copenhagen, great bike infrastructure and MANY cyclists. I bike every day, and I always wear a helmet. You never know. You could collide with another cyclist, or you could fall on an icy bike lane during the winter. The last couple of years I've seen a few people here falling from their bikes (one was hit by a car, one slipped in wet leaves and one just fell for no obvious reason). I haven't had any accidents since i was a kid, but I still prefer to minimize risks of head injuries by wearing a helmet.

[@WillemSluijs41205]

If you wear a helmet while cycling in the netherlands, we'll just laugh at you

[@annolog]

Wel dat betekent dat je *niets* anders hebt te doen in je zielig leven.

[@dicklouter5892]

Waarom, heb zelf al enige jaren een helm op, word inderdaad om gelachen, totdat ze worden aangereden. Dan zouden ze wensen dat ze een helm op zouden hebben gehad.

[@cyberhawk80]

@@dicklouter5892 je helm heeft 0 invloed op je kansen in contact met een auto.. tis puur omdat je geestelijk zwak bent.. en het geeft je moed zoals een konijne pootje.. de impact van een auto is zo hard . dat je koppie nog steeds geklutst word als hij je raakt.. je kan alleen wel een open kist krijgen door je helm.. mits je niet vlak op je smoel valt.. dan is het nog steeds een 6de plankje

[@de-ikkegemij8982]

Helmets are just simply for pussy’s

[@dicklouter5892]

@@de-ikkegemij8982 The helmets with lights makes you also more visible. Think about that first before you reply.

[@yvedestombes9482]

Why don't the dutch wear helmets? Why do the americans wear guns?

[@Propelbikes]

Pretty ironic right?

[@wietse8699]

Yve Destombes 😂😂😂😂

[@yvedestombes9482]

@M J Grasscutter indeed

[@Inspieos]

@M J Grasscutter You're missing OP's point, though. They're implying we're as connected/ attached to our bicycles as Americans are to their guns.

[@yvedestombes9482]

@M J Grasscutter Actually in Belgium most people wear a helmet when driving a race bike or a MTB or BMX. For lower speeds we don't wear it. The risk is low. I just wanted to say there are bigger problems in the world than that :-).

[@Pluggit1953]

I lived in the Netherlands for 22 years and used my bike every day. When I moved back to the UK I felt really unsafe because motorists just aren’t bike-aware. I got rid of my bike.

[@xybersurfer]

that's sad, but understandable

[@jksisrael1]

the situation in Israel is the same. But we are not alone' i think that the two of the few places you can ride safly are in Japan and Holand (there are more)

[@gaiuslamers8055]

That is pretty sad

[@sheep5403]

The infrastructure of cycling in the Nederlands is honestly brilliant. I had visit there while I studied in Germany in my HS years and wow, so much better than Germany or the UK. People there are also much nicer in my personal opinion than where I lived in West Country UK.

[@playonkorg]

@@jksisrael1 Not true, Denmark

[@jwenting]

50+ year old Dutch person here. I've never worn a bicycle helmet, I've never had a head injury. And I've had some bad bicycle accidents, including one that destroyed my right knee. Yet we're not campaigning for people to wear protective knee pads when cycling, or elbow pads, ankle braces, etc. etc. all of which could also in theory lower the risk of injury. Bicycle helmets fall into the same category. They also, as stated several times already, give a false sense of security because any really serious accident is going to have enough energy the helmet will be useless, as unlike a motorcycle helmet there's far less padding and protective material to protect against a high energy impact with say a truck or speeding car. And the way bicycle helmets are designed, they don't protect against the worst possible injury, whiplash of the neck where the head is thrown back and forward violently, causing the brain to slush around inside the skull and impact the cranium from the inside (plus the spinal injury involved). They're nice in low energy impacts like falls, but a well trained cyclist rarely gets into one of those. After my first 2-3 years of learning to ride I've fallen only once in 40 years of cycling, and that was on a rare occasion of suddenly developing black ice under powdery snow. That's the fall that destroyed my right knee, something a bicycle helmet wouldn't have prevented. My head was fine, so was the rest of my body except for a lot of bruising.

[@VoorNuNogVerandern]

Because when we fall we simply just rise again🌚👌🏻 It's called: "vallen en opstaan".

[@MxCAT7]

en weer doorgaan

[@justinschouten6474]

No, we don’t 😆 we p*ssy bro

[@seb9940]

"Fall & rise" heeft veel betekenissen(komt vaak neer op dalen en opstijgen) maar vallen en opstaan komt daar niet in de buurt. Ik zou het jezelf afleren om nederlandse woorden/spreekwoorden letterlijk naar het engels te gaan vertalen. Tenzij je op Louis van Gaal wil lijken kwa engelse uitspraken🤣

[@styledbyneesy]

zo leerden we allemaal fietsen van onze ouders 🤣

[@DutchTDK]

Fall and rise sounds something like comming back from the brink of death in english

[@Welgeldiguniekalias]

You missed the big reason why we don't wear bike helmets, which is quite a story. The clickbait version is kids died so we could be free of bicycle helmets. Thanks to their sacrifice, we have bicycle infrastructure in all the busy or dangerous places. You see, it is customary for children to make their own way to school as soon as they are old enough, given the local circumstances. Unfortunately, in the 1970s, a staggering number of children were dying in traffic. This caused public outrage, which led to a campaign called "Stop de Kindermoord", which translates to "Stop the Child Murder". Authorities responded with a vision for traffic safety and issued guidelines recommending separate infrastructure for bicycles. These guidelines were widely acted upon. In Amsterdam, for example, there is a separate bike path on virtually all streets with a 50km/h speed limit (~30mph), and a 30km/h limit (~20mph) applies where bicycles and cars share the same lane. The bicycle infrastructure is very well thought through with attention for detail. If you watch KZbinr One Cyclist From Lisbon you often see Portuguese bike lanes ending on sidewalks and in awkward places, but when a Dutch cycle lane ends it merges into the road you are supposed to continue on there are warning signs for motorists, and sometimes there is even a little slip lane.

[@Reynaertphotos]

In every Big Dutch city everything is made for cyclists. Nederland is superieur

[@brendalg4]

The bike situation is hideous in America. At least in my area it is. There is a bike lane but cars don't really respect it. Bikers are supposed to follow the same rules as cars but they don't. Then they wonder why they get hit. There is rarely anyone in the bike lane next to you so you could very easily forget to look. If you need to make a right hand turn where there is a bike lane, many drivers are not going to think about looking over their shoulder to make sure a cyclist isn't there before turning. They are looking at the cross street they are going into. Bikes used to have to be ridden on sidewalks years ago. But they must have done away with that law because maybe pedestrians were getting hurt by bikes. I wish they would go back to allowing bikes on sidewalks. Or a separate system like you have. But they won't take care of the roads we currently have.

[@Triggernlfrl]

@@brendalg4 In the netherlands the bike is overprotected. When a car have right of way and a bike does not give that and accident follows the car will be seen as the guilty one...

[@pushpanjali9039]

vet! dit wist ik niet

[@berendharmsen]

@@Triggernlfrl Not quite. It starts with the assumption of guilt for the car driver, but if evidence shows the bike was at fault he will be held responsible. But without evidence, the default ruling will indeed always be that the car is to blame. A friend of mine killed a drunken tourist in with car when he suddenly turned into him. He was arrested and had a terrible time, but was ultimately cleared of all charges.

[@harryvanhoo7235]

Here in Australia the helmet laws tend to discourage youngsters from cycling and repealing these laws was discussed briefly. Both my kids just refused to ride their bikes on a regular basis and this was the reason. I never had to wear a helmet as a youngster but when these laws were introduced I also rode a lot less. I have mixed feelings on this.

[@MenwithHill]

To quote Jay Foreman's video : "You don't make an activity safer by discouraging people from doing it."

[@barryvandertas2234]

It was not mentioned but this is one of the reasons why wearing a helmet will not be made mandatory soon in the Netherlands. The trade off between individuals safety and less cycling is too negative impact on overall health.

[@TjopStick]

Last time we wear helmets, was in WW2.

[@freddyhat9796]

We all know how that ended for us, the rest of the world had to put on their helmets to come save us.

[@regin189]

@@freddyhat9796 And if you look how the world turned out to, they would have whished the rest of the world never done that.

[@baranderksen]

Ja klopt XD

[@SibaNL]

wore*

[@MaartenVrijman]

Yeah only two days... 😊

[@HrRezpatex]

99% of all cycles in USA are made for speed (leaning forward position) and around 99% of cycles in The Netherlands are made for comfort (upright cycling position) Beside from a bit slower speed this also gives them much better view of the traffic situation.

[@dronespace]

Very interesting insight

[@MrThatnativeguy]

You obviously haven’t been to North America

[@HrRezpatex]

@@MrThatnativeguy You probably don`t even know what a cycle made for upright cycling look like.

[@MrThatnativeguy]

@@HrRezpatex you’re hilarious I live in Vancouver we have Dutch bikes all over here

[@HrRezpatex]

@@MrThatnativeguy I am glad to hear.

[@GerbenWijnja]

If I see some on a city bike with a helmet, I automatically assume it's a tourist on rental bike. We generally only wear helmets with racing bicycles. But don't get me wrong, it's perferctly fine to wear a helmet, especially if you're not familiar with bicycle lanes, priorities, etc.

[@thibomeurkens2296]

@lilai _wolfie i didn’t wear a helmet when I learned to ride bike

[@Wasbever_14]

Ja omdat als je over straat dr mee gaat is het echt belachelijk lelijk

[@rosaliegrummel7818]

When you wear a helmet ur or 2 y/o or a foreigner

[@supersonic4863]

@@thibomeurkens2296 me neither and i crashed into the same wall ATLEAST 20 times. I didnt know how to steer or brake until multiple hours after starting for some reason.

[@hanphilnoffz8827]

I don't wear helmet cycling slow and short

[@rogotad]

I live in the Netherlands and ALWAYS wear a helmet: there are crossings, scooters on bike lanes, sometimes bike lanes are not secluded. And no not every driver is a cyclist, And I have seen people with their skull cracked open on the side of the road

[@saltedcod3533]

Thank you for using common sense.

[@Yuary]

Imagine using a helmet xD

[@worldhello1234]

"I live in the Netherlands and ALWAYS wear a helmet:" Good for you, have a cookie.

[@TheResistance8969]

Ik zie letterlijk nooit mensen met een helm. Alleen wielrenners

[@Julius-Ver]

you were definitely just unlucky to have witnessed that, because thats incredibly unlikely to happen. if u wanna wear a helmet go right ahead, but if you just know how to ride a bike properly you will be perfectly fine. crossings are perfectly safe, the scooters pass u the same way regular cyclists pass u, and yes technically not every driver is a cyclist, but id say a large enough amount of people are. even if someone isnt a cyclist themselves, after spending enough time in the netherlands you will still learn to adapt to them as theyre literally everywhere.

[@ejbeekeeper4360]

Almost every elementary school in the Netherlands has a "verkeers examen" day where kids' theoratical and practice skills are tested. Also their bikes are examined for safety that day. They get a dilpoma when the pass this test. So kids now all the traffic rules at a young age and they'll remember it when they eventually get a car.

[@christopherjr7189]

It is the same in Germany. You do a "Fahrrad Führerschein" (Bike Drivers License) in primary school.

[@gustavmeyrink_2.0]

@Rodo Sandoval No, it is just something that happens in school but since there is no home schooling in Germany everybody does it.

[@sentientrob4810]

I did this at school in the UK too. Children were only allowed to cycle to school if you had passed the cycling proficiency test and your bike passed an inspection.

[@sirjmo]

@@sentientrob4810 except in the Netherlands you don't have to pass... It's just a test

[@LarissaTheBrave]

from experience i can tell you that during this one day exam, you learn very little 🤣

[@jannepeltonen2036]

There was a story, of all places in Reader's Digest, back in late 1990s, that the Dutch were actually considering a helmet law, but then they did some research and concluded that 1) accidents in which a helmet would've been useful are extremely rare and 2) a large number of people would've just stopped biking if helmets were mandatory. So the end result was that from a public health perspective, not making helmets mandatory made more sense that introducing helmet laws.

[@esvee498]

True, national safety organizations say they do not support wearing a helmet, because helmets make riding a bicycle looks dangerous, and make people choose to drive a car.

[@woutervanooijen279]

+1 for the second consideration. 'forcing' more people into cars would seriously reduce safety (and comfort).

[@nerglersstuff8890]

Mind finding a source for that claim? I find that very hard to believe. I bike daily and seen a few aftermaths of accidents. Almost all involve smacking the head. 3 where knocked out completely. Statistically about half of all serious injuries involve head trauma. But Holand concluded its not that common? Impossibruuu

[@nathansgreen]

@@nerglersstuff8890 the Netherlands has spent decades engineering their cycling environment to prevent cars from colliding with bicycles. It's not just that drivers are also cyclists, the infrastructure is designed to be safer by default.

[@Flyingwigs]

@@nathansgreen the bike lanes still had curbs, fall on one with your head, and the helmet would have prevented the coma that rider is now in. It's not just cars that cause serious injuries to cyclists, a random rock, a crosswalk pole, your own bike etc. can all cause serious brain injuries at very low speeds.

[@malloott]

Obligating helmets is work of the car industry, they know how much less people will cycle if they have to wear one. The increased risk is a worthy tradeoff If it actually makes people use the bicycle, many more will die of car pollution in the end.

[@andyxox4168]

Sure, but their grammar is exemplary.

[@RantDuJour]

I've lived a few years in Holland and he's absolutely right in theory but none of his argument validates the excuse of not wearing a helmet. Accident protection isn't there to protect you from a working system, it's for when the system isn't working. Hence the defentition of an accident. It only takes one foreign driver or mechanical malfunction to change the rules.

[@werhatmeinlastenradgeklaut9483]

Nobody needs an "excuse" for not wearing a helmet.

[@Gent100]

88% of all cycling casualties in the Netherlands happen as a result of a collision with a motor vehicle. The Netherlands has the highest cycling mortality rate per capita in all of the European Union and in addition, 80,000 Nederlander cyclist crash survivors require hospital admission each year, 50,000 of these are serious injuries. Most Nederlander cyclists treated in hospital with serious head injury didn't wear a helmet. Most casualties who did wear a helmet suffered injuries other than serious head injury. Nederlanders bias in favour of not wearing a helmet is supported by their stubborn fallacious argument. Unfortunately hospital admissions figures don't form the basis of official casualty figures in the Netherlands, only police reports do. Consequently, cyclist collisions involving injury are under reported by a multiple of up to 5.

[@pjcd7016]

The key here is "awareness" and the willingness to share the road. In the United States, cycling is a considered sport / exercise, not transportation, you have to fight just get get bike lanes put it.

[@tomu8237]

Between not having very many bike lanes and the total lack of respect many bike riders have for one another or anything else might have something to with it. Yes, I was born and raised in the United States. The amount of self centered, egotistical pu$$ies on the streets these days is an embarrassment.

[@AlaskanInsights]

@@tomu8237 Oh god i cannot stand Man-Karen with his spandex and $3000 ten speed... those are the worst... I love it when they are in the middle of the left hand turning lane waiting for the light like a car.

[@cosettapessa6417]

@@AlaskanInsights ahahhah man karen

[@futureshock7425]

The country sold its soul to oil long ago

[@AlaskanInsights]

@@futureshock7425 Yah but you can make cool looking plastic helmets with it to make you feel safer... lol... can't live with it, can't live without it. at least that is the paradigm they push.

[@theViperNL]

To learn more about this, I recommend the youtube channel; Not Just Bikes. They explain more about the measures The Netherlands took and why the cyclists feel so safe here.

[@DenianArcoleo]

It works so well because everyone moves in slow-motion in the Netherlands.

[@lunayen]

Wut?

[@hubudubebububububeubub]

Did you know that the netherlands isnt only amsterdam? and the tourist smoke the most weed. so stop

[@RobFeldkamp]

@@hubudubebububububeubub i do not think this is a weed reference. I think it is a reference to the editing style. Also, almost every dutch town has a coffeeshop.

[@OhKnow379]

@@hubudubebububububeubub joke because half the vid is slowmo

[@JacobAnawalt]

Also, so many riders you get a net safety in numbers effect.

[@adityasundar324]

This video gives a really good explanation. I ride a cycle in an Indian Metro. Very often, a cycle is much faster for me to travel than a car, with the only drawback being the hot and sultry climate. I'm quiet quick on the wheels, hence I use a helmet. However another reason why I wear a helmet is to indicate to others that I'm riding fast and I'm serious about cycling. People here hardly wear any helmets for motorcycle, much less a cycle. So when I wear a helmet, it is easier for people to 'spot' me on the road. Most of the accidents happen when people don't see other vehicles/cycles on the road and very often bicycle accidents happen because they are not seen by a bigger vehicle or pedestrians. So I'm the odd one out on the road and people are conscious that I exist on the road. I have noticed that people do take me seriously say when compared to a commuter who rides without a helmet.

[@RaymondGroot]

When my American girlfriend started driving in the Netherlands I was mainly concerned about the added awareness you need to have for cyclists. As described in the video, the collective mindset provides the most safety.

[@AlexS-mf2vj]

You wouldn’t wear a helmet as a pedestrian walking on the street, even though it would probably save a small percentage of lives each year. Same logic.

[@ouicertes9764]

yes, but the equivalent is, if pedestrians were treated as cyclists in other countries, they would have to wear a helmet, ast hey woul be walking on the road. Helmets are needed when fragile bicyclist share the same space with big heavy fast metal tanks. If you fall on a secured bicycle lane, while going 15km/h, you'll get bloody hands, but that's it.

[@jemappellemerci]

@@ouicertes9764 we cycle on car roads inside neighborhoods too though.

[@Jakromha]

@@ouicertes9764 If pedestrians and cars don't share the same space, how do you cross the roads?

[@ouicertes9764]

@@jemappellemerci But inside the neighboorhoods cars don't go too fast and there isn't much of them, so it's safe, you can even walk on those roads.

[@ouicertes9764]

@@Jakromha Pedestrians have side-walks for most of their journey, the crossings happen in controled and regulated (traffic lights, signs) spaces. Why not do the same for bicycles? It would be safer. We already have roads reserved for certain types of mobility, highways for cars, trucks and heavy motorbikes, pedestrians streets in which bikes have to move slowly... The danger in mobility always arise when users with differents speeds and protections have to use the same space. You don't allow bicycles on highways, it's too dangerous. Why do you allow bicycles that go 15km to 25km/H on roads where cars go 50km/h? A different space is needed for safety.

[@patrickwahl9114]

Sad that there is so much hatred for cyclists in the states when we’re just doing what we can with a lack of cycling infrastructure

[@Daniel-dj7fh]

expecially with you 3 football field wide roads

[@brodoginc]

I especially like the ones who drive hours just to cycle on my two lane country road with no shoulder.

[@gdblackthorn4137]

One of the reasons for it is that they have absolutely no respect for auto drivers; especially is cities in San Francisco where they never obey the laws of the road. They ride in and out of traffic, go the wrong way, run stop lights, ride off and on sidewalks, and zig-zag through traffic! I enjoy bicycles but I also see that there is a snobbery by many bicyclists! In Napa county many ride in the middle of the lane, which is a definite way to get yourself killed when the speed limit on that road is 50 mph. I think that people do not like the cycling infrastructure because in many ways it interferes with traffic and overcrowds already small lanes of traffic!

[@davidbaker8483]

@@brodoginc that's so cool you've got your own road. We had Toll roads up to 19th century as well.

[@jansantel6829]

@@brodoginc Ah yes of course, YOUR privately owned road that you personally own.. Or could it maybe be that its public property and as long as people respect traffic laws they have every right to be there?

[@vonbongen9363]

So part of the reason I wear a helmet while cycling in the UK is that I go really fast at certain parts of my commute as I live in a hilly area. Another reason though is that the visor of the helmet is good for keeping rain out of my eyes- when you’re going about 25mph straight into driving rain, that’s a thing you kinda need. Also the roads are full of potholes round here and there are hardly any cycle paths (actually, on the route I go, there are literally none). I’ve only ever got into one accident, and it was on a country road where I got ran over by a car and my bike got wedged under the car along with me- I actually didn’t even tap my head on the floor. Really would rather not risk it though. If I could take a more leisurely and slow commute and if the roads weren’t a nightmare, I might consider swapping the helmet for some goggles or something to deal with the rain issue, but with the infrastructure what it is... yeah I’m gonna keep wearing the helmet I think. And dealing with world-class helmet hair...

[@Yep6803]

me too

[@MrUnterhugel]

While in Holland, I noticed that there was very little protection at train stations and some trains move incredibly fast. I asked a gentleman “How many people get killed by trains every year?”. He said “You must be an American. You see, we have a saying in Holland: Stupid people get hit by trains.” There is a very real sense of personal responsibility.

[@MrThatnativeguy]

I wouldn’t want to be a blind or hearing impaired individual in Holland

[@bettinalykke5151]

@@MrThatnativeguy if you are blind you listen to your environment, if you are deaf you watch what is going on around you

[@bararobberbaron859]

@@MrThatnativeguy There's strips in the floor for blind people to feel when they are near the edge of the platform, all the way from the stairs and to the stairs, there's also small friction dots at the edge of the steps so you can feel if you're still on the stairs or not. And if you're deaf, I mean, just look.

[@sjefhendrickx2257]

@@MrThatnativeguy yes you can be one there are many sthing wich help them like tiles in the pavement, light signals asf

[@ZhannArt]

@@MrThatnativeguy I recently helped a visually impaired lady help the right platform on the station. In the Netherlands if help is asked, people usually will assist.

[@arentsoogjelotte8810]

Well, we don’t wear helmets because: 1. We have done it long enough to not fall. 2. It ruins our hair. 3. We have bicycle lanes, so why would we get hit by a car (at least in my city they do). 4. Nobody does it.

[@Potjenjks2988]

Arentsoogje Lotte liever dood dan met zo’n ding op je knar gezien worden...

[@SupermotoNL]

@@Potjenjks2988 want als je wordt overgereden ben je niet dood met een helm.

[@smart_friendalways4226]

I think helmets are necessary where bike cultures are small/non-existent and cars are dominant.

[@OnlyNeedJuan]

Denk dat het grote verschil is dat een fietser dezelfde bescherming heeft als een voetganger, dus zolang je niet als een idioot de weg op gaat, is de kans dat je geraakt wordt net zo groot als bij een voetganger.

[@MalcolmJameson_1]

you dont wear helmets beacuse you dont ride fast enough. theres 0 chance to ride a decent speed on a bicycle when its so crowded with lame commuters. on the contrary in a city full of fast cars the speed whlie riding a bicycle often goes up to 65-70kph. And therefore a helmet is vital.

[@waaromabonneerikopditnutel4858]

The typical dutch kid learns cycling faster than he learns to walk

[@juliavanderwal8998]

Whahahhahaha 😂😂😂

[@fiifoo2889]

Racist a kid can ve also a she

[@BillyBoze]

@@fiifoo2889 Illiterate, languages can also be used and written correctly.

[@vanthonvenus]

was able to cycle when i was 5 but still tripped over my own feet walking, i can confirm

[@jonaswolthaus1901]

Our walking bike even helps us learn to walk faster.

[@rosecitytid1631]

It's also different because in North America, you usually ride bikes and want to go somewhat fast or do tricks. In the Netherlands, you seem to want to get from point A to B and go at a leisurely pace where you can stop faster, and if you hit something you are less likely to go over the handlebars. Please correct me if I am wrong.

[@BobClemintime]

Depends

[@Jan-qe8cy]

It's also very important to keep the infrastructure of the Netherlands in mind. We have tight roads, so the cars can't even go that fast. We have special biking lanes, as opposed to the dangerous lanes of America. In some places we even have roads where the bike is boss and the car has to slow down. The Dutch government is always looking at different ways we can make things safer like making sure that no corner is a blind corner. When biking is a priority over driving, the regulations and changes will follow and with those the helmets will disappear.

[@0ooTheMAXXoo0]

Jan even in the USA, walking in a city is more dangerous than biking, so where are the calls for people to wear a helmet when walking?

[@specialopsdave]

@@0ooTheMAXXoo0 That can be solved by looking both ways before crossing the street, and head injuries make up the majority of bike fatalities but in pedestrian accidents it's usually blunt force trauma to the torso that kills them. So there is no feasible safety device for pedestrians. Honestly, as long as you aren't sharing roads with cars and are not going too fast, I could care less. I, however, go fast on my bike, so I wear a helmet. A mistuned front brake sent me flying over my handlebars once, headfirst, at about 25mph (40kph I think?), and my helmet probably saved my life, as I landed headfirst.

[@tiaxanderson9725]

@@specialopsdave "at about 25mph (40kph I think?)" First, yes that's 40 km/h. Second, that's the thing isn't it? Check the video, how many people are cycling 20+ miles an hour? No one. Because we have very few cyclists; these are just commuters trying to get from A to B and they happen to use a bike. Road design is based on research and build into national law here. So living street zone? Cars are guests, max 15 kph. 30 kph zone? Cars and bikes share street 50 kph road? Bike lanes 80 kph road? Separated bike paths* Roads aren't as wide, straight, and have things placed right besides them. This reduces traffic speed. Crossings happen at right angles as much as possible to reduce traffic speed. The side walk is raised as to reduce traffic speed. Notice the common factor? Speed. You were *very* right to wear a helmet and I hope you continue to do so. But most Dutch "commuter" bikes are designed for you to sit straight up, facing directly forward, with wide handle bars; they're designed for comfort and the cost of speed. * I may be wrong about the specifics, I don't know the Dutch road code by heart. It should still, however, illustrate my point.

[@specialopsdave]

@@tiaxanderson9725 Read the second half of my comment please. I said that *I* ride fast, because I live in the USA and share the road with cars. Never said it was ideal. In fact, I agree that on storefront or residential streets that you should have very low speed limits anyway, but wishing doesn't help me any because I live in the USA. It also doesn't help that our wheels are smaller and require more speed for upright stability

[@tiaxanderson9725]

@@specialopsdave I did, though I apparently missed the line where you said that you knew that you biked fast. On top of that you'll have to forgive me, as I was replying to you and I realized that there were (almost) no cyclists in the Netherlands - it warped what I was thinking about and what I thought you were saying too :o

[@verbimaarten]

Most important point: there’s dedicated bike infrastructure. That’s a bigger contributor to safety than a helmet.

[@NeoOnyx]

It's totally different for Dutch people to ride bikes as opposed to Americans, because not only is our entire infrastructure shaped for the safety of bicyclists, we grow up riding bikes from a very young age. Usually when kids learn to walk, they also learn to ride a bike. And it's very common for a mom to ride her bike with a kid on the back or the front, so kids get a feel for how traffic moves. For us Dutchies riding a bike is like walking, something you do everyday and mostly to get from A -> B.

[@Propelbikes]

I think this is a great way to explain it. We sure hope that some of this Dutchness can rub off on Americans. It sure would be nice :)

[@platohgl]

@@Propelbikes The main reason why drivers are aware of cyclists is because when your car hits a cyclist it is always the drivers fault, this is governed by law. When taking driving lessons this is imprinted in your mind when driving a motorized vehicle. So this law in enforcing our bike culture. There is also a lot of research available done by specific road and bicycle reasearch institutes (SWOV, VVN, etc.) This started in the 60's when cars became more prominent on the road.

[@Megalodon1986]

Exactly. My son was riding his bike before he was 3 years old. And had such fun doing so. But I must admit, he wore a helmet ;-)

[@RedbadvanRijn-ft3vv]

@@Propelbikes Back in the 80s,when i first had a car.i realy hated our Dutch anti car policy. How litle did i know back then

[@lindaraterink6451]

"And it's very common for a mom to ride her bike with a kid on the back or the front, so kids get a feel for how traffic moves." My mother rode her bike to the store, so she could make dinner for my brothers on the day I was born.

[@katfrog98]

I've spent decades commuting on a bicycle. As with other things, Europe is a different world. In the US cars rule and bicyclists are seen as a nuisance (at best). There's a saying, "Motorists fear pedestrians, and pedestrians fear motorists, but they both hate bicyclists." I always wear a helmet, and one occasion, long ago, I was lucky to have it on, and I still had a concussion. That was enough for me.

[@fjdhaan]

here in NL we also hate people (in groups) on racing bikes, tbf. Obnoxious, always feeling they should have the right to pass immediately, and so on.

[@Yep6803]

in europe wear helmet is getting a rule, rightly...my mom got mad hearing what the dutch said(she doesn't wear, me too btw LOL). The problems aren't cars but many many physical problems.

[@Yep6803]

@@fjdhaan ah, europe is just a big country here LOL damn, as car and bike driver! pedestrians? they walk in bike paths! 🤬

[@Worldwanderista]

"In the Netherlands every car driver is a cyclist, so they know... " love that quote. I wish it was the same in Belgium!

[@Cl0ckcl0ck]

It will be soon. The infection is spreading exponentially at the moment. Belgium will be assimilated in the next decade. Once Germany falls the battle will be won for Europe.

[@superduperfreakyDj]

Well in Belgium almost every driver is a cyclist too, we just don't give a damn

[@112oxford]

Because the Dutch aren’t snowflakes.

[@KlaasjanM]

@@superduperfreakyDj You should wear a helmet because of the terrible state of the roads in Belgium :-)

[@gregleonard1562]

In the Netherlands cyclists have their own protected road space, bike posture is upright ensuring better viewing, the people have been riding bikes since they were toddlers, they ride with a super relaxed air, the country is mostly dream flat, they don't require laws insisting on helmets, leaving it discretionary; yes it all adds up to happy societal bike nirvana. The country is a beacon of cycling hope and an aspiration for all other countries to follow. Unhesitatingly so.

[@averageuncle8176]

Bulshit. They don't even wear glasses. Are you telling me there's no wind, flies, dust, rain or sun? The Dutch people are posers. First of all, the helmet on the head protects against heat.

[@IsaacBelll]

@@averageuncle8176 WTF are you trying to say?

[@averageuncle8176]

@@IsaacBelll Someone from a country where hookers and drugs are legal and famous for them can tell me that he doesn't need a helmet. When you're high, you definitely don't need it. The flies in your eyes probably don't mind either. There is no need to have a discussion. A helmet is a must.

[@danegrun7416]

@@averageuncle8176 Only in the summer close to some kind of lake will there be flies going into our eyes, and even then it's not a worrying factor. The only people wearing a helmet are amateur/professional cyclists, elderly, children and tourists. Like Greg said before everyone is super relaxed when biking.

[@averageuncle8176]

@@danegrun7416 And what do birds eat when you don't have insects there? Only berries? Respectively do you have agriculture, bees and so on at all?

[@dickmacgurn590]

Statistically car drivers have more head injuries than bicyclists so by that logic car drivers should be wearing helmets

[@jessevos3986]

Is that in procentages?

[@birdgincrit]

Or sit on a bicycle in the car

[@jessevos3986]

@@birdgincrit ah yes, the negotiator

[@peterslegers6121]

Hence the _Davies Craig Motoring Helmet_ Kuratorium ZNS (Hannelore Kohl Stiftung für verletzte mit Schäden des zentralen Nervensystems) Geschäftsbericht 2004. DE Causes for head injuries: 48% Car ; 26% Leisure ; 13% Motor Bike ; 9% Work ; 2% Crime ; 1% Cycling ; 1% Walking rebelmetropolis.org/whats-more-problematic-bike-helmets-or-arguing-about-bike-helmets/

[@jessevos3986]

@@peterslegers6121 hah I geuss it is safer to sit on a bike in the car. Thanks for the source and everything!

[@paularckless7254]

Wearing a helmet i reckon saved my life, a slow speed tumble i landed on a patch of soft grass but my the back of my head hit something hidden by the grass that turned out to be a pointy sharp rock, it nearly pierced all the way through the back of my helmet, a group of friends who were with me who laughed when i bought a helmet all went and bought one after that, over the next couple of months one hit a pothole one night the peak on his helmet saved his face wrecked the peak and front of his helmet though, another one swerved past an unleashed dog off road and crashed, it took part of the side of his helmet off so i say wear a helmet you don't know whats around the corner.

[@gary7vn]

Cool story. Statistically unlikely, but cool.

[@paulflory3532]

@@gary7vn Having had a serious concussion from a hard fall from a bicycle, I have a different perspective. It's a combination of likelihood of hitting the floor (on your own, or due to a collision with another vehicle), which is undoubtedly lower in NL and DEN than other places. Crash rate may be only 1%, but it sucks to be in that 1% . Factor in the cost/hassle of wearing one? Modern helmets are so light, comfortable, cool (temp-wise) that it's tiny imposition - and helmets are designed exactly for that. I rarely fall (and once is all it takes), but my last thought before my head hits the floor is invariably "I'm REALLY glad I'm wearing a first-class helmet."

[@flyingmeatball666]

Should it be “ Why do American and Australian wear helmets ?” Lol Not only Dutch , there are many places on the world ppl don’t wear helmets while cycling , like China , Japan, Thailand etc . It’s nothing weird about that. If you are going to hit by car that with a fair bit of speed, unlike motor bike helmet, a bicycle helmet can’t do much.

[@gwaptiva]

Aye, I think I'll go lobby the Chinese government to mandate bicycle helmets and then export the things there :D

[@Wolfgangernst1999]

But there is no country where cycling is as popular as in the Netherlands, so I can see why they chose this example

[@jonasv19]

Actually a bicycle helmet can be the difference between life and death. When you get rear ended on a bicycle by a car or motorcycle, your legs are likely to be tossed up in the air, making you land head first. EDIT: video as example for why bicycle helmets DO make a difference. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mn-pknSniJeZZ5o

[@gwaptiva]

@@jonasv19 Maybe true, anecdotally, but as the Dutch example here shows, not epidemiologically

[@Continuetogo]

Not wearing a helmet in Netherlands vs in Thailand or china are two very different things. In Netherlands there are infrastructure put in place to keep cyclist safe and drivers are responsible and weary of cyclist. There is dedicated cycle lanes that are as prominent (if not more) then car lanes and they have seperate traffic lights for the cycling. The cyclist are treated an equal to car drivers. In Thailand or china they drive like maniacs and don't care about the cyclist...they just think of themselves and will drive wherever there is space...it would be very stupid to not wear a helmet

[@gavin_z28]

Also we got bicycle lanes where sometimes cars can't even come

[@GreenGorgeousness]

This is important. Over here a car driver can just open up the door on you or drive reeeeeeaaaaallly close to you just because they don't like you. Drivers are aggressively anti bike here. Also, helmets protect against falling on the ground, not other dangers. But that's pretty important cuz even if you don't get in a bad accident, hitting your head hard can cause massive damage. There are these neck helmets that inflate like airbags but look like scarfs. I want one of those and hope they get super popular and are included under the helmet guidelines.

[@IPlayBullseye]

heh

[@brendalg4]

@@GreenGorgeousness would neck helmets help if you were in a car crash? Just wondering because I have had my neck injured

[@welkeiserwel]

Best thing I heard is "every car driver in the Netherlands is also a bike rider"

[@deusexaethera]

In the USA, drivers either respect bicyclists or disrespect bicyclists. There are very, very few drivers who don't care. Drivers who respect cyclists will be cautious around them regardless of whether they're wearing a helmet, and drivers who disrespect cyclists will be rude and aggressive around cyclists regardless of whether they're wearing a helmet. So it really comes down to whether you personally believe a piece of Styrofoam that protects you against a very narrow range of severe injuries offers any meaningful benefit to you.

[@jamessmith99731]

Fewer people cycle when they’re required to wear a helmet.

[@Cl0ckcl0ck]

Fewer people will do anything once they (feel they) are forced into stuff by the government. People love freedom and the feeling of freedom.

[@dicklouter5892]

That could mean more cars, so more danger for those with a helmet. On the other side also more room.

[@marcvanderwee]

Not only that, there is a story the (#@%!$*&^) EU wanted to implement a law to make it mandatory to wear helemts in every member of it, thus including Denmark and the Netherlands. Luckily our nation stood rock solid and said: No way!! When helmets are made mandatory here in NL be sure the 3rd world war will start here the same day....

[@Primalxbeast]

@@marcvanderwee Does the EU really have that much power over member countries? Our states in the US determine those kind of laws, and we're all part of the same country. I find it odd that the EU would have the power to micromanage countries on that level.

[@marcvanderwee]

@@Primalxbeast Hey Primalxbeast. Sadly enough that (#@%!&*) EU has that surplus of power. At the other hand it is also that when a member does not implement a specific law or rule (complete) they don't always take action. It depends of what country (countries) it is (are). A good example is this one. There is an agreement that the budget deficit of the members should not exceed 3%. Well, once is allowed, but no second time. Germany and France exceeded the deficit twice or more and they plead for no punishment. The Dutch government pressed the EU to implement the punishment for the 2 countries. I am not sure whether the EU took action. But a couple of years later Portugal got the same issue about the deficit and what country was the first to yell 'punishment for Portugal'? You guess, it was France!!! I don't like that #@%!*& EU, and that is no secret at all! About the helmet law: It is a fact that cycling in most members is pretty dangerous. Denmark and the Netherlands are the only 2 with a safe cycle environment. Because of the cycle infra and also the mentallity of drivers towards cyclists and the other way around.

[@alexanderpapathanasis2084]

"All states implement helmet laws" Well... Funny how they're concerned about bike laws but not about gun control

[@omegastar19]

Actually, people who oppose restricting guns in the US are generally the same people who oppose safety laws like wearing helmets or wearing seatbelts (yes, there are seriously people there who believe they should be allowed not to ever wear a seatbelt if they want to). But guns laws are a bigger issue so that one gets all the attention.

[@m4d_al3x]

@@omegastar19 I mean, why should you HAVE to wear a seatbelt? youre not hurting anyone else, and if you think youre safe like this, well than its your decision.

[@maryhunter6389]

@@m4d_al3x - Why wouldn't you wear a seat belt? It is not an opinion whether or not a seatbelt is safer, it's a fact. When you are being catapulted with 100 km/h you'll wish you wore one.

[@m4d_al3x]

wearing a seatbelt is of course safer than not wearing one, but does this mean everybody has to be FORCED to wear one? i mean, i they are only hurting themselves, not others.

[@teineeva7868]

@@m4d_al3x If you're catapulted into someone else with a velocity of about 100km/hour, I can bet you you're hurting someone else. That's ignoring any mental trauma one might suffer from seeing a person fly through the air like that.

[@HenriZwols]

2:52 "every car driver in the Netherlands is also a cyclist" This. You can stop the video now. This is why cycling in the Netherlands is relatively safe.

[@HorribleOldCrank]

A few years ago my wife had a low-speed (under 5 mph) accident on her bike while crossing some railroad tracks on a paved bike path in Madison, Wisconsin, struck her head on the pavement with no helmet on, and was heavily concussed. I drove her to the Emergency Room and was terrified her brain was bleeding internally. On the drive she kept asking me what had happened, and forgot the answer after 25 seconds or so. The whole thing was terrifying. In the end she was fine, although she had a hard time dealing with bright light and loud sounds for months thereafter, and difficulty concentrating for a few weeks. She was lucky. Bottom line, Low speed accidents can cause horrific harm too. Helmets are an absolute necessity, regardless of what the Dutch or anyone else thinks.

[@gregkosinski2303]

Not really. People fall and bump their heads walking all of the time too, sometimes fatally. But absolutely no one wears a helmet walking.

[@TheBusttheboss]

@@gregkosinski2303 the risk of someone falling and bumping their head fatally from walker is way way lower than from cycling

[@crazymonkeyVII]

@@TheBusttheboss no, it's actually quite comparable. I'm Dutch, have been cycling all my life and there have been a couple of times I've fallen off my bike (once being hit by a car on a roundabout, once getting my steering bar entangled with another bike, once hitting a flagpole with my handlebar because I wasn't paying attention, once falling off after hitting a curb, and plenty of times as a kid). I've never hit my head at all, it's always my hands and/or knee that get a friction wound. Bikes in the Netherlands are typically upright, and in a reflex you stretch out your arms to break the fall. I don't know anybody here that has ever worn a helmet except those that are driving racing bikes (and are actually racing) and nobody that I know has ever incurred a serious head injury from biking. It's just not something that happens often!

[@crazymonkeyVII]

@@ProjectExMachina what kind of bike do you have? Dutch type or sports bike?

[@crazymonkeyVII]

@@ProjectExMachina ai, then that sounds really unlucky. How did you fall?

[@martianpudding9522]

I guess there's stigma against it too, if you wore a helmet when casually riding a bike to a Dutch person you'd look the same as if you were wearing a helmet as a pedestrian anywhere else.

[@benja_mint]

fun fact: statistically being a pedestrian is more dangerous than riding a bike

[@onlycorner5565]

first point. youngsters and adults have very fast reflexes ,they are the ones who lived the hole bike for commute plan since the 80s( an tangent is old people using ebikes are more likely to crash) second point ,once you use the bike that way for 30 years you dont let any external source dictate your lifestyle just because they think its best

[@Indy_21]

You don't really go at the same speed on a bike and you fall from higher but also differently. I don't know why some compare being a pedestrian to being a cyclist in that way. I'll wear my helmet when cycling, it's a normal precaution for me and I don't understand why some push for others not to wear a helmet.

[@martianpudding9522]

@@Indy_21 I think it's because in the Netherlands bikes are just so ubiquitous and the infrastructure and culture do really make it safe. It's probably still not as safe as walking but honestly not too far off and much safer than riding a bike in the US for example. We also take our bikes everywhere so carrying around a helmet would be pretty inconvenient. You would be taking your helmet to the grocery store, the bar, the theater, restaurants, the dentist, etc. If everyone in the Netherlands wore helmets all the time, everywhere you go would be piles of helmets But specifically in my comparison it's just because pedestrians aren't expected to wear helmets, so if they do it's weird. In the Netherlands it's the same for cyclist because they're not expected to wear helmets (unless they're kids), so it's weird to us when they do.

[@Magnulus76]

@@benja_mint That's not a justification why not wearing a helmet on a bicycle is safe.

[@benjik3161]

imagine ariving at a night club with ur bike helmet under your arm lmao

[@jimins_lostjaammzzz1620]

benjamin k033 that’s genius

[@saetanegra3356]

Right or wrong, the response in the UK to that would be, "Imagine arriving at a nightclub on a bike!" 😱🤯

[@TheSuperhoden]

That's nightmare scenario for my hair

[@baranderksen]

Hahahahaha Ik ga helemaal stuk

[@sweetlemon9554]

Imagine leaving . That would be something.

[@GiesbertNijhuis]

When we walk, we don't wear a helmet, and to us riding a bike is like walking. Plus we have bike lanes, that makes a big difference in safety.

[@Pyrolonn]

That's what I was thinking, the odds of injury as a pedestrian are higher than as a bicyclist, but you don't see pedestrians wearing helmets.

[@overout429]

I other words, you have the situation well in hand . Seems like everything works there. Congratulations.

[@jake6t9]

Oh, before long Americans will be required to wear helmets while walking. That's the problem here. We save all the idiots who should die from natural selection. We are disrupting the natural order by protecting all the morons from themselves to the detriment of everyone else.

[@Kitiwake]

And at almost the same speed.

[@2lizard559]

@@jake6t9 But it does depend on where you are biking, right? If you casually do up to 25 km/h in some semi-urban area and something happens, that is quite the hit to your head

[@boburzod]

The thing is, there's a difference between being a cyclist and just a bicycle commuter. I don't say they do it right by not wearing a helmet, it just feels weird for every day thing

[@Michiel_de_Jong]

Low speed, save biking infrastructure, upright biking, experienced traffic participants, protective laws.

[@Propelbikes]

Excellent point. This combo really makes a safe environment

[@UmpieNL]

Oooh right. The upright biking probably also helps. You don't fly head first to the ground. Never thought about that.

[@1zui]

But who wants to cycle at low speed?

[@Michiel_de_Jong]

@@1zui | Who wants to walk at low speed? I would say; _"Most,_ _except_ _those_ _who_ _wants_ _to_ _run."_ Same goes for cyclists heading for their destinations.

[@Barrrt]

Things are changing now with electric bikes though. I recently saw an electric bike commuter with a big helmet and I though "thats the way to do it my man". He was going like 30 though. Normally when I see germans with helmets I'm like: you guys just dont understand.

[@LindaCasey]

This question made me laugh. As a 71 year old American, we never wore helmets and knee pads when we rode our bikes or skated. Here in the Netherlands, the Dutch are far more practical and don't go overboard with rules and regulations like we do in the States. Your friend was spot on when he said that every car driver is also a cyclist so already knows the rules of the game. Brilliant answer. 💖

[@rushfan9thcmd]

Heck yeah. Makes you wonder how we survived those dark ages. The phone was attached to the wall. Lawn darts used to be fun. 3 wheelers were great offroad fun. Too many people telling others how to live their lives but they are the first ones to cry "my body my choice". Our bodies our choices as well. Yep. How did we ever survive those times.

[@LindaCasey]

@@rushfan9thcmd 😄 Don't EVEN get me started on how I used to sick my whole arm down rabbit holes to see if I could catch one. 🙄

[@jesser110]

Interesting what you are saying, comming from a 21 year old Dutch student I feel like the netherlands is over regulated. So much social controll, there is a rule for everything.. Maybe that is because it is a country that is relative small for the amount of people living there or it is culture..

[@LindaCasey]

@@jesser110 I'll agree that the words 'moet' and 'mag niet' are prevalent in Dutch society 😎 and of course there are pros and cons within both systems of government. I think the best thing to do is live to in both countries for a period of time to see the differences I speak of. I'd love to see a mixture of both cultures to be honest. Society would be a lot happier for it. 💖

[@jameswhite6740]

No kidding aren't just sick of alll the sheeple that can't seem to manage life without someone making rules and warnings.

[@ikrame8442]

We don't wear helmets cuz I rather die then be seen with that ugly thing on my head.

[@dicklouter5892]

You are the ugly thing.

[@juliavanderwal8998]

So true this

[@timmmahhhh]

A Swedish company came up with a helmet that works like an airbag. I'm guessing a traditional helmet is cheaper.

[@fjolliff6308]

Thank you for leaving the part at the end with the kids! Just made my day!