Part 2: No Helmet, No Excuse — The Real Cost of a Head Injury

One Fall Away: A Series on Helmets, E-Bikes & Brain Injuries

Part 2: No Helmet, No Excuse — The Real Cost of a Head Injury

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

📝 Names and some identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of those involved.

They zoom past me all the time.

Electric bikes. Scooters. No helmets. No lights. No common sense.

Sometimes there’s a kid riding on the back, barely holding on. No protection. No clue what could happen.

The Myth of Invincibility

People think it won’t happen to them. But physics doesn’t care. A fall at 25 km/h can end your life or ruin it forever.

The Rise in E-Bike & Scooter Accidents

• Some models go over 40 km/h
• Riders often skip helmets
• Many don’t know or ignore the law
• Injuries and hospital visits are increasing every year

What Happens After a Brain Injury?

Everything changes. Your independence, your identity, your future. You may not even remember who you are. You may become someone a stranger has to feed, wash, lift—and eventually forget.

Helmets Save Lives

Wearing a helmet can reduce serious head injury by up to 70%. Don’t say it’s uncomfortable. Say it saved your life.

We All Have a Role to Play

Governments must:

• Enforce helmet laws
• Educate newcomers and tourists
• Track injury data

You must:

• Wear a helmet every time
• Talk to your kids
• Speak up when you see unsafe behaviour

👉 In Part 3: We ask the question no one wants to face: What if it was you?