For some years now, there's been an ongoing argument between one of my sons and me over which is more dangerous; motorbikes or horse-riding. Today, he has won, for I read in The Times that horse riding is twenty times more likely to cause serious injury than riding a motorbike. I have to say, I was surprised (fortunately, he's at a conference in the U.S. this week, so may not get to read it).
But. More dangerous than either, in my opinion, is something nearly all of us do several times a day; going up and down stairs. At the yard where my horse lives, one rider and one instructor have both lost their mothers, killed by falling down stairs. Another instructor was paralysed falling down stairs, and I broke my back twelve years ago falling down stairs. Stairs are dangerous.
And yet do we ever see health warnings about the dangers lurking on the staircase? Red meat, processed meat, alcohol, cigarettes, even conkers...all have press attention regularly devoted to their attendant dangers. We are told to test our smoke alarms, and be careful when handling fireworks. The dangers of driving are regularly aired. But of stairs, not a word.
Perhaps we should have a Minister for Stairs. Seriously.
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My Dad never fails to point out that most people die in a bed. But have you ever seen a health warning on the wall next to one?
ReplyDeleteAh, but the bed doesn't contribute to the death. People lie in bed because they are sick. The same doesn't apply to stairs.
DeleteStairs aren't dangerous if one stays near the bottom of the flight. Height is dangerous as are Corned Beef tins.
ReplyDeleteAdrian, I always open the tin using an oven glove. Problem solved!
DeleteI open corned beef tins at each end and then it's easy to push the contents out instead of poking around with some implement or other.
DeleteI'm surprised by the horses v bikes thing too. Maybe it's because horse riders will generally continue riding even after being injured, and bike riders are less likely to?
ReplyDeletePatsy, my answer to Son was always that most of us ride off road, and therefore are not subjected to the errors of motorists (another motor cycling son was badly injured once by a driver who went through red lights). I do wonder about that statistic. But then, I would, wouldn't I?
DeleteThe horse has a mind of its own. The bike doesn't. I don't think either are safe, but then we take our lives in our hands every time we drive a car. My philosophy is to assume that everyone else on the road is an idiot.
ReplyDeleteAnd everyone on a horse....?
DeleteYou are so right Frances. When I fell down stairs a couple of years back I was very shaken and then later so grateful that I hadn't caused myself a life-changing injury. All staircases should be covered with a six inch thick layer of foam rubber in my humble opinion.
ReplyDeleteYP. it seems you and I are in good company. But I'm glad you suffered no long-term effects. Foam at the bottom of the stairs might make for a softer landing (no pun intended)?
DeleteI've fallen off a horse with no injury but fell downstairs and dislocated my shoulder (ouch). Thankfully, I've never fallen off a motorbike but then I have spent more hours on horses and stairs than bikes!
ReplyDeleteSorry, Frances, stairs aren't dangerous per se as a general rule. They are stationary. They need to be negotiated with care. Rarely do other stair users cause one to have an accident. Horses are inherently problematic in their actions(I came off one when riding down the edge of a ridge on Helvellyn and fell over the ridge so you're not alone). Motorbikes provide an abundance of opportunity for injury unrelated to the bike itself. Just thoughts.
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