Should Cycle Helmets be Made compulsory in the UK?
2007-03-09 04:06 PM | Posted by Tejvan Pettinger | Permanent Link | urban cycling
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Arguments against making helmets a legal requirement.
- The benefits of cycle helmets are often overrated. Helmets are designed for impact at low speed. They would reduce the impact of some head injuries but unfortunately in many accidents they wouldn’t be able to stop serious injury.
- Compulsory Helmets would deter people from cycling. The health benefits of cycling far outweigh the risks associated with cycling. In an age of an ever increasing obesity related illnesses it is more important to get people cycling and improve people’s fitness.
- On average, 1 child per year is killed from head injuries whilst cycling. In most cases a cycle helmet would have been insufficient to prevent injury. However the number of children who are unfit and will die early from obesity related illnesses such as heart disease numbers in the 1000s. Cyclists live on average 2 years longer than non cyclists.
- A report in Australia claimed that when compulsory helmet wearing was introduced the number of cycling helmets fell. The reason for this was that the law simply reduced the number of cyclists. Fatalities pro rata didn’t change
- Personal choice.
- A study showed that cycle helmets would have more effect if they were worn whilst travelling in a car, rather than on a bike. Because there are more head injuries incurred in a car. I think it would be funny if cycle helmets were made compulsory for people travelling in a car. I wonder whether the BMA would still support that?
- Wearing a cycle helmet encourages a false sense of security and makes some cyclist more willing to take risks. The most important thing is to avoid accidents in the first place not hope a feeble helmet will alleviate the impact a little.
Despite all these arguments I always wear a helmet. Why?
- My mother tells me to.
- There offer very little protection but something is better than nothing. It might help in a small number of cases so it worth using just for this.
- Wearing a helmet causes no discomfort. If you get used to wearing one. It feels as natural as wearing a cap. Most people who won’t wear a helmet tend to be old and are used to riding without one.
I do advise people to wear a helmet but the government shouldn’t make it a legal requirement. If the government wants to reduce cycle related injuries it should tackle the cause which is bad driving and bad road design. Over 3,000 people are killed on British roads every year. This is because drivers routinely drive in a dangerous way, break speed limit, drive after drinking alcohol, drive on mobile phone, take risks.
- I also sincerely feel that enforcing the legal requirement to have working lights would be much more effective in reducing cycling fatalities.
- Also wearing a fluorescent clothing so you are seen is probably more beneficial for saving injuries than wearing a helmet.
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