{"id":812,"date":"2015-08-17T22:23:57","date_gmt":"2015-08-18T02:23:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/velologic.com\/publishing\/?p=812"},"modified":"2015-08-17T22:23:57","modified_gmt":"2015-08-18T02:23:57","slug":"bicycle-helmets-and-cycling-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/velologic.com\/publishing\/2015\/08\/bicycle-helmets-and-cycling-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Bicycle Helmets and Cycling Safety"},"content":{"rendered":"

Monday Motivation<\/h2>\n

\u201cI attribute this to my success. I never gave or took any excuse.\u201d \u2013Florence Nightingale<\/p>\n

Mandatory Helmet Laws and Cycling Safety<\/h2>\n

There has been a lot of discussion about whether the mandatory helmet laws are a good idea or not. Recently it resurfaced in the Australian Senate. (We\u2019re talking traditional helmets here, not this kind<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

As I recall there are at least three main issues: 1) the effectiveness of helmets, 2) whether they help or hinder safety on the road, 3) whether helmet laws deter cycling in general.<\/p>\n

On the effectiveness of helmets, I\u2019ve had at least two concussions\u2026 er, that I can remember. The most serious one, referred to as \u201cthe alleged accident\u201d at Velo Logic HQ, where I was unconscious and hospitalized, happened taking a gentle corner at 16-18 mph (according to a friend behind me).<\/p>\n

Ever since then I\u2019ve had doubts about the efficacy of helmet, though I still wear one.\u00a0 (On helmet ineffectiveness see Robinson Dorothy, 2006.\u00a0Do enforced bicycle helmet laws improve public health?.\u00a0<\/a>BMJ 2006;332:722-725.)<\/p>\n

Regarding helmets effect on the road, research has shown that drivers give cyclists without helmets significantly more room when passing. (Ian Walker found that wearing a helmet led to a 23% increase in cars inside the 3 ft danger zone, Accident Analysis & Prevention, March 2007.)<\/p>\n

In my opinion the issue is easily resolved. As the Aussies say, it\u2019s bloody simple mate, leave it up to the cyclists, let each person decide whether to wear a helmet or not. We\u2019re big boys and girls, we can make up our own minds and accept the consequences.<\/p>\n

This is not a trivial issue, which is precisely why people should be able to decide for themselves, not forced to conform to what politicians and bureaucrats decide is best.<\/p>\n

What say ye?<\/p>\n

Australian Senate Inquiry Hears from Doctors and Academics<\/a><\/p>\n

Cycling Demonstration for Fallen Cyclist Disrupted by Bus Collision<\/h2>\n

In Helsinki a group of 850 cyclists riding in honor of a cyclist killed in a collision with a car last week, were inadvertently part of a demonstration of just how dangerous cycling can be, when a bus ran into the group. Thankfully no one was seriously injured, but fisticuffs ensued between a cyclist and the bus driver.<\/p>\n

Bus Collides with Cycling Safety Demonstrators<\/a><\/p>\n

—–<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s make it a great week, no excuses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Monday Motivation \u201cI attribute this to my success. I never gave or took any excuse.\u201d \u2013Florence Nightingale Mandatory Helmet Laws and Cycling Safety There has been a lot of discussion about whether the mandatory helmet laws are a good idea or not. Recently it resurfaced in the Australian Senate. (We\u2019re talking traditional helmets here, not … Continue reading Bicycle Helmets and Cycling Safety<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":813,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,97],"tags":[233,232,32,139],"class_list":["post-812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cycling-news","category-opinion","tag-australia","tag-bicycle-helmet","tag-cycling","tag-safety"],"yoast_head":"\nBicycle Helmets and Cycling Safety - Velo Logic<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/velologic.com\/publishing\/2015\/08\/bicycle-helmets-and-cycling-safety\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Bicycle Helmets and Cycling Safety - Velo Logic\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Monday Motivation \u201cI attribute this to my success. 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