PRI: Public Radio International

Bike ridership low due to promotion of helmets, urban motility expert says

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 14:45:00 -0500

Evidence clearly shows the benefits of wearing a helmet in a bike crash. But some critics are now arguing that there are unintended consequences to helmet-wearing, like a decrease in bike ridership.

Dennis Workman

Sat, 02 Jun 2012 09:41:05 -0500

This is an interesting article and for the 2% drop over a 3 year period could this be looked at a drop for another reason? I do believe that there should be laws for children till certain age but adults should be aloud to make there own decision good or bad. Would be interesting to follow up in other areas to how helmets are affecting adult riding.

Richard Burton

Sat, 02 Jun 2012 11:34:37 -0500

"Evidence clearly shows the benefits of wearing a helmet in a bike crash."

No it doesn't. In fact, all the long term, large scale, reliable research done by people disinterested in the outcome shows clearly that there is no benefit from helmet wearing. So presumably the writer of this article is referring to the small scale, short term, unreliable research carried out by helmet proponents.

Helmet propaganda and laws have two effects: they deter people from cycling and they make obscene profits for the manufacturers, there is no safety benefit. Because cycling confers such huge health benefits, regular cyclists live longer and suffer less from all forms of illness, and the people thus deterred lose those benefits, the overall effect is large and negative. Helmet propaganda has been compared to tobacco advertising, as it has the same effects: massive private profits and gigantic costs to the public health. In the middle of an obesity epidemic set to cost uncountable billions, largely caused by the failure to exercise, helmet propaganda is frankly insane.

Check out cyclehelmets.org for the facts rather than the propaganda.

Art Frethy

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 07:47:16 -0500

I never ride without a helmet. A pick-up truck struck me while bicycling four years ago. When I regained consciousness, the Doctors told me the only reason I survived was because I was wearing a helmet. I'll take bicycle helmet and alive vs. no helmet and dead.