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| Read Boardman's full statement "Why I didn't wear a helmet on BBC" on the British Cycling website. |
The helmet flap has been brought back into the news because Boardman is about to release a bicycle safety film -- aimed not at cyclists, but at the drivers of cars. The short film, called Space, is meant to educate drivers about a British Highway Code section that requires drivers to give cyclists and horse riders as much room as a car, and reinforces the legal right of bicyclists to ride two abreast. I'm not exactly certain of the full contents of that particular section of their highway code, but it sounds like it's similar to the 3-foot passing laws that are making their way in some states here in the U.S. Boardman says (as all cyclists know) "Some motorists don't give cyclists sufficient space when overtaking, failing to take into account the wobble room a cyclist needs. Cyclists don't always ride in a straight line partly because they can spot potholes and other road imperfections that motorists can't."
Boardman points to cities in the Netherlands to show how the large number of cyclists on the roads, as well as well-thought-out bicycle infrastructure, make cycling safer - despite the fact that helmet use is less than 0.5%. He wants to make bicycling such a normal part of life that people don't fear it. He says, "We are drowning in data - economic, health, pollution, you pick any battleground you want and using cycling as a mode of transport for short journeys wins hands down."
The real issues to bicycling safety come from cars with inattentive drivers and poor road design -- not from the cyclists' attire, or their helmets. But the attitude of most legislators (and the people who leave asinine, psychotic comments on any bicycle-related story on the internet) is that bicycle safety is solely up to the cyclists themselves. Mandatory helmet laws are often the result of that kind of thinking. Boardman points out that countries that have brought in compulsory helmet laws - "such as Australia and New Zealand - have actually seen a 30 to 50% drop in the number of people cycling." He added, "When less than 2% of people in the UK cycle regularly, bringing in a law that would actually put more people off would be a serious step back."
"If cycling looks and feels normal, more people will cycle. The more people cycle, the safer they are," he says in his statement on British Cycling. He also goes on to point out how cycling can help reduce the numbers of people who suffer from obesity-related illnesses, and from pollution-related illnesses.
Boardman's attitude about helmets seems to be pretty similar to my own. When I'm suiting up for a long ride, a helmet is just part of my regular routine. There are other times, like riding through my neighborhood to pick up a few groceries, that I'll leave it behind. More importantly, I have no illusions that a helmet will do anything for me in a collision with a car. They simply are not designed or built to protect in that kind of impact (if you don't believe me, read about helmet testing HERE). Nobody should overestimate what a helmet will do for them, but unfortunately, to people who don't ride (like most legislators, I assume), helmets are everything.
It's good to see someone trying to re-direct attention onto the real issues that affect bicyclists' safety. Too bad that all people see is a guy who didn't wear a helmet on the BBC. I'll be interested to see the film that Boardman was working on with the British Cycling Federation. I'll probably post a link here on the blog when it gets released.
When I first started riding a bike as a child in the 70s, helmets were just not a thing on anybody's radar. Maybe you'd see a pro wearing some goofy hairnet thing, but that was about it. As such, wearing a helmet was never an ingrained habit for me, no matter what type of riding, or distance or style of bike/clothing.
ReplyDeleteAs I've gotten older, and hopefully a little wiser, I've come around, and will usually wear a helmet if I'm doing a spirited ride on public roads. Obviously I wear one if I'm doing some kind of event, due to rules. Outside of that, if I'm just tootling around the neighborhood, I almost never wear a helmet. If I'm doing a ride on a bikepath (MUP) I never grab a helmet, fast ride or slow. Despite crashes of various intensities, I've managed to keep my melon mostly intact over the years.
The past few weekends have been particularly lovely around here, and of course this means that you see plenty of families out and about in the neighborhood. I was walking my dogs around my very quiet, mostly cul-de-sacs, neighborhood, and there was a group of 2 young children (6-10 yrs old, if I had to guess) and mother (late 20s, again guessing) riding their bikes on the sidewalks. The kids both had training wheels and knee and elbow pads, and all 3 of them were wearing helmets. I'm always glad to see more people on bikes, but it seemed a shame that they were apparently so terrified of them.
It bums me out that people are being trained to fear bikes.
"Were you wearing a helmet?" How many times have you talked a non-biking acquaintance about a little fall you may have had, possibly skinned a knee/elbow, and that's the first thing out of their mouths?
Wolf.
Shifting accents is what this forcing to wear bicycle helmets is all about. I've never wore it and never will. People tend to think this styrofoam contraption will help to survive in an accident, however the main goal is to avoid accidents. Train your reaction, learn to not to be too twitchy and be predictable for those who drive behind and beside you, show turn and stop signs with your hands. And... learn how to fall down properly. Falling is the first lesson to learn in many Asian martial arts. If the crash is inevitable, or you got hit by a car already, you have plenty time to group your body before the impact and quench the inertia by rolling instead of outstretching your limbs and neck.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, there are many ways to damage your head by wearing a helmet. My last crash was like that: I flew over the bars at >40 km/h (as a retrogrouch myself, I don't have none of electronical stuff on the bike) and fell on tarmac, rolling my body. Nothing was broken, just few serious bruises and slight scratch on the skin surface on my head. If I was in helmet which enlarges the diameter of the head, I'd end up with heavy concussion.
Stop forcing people to wear helmets, let them decide. It is still not a panacea and it sends wrong message to those who haven't bought a bicycle yet. Boardman is right.
Gotta admit that the first part about being a wonderfully predictable cyclist seems humourous when followed by an incident of flying over the handlebars at >40kms/hr and being less injured because you weren't wearing a helmet. Thanks, I had a long day and needed a laugh.
Deletenone of that has a thing to do with the fact that if I come off my bike because of a dog, a cat, a car squeezing me, an open drivers door etc etc, i stand a good chance of a concussion without a helmet.
ReplyDeleteHelmets do not prevent concussions. They reduce the chance of skull fracture. Studies of hockey and football players have proven that concussions are insensitive to helmet use.
DeleteYes they do.
Deletehttps://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/do-helmets-prevent-head-injuries/
DeleteIn that link, the article specifically states that helmets may not prevent concussions--just as I said.
DeleteLook at American Football (helmet) and Football (no helmet), ice hockey (helmet). Concussions seem to happen whether the helmet is there or not and "special" helmets don't help.
One other thing: helmets don't protect the face or jaw. My wife crashed on her face and passed out with a nasty concussion. So much for helmets saving you from concussions!
the fact is a helmet lessens the chances of a head injury when I fall off my bike. period
DeleteI really don't think anyone would argue that you shouldn't wear a helmet. But I would argue that you should never overestimate what a helmet will do for you. There are many situations and types of accidents that will completely overwhelm the helmet's ability to protect.
DeleteI tend to underestimate
DeleteThe argument that more helmet use leads to less bicycle use is a complete red herring to me. I'm not risking my skull to promote bike riding for the masses. If they don't see the benefits of bike riding that ain't my problem.
ReplyDeleteActually it is not a red herring at all. Think about it: if you are *constantly* being asked whether or not you wore a helmet, what are those people thinking about? They are thinking about how "dangerous" cycling is...Occam at work here.
DeleteI don't really care what those people are thinking about to tell you the truth. I know a helmet lessens my odds of head injury when I ride my bike. End of story.
DeleteThat's fine for it to be the end of the story for you, but the problem with the argument around helmet use is that it focusses on individual responsibility, where the greatest gains in safety for cyclists are in improvements to infrastructure. I am from Australia - compulsory helmet laws reduced the number of cyclists by about 30-40%, numbers have only recently returned to their former levels. The consequence of that reduction was a lack of investment in cycle infrastructure - it set back cycling in Australia for years.
DeleteI've had my share of accidents but the worst one was being hit in a crossover by a non-signaling car at roughly 30mph. I was flying downhill at the same speed and was launched over the car's roof. I wasn't wearing a helmet and can't help but wonder if I could've gotten off more lighly. Now an avid helmet-wearer, It saved my skin during a ride in unfamiliar territory where a rail track was obscurred by shadows. My wheel locked into the straight track during a leaning 20mph turn and I went down with hardly a second to react. The helmet now has a nasty dent on the side while I merely skinned a knee. Not even a headache. They're not pretty, but I'll wear one every time unless it's a predictable ride at a leisurely pace, similar to what Chris Boardman was referring to. So long story short, I agree with Chris and only add that clumsy or unlucky riders such as myself will benefit from a helmet during a crash. YMMV.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate Boardman using his visibility to inject some welcome perspective to a topic dominated by knee-jerk absolutists.
ReplyDeleteI have taught my kids that they wear bike helmets because the local law requires it for those under 14. They see me wear mine for certain kinds of riding, such as when I expect technical trails or rapid descents, or frankly when I feel like it. Local riding conditions vary so greatly that it is impossible to make a general pronouncement that in certain circumstances isn't downright silly. Our culture is weird enough to insist on both bicycle helmets and the right to carry concealed weapons.
While I always wear mine, I appreciate his point that helmets are insufficient. In the US, minimizing delay to vehicle drivers has been a road design priority, and the result is roads that encourage speeding. Police and courts can't keep up, so drivers can drive 10 or even 15 mph over the speed limit with impunity.
ReplyDeleteDrive at the speed limit doen an arterial or interstate, and count how many times you get ppassed. Next time you're at an intersection, watch how many drivers run red lights, or turn on red or go through stop signs without stopping first.
We need to change the culture that says nonviolent crimes are socially acceptable. 32,000 dead and two million hurt per year says motor vehicle violations should be considered violent and unacceptable.
I have only worn my helmet a handful of times in the past 15 years. I wore it for racing in the 80s and 90s. I am increasingly seen as a freak. Which is annoying and unfortunate. The reality is that I focus on what *really* matters to safety most: situational awareness, space, outs, visibility, and what I call aggressive establishment & protection of space. But because I don't wear a helmet, I really don't think any "ordinary" people listen to a thing I have to say--which is unfortunate--because they could really use the advice!
ReplyDeletePrecisely! Very well put. I like your phrase, "aggressive establishment and protection of space." Although I might prefer "assertive" to "aggressive." That sums up the Forester approach. The bottom line is that cycling safety is about human vigilance and judgment, and assertiveness must be part of that equation. It's what I've been coaching to my kids since day 1 riding on neighborhood roads. Imagine if vehicular cyclist training were required, beginning at age 12, before one was eligible for a driver's license. Ideally, this training would have a rational approach to helmets. But then I'm an idealist.
DeleteI really like "assertive" better--good idea.
DeleteIronically a significant portion of my philosophy comes from my driver's ed instructor way back in 1982. He said, "there is no such thing as an automobile accident" and his point was to always have an out--never put yourself into a situation in traffic or geometry that leaves you now escape. This is precisely the problem we see repeated every day by brain-dead drivers: passing on blind hills, curves, areas with no shoulder etc. I've personally prevented numerous accidents by seeing the potential for this and backing off, pulling over before the turn, or taking a lane so that nobody could attempt a pass at the wrong time.
Oh flamin" hell! not this helmet crap again. I"m not against helmets. Heck, I own one and even wear it sometimes.Usually at organized events that require them. If you like wearing a helmet and it makes you feel better then by all means wear it. But don't be fooled into thinking that just because you have a little scrap of styrofoam beer cooler strapped to your head that you are safe. If bike helmets were closer to the size,weight and construction of motorcycle helmets you might have an argument. But then of course no one would wear such a helmet on a bicycle. I agree with Gios above that self righteous people tend to talk to you like the village idiot if you choose not to wear a helmet. These are the sort of people who load their wallyworld mountain bikes into the suv and DRIVE them to the local forest preserve to ride around in circles. If they had a clue they would have known that statistically they were in more danger of getting a head injury on the drive to the park than on the bike. Perhaps they should wear the damned helmet while in the car.
ReplyDeleteHaha! That's what I've done to drivers who have accosted me at red lights! "Where's your helmet?!" They ask. I reply, "Where's YOUR helmet?" No joke.
Delete