Bradley Wiggins' call for the wearing of cycle helmets to be made compulsory has certainly raised an issue that is fraught with controversy.
Some facts about cycling accidents
• Around three quarters of cyclists killed have major head injuries
• Around 75% of fatal or serious cyclist accidents occur in urban areas
• Around half of cyclist fatalities occur on rural roads
• 75% happen at, or near, a road junction
• 80% occur in daylight
• 80% of cyclist casualties are male
• Almost one quarter of the cyclists killed or injured are children
What are the common causes of cycling accidents?
• Motorist emerging into path of cyclist
• Motorist turning across path of cyclist
• Cyclist riding into the path of a motor vehicle, often riding off a pavement
• Cyclist and motorist going straight ahead
• Cyclist turning right from a major road and from a minor road
• Child cyclist playing or riding too fast
Head injuries and cycling
Head injuries, ranging from fatal skull fractures and brain damage to minor concussion and cuts, are very common injuries to cyclists. Hospital data shows that over 40% of cyclists and 45% of child cyclists who have accidents suffer head injuries. A study of 116 fatal cyclist accidents found over 70% of the cyclist fatalities had moderate or serious head injuries.
Many children suffer from serious head injuries especially when they are not riding their pedal bike with their parents simply because they fail to wear a crash helmet.
Why compel motorcyclists to wear helmets and not pedal cyclists?
A study was carried out of 538 motorcyclists and 523 pedal cyclists who attended the A&E Ward of University Hospital in Nottingham following a road accident, including post mortem reports of 19 pedal cyclists and 87 motorcyclists. Pedal cyclists who died more commonly suffered head injuries than motorcyclists who died. Pedal cyclists who survived also sustained head injuries more commonly than motorcyclists who survived.
Head injuries sustained by motorcyclists in built-up areas were compared with head injuries occurring to pedal cyclists. A significantly higher proportion of pedal cyclists (33%) compared with motorcyclists (15%) had head injuries. The report concluded that if cyclists wore helmets the number of head injuries would be reduced. (Incidentally, it also concluded that cycle lanes are safer than ordinary roads for pedal cyclists.)
Head injury was more likely to be the main (or only) cause of death for pedal cyclists whereas motorcyclists who died usually suffered other major injuries, but less severe head injuries. The report concluded that head protection could reduce the incidence and severity of head injuries among pedal cyclists.
What evidence is there that helmets would reduce the incidence of head injury? A study of 100 cyclists admitted to the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth with head injuries found that 70% of the cyclists' heads hit the road first, and 17% hit a flat, yielding surface, like a car body panel. The sites of impacts on the cyclists' heads were plotted, and it was estimated that at least 50% of the impact sites would have been covered by a helmet. Which means that a helmet would have protected half the heads.
In a survey of non-fatal bicycle accidents, there were 78 head impacts reported, with 8 of the cyclists involved wearing helmets. These 8 were compared to 24 unhelmeted cyclists involved in similar accidents. Only two of the helmeted cyclists were admitted to hospital compared with nearly 20 of the unhelmeted ones. In Sweden, hospital accident records of 36 helmeted cyclists were matched to the records of 36 unhelmeted cyclists involved in similar accidents. The injury saving due to wearing a helmet was calculated to be between 1 in 3 and 1 in 2.
A study of 1,831 pedal cyclists who attended the Accident Service in Oxford following a road accident between January 1983 and May 1985 showed that, of these, 52% sustained an injury to the head and/or face. Less than 1% had been wearing a helmet.
The counter argument
In inner London, 58% of cyclist fatalities were caused by collisions with heavy good vehicles, as were 30% of those in outer London. The idea that a lightweight polystyrene helmet could be of significant benefit in such circumstances is unrealistic and has to be balanced against the potential for a helmeted head to incur more impacts due to its increased size compared with a bare head.
For example, 4 helmeted cyclists were killed by a car travelling at 50 mph showing that cyclists often die in impacts too severe for a helmet to help.
Some reasons why people don't wear cycle helmets
Peer group pressure
It's "not cool"
Perception that motorists are less vigilant when passing a helmeted cyclist
Feelings of being protected may lead to increased risk taking
"Too much trouble"
An aversion to rules and regulations (the nanny state?)
Compulsion may lead to a decrease in cycling
The potential for a helmeted head to incur more impacts due to its increased size compared with a bare head
Cosmetic reasons
What do you do with your helmet when you get to where you're going?
Boris' Bike-type schemes would not work if it was compulsory to wear a helmet
It is wrong to put restrictions on cyclists when the problem is mainly down to bad driving by motorists
And more...
Bradley Wiggins' pronouncement will not put an end to the debate about whether helmets should be compulsory attire for cyclists but there is no doubt that it has raised the matter up the public consciousness. A British provider of cycling holidays in France for many casual cyclists is in a good position to express a view about the issue.
Their view is that the benefits far outweigh the possible dangers and they certainly always wear a helmet themselves when in the saddle and encourage all clients to do the same. Bob who founded and runs the business is passionate about the need to wear a helmet when cycling. His wife wouldn't be alive today had she not been wearing a cycling helmet when involved in a collision several years ago. Bob himself has had several spills involving blows to the head including ending up underneath a car. The only injury sustained was mild concussion. Had he not worn a helmet neurosurgery would have been on the cards.
People assume that the discussion on helmet wearing is about cyclists and vehicles. However, major cycling accidents can occur where there is no vehicle involved eg, due to ice, fainting in hot weather, loss of concentration, breaking too hard and going over the handlebars, skidding in wet weather etc.
Bob definitely agrees with Bradley Wiggins who is such a great ambassador for cycling. His strong advice is to always wear your cycling helmet when cycling. "Do as Wiggo does and as he says!"
The debate about whether cyclists should be compelled to wear a helmet has been raised up the public consciousness by Tour de France and Olympic champion, Bradley Wiggins (known affectionately as Wiggo) who has said quite categorically that helmets are a major safety tool. French Pedals , a British company which provides self-guided cycling tours in some of the most beautiful regions of France, rehearses the pro and counter arguments, reviews some statistics and gives some facts before stating which side of the argument they come down on.
No comments:
Post a Comment