"Marty" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The Planning and Infrastructure Department of Perth, Western Australia, says that a survey of 41
> bike paths in the city shows that the number of cyclists using them jumped from 2686 in 1999 to
> 5286 this year. Any argument that says mandatory wearing of helmets deters people from cycling is
> clearly wrong!
>
> Marty
It might also have a lot to do with helmetless people getting used to riding past cops and no action
is taken. Take a ride around Perth and you'll see a huge amount of helmets dangling on handlebars,
helmetless people and so-on, with no discernible action from the police. It would be interesting to
see how many people on the bike paths surveyed were actually wearing helmets. Just speculating, but
the point is that there are other factors to be taken into consideration when interpreting data.
Without the other data it's invalid to jump to a conclusion that an argument is 'clearly wrong'.
Perhaps the argument is just less clearly right...
Looking at the state of many bikes, perhaps the police inaction is an expression of a mentality thet
thinks bikes are not *really* vehicles; they're just toys. That means you don't have to worry too
much about details like brakes, decent tyres, lights or other safety items.
I'm keeping out of the debate on pros and cons. In my experience a good helmet is comfortable; a
**** one is bloody awful to wear. I chose to wear a helmet when MTBing and now I wear one on the odd
occasion I wrestle with cars because I don't feel right without. A little like not feeling right
without a seatbelt in a car.
I advocate mandatory helmets for kids less than 17 (driver's licence age) and enforcement of the
roadworthiness of bikes largely because the laxity in enforcement at a younger age, regarding bikes
as toys (and the laxity of maintaining equipment) seems to transfer that laxity when it comes to
getting a car, along with a lax regard to road safety and other road users.
Realistically, fewer kids will be cyclists than drivers when they grow up. By instilling respect for
laws and equipment as kids, perhaps the kids will be more respectful of cyclists when they grow up
and drive cars, and less likey to clobber me or you when we're cycling.
My two cent's worth...
Frank
On the other hand, Errol Flynn not wearing a singlet probably accounts for the baby boom {
