Cycling safety is improved by not wearing a helmet

(c) thuraz.photo

This must have been the atmosphere in the Neolithic when the wheel was invented. I’m finding it hard to contain my excitement, I feel like an over-excited 8-year-old who has secretly discovered his ‘surprise’ birthday present. The wait will be over in just two days time, when London is launching the new Barclays Cycle Hire scheme.

I can’t wait to get my hands on one of the 6,000 bikes being ploughed across London and what makes me increasingly happy is that these bikes aren’t attached to 6,000 helmets. For regular followers of my rants, many will know that I am vehemently against the usage of helmets and I believe the exemption of these plastic caps will prevail common sense and improve cycle safety in London.

I can proudly say that I am one of the million Londoners who considers themselves to be a cyclist. I am not the fastest person on two wheels nor am I the most aggressive but I am aware of the potential dangers on roads – and in my short stint of being a cyclist, before my bicycle was cowardly sabotaged – I refused to wear any protective gear and restrained from any injuries.

Prior to the death of my beloved stead, I would regularly cycle up the dreaded Tower Bridge Road, a common occurrence would be that someone shouted a childish remark. These were one of three things; 1) “Tory tosser” – this is incredibly innovative and a cleverly thought-up phrase by the people of Southwark. 2) “Tory tosser” – Yep, they say it twice just in case I didn’t hear it the first time. And lastly 3) “Wear a helmet!” Now, I don’t mind if people shout abuse towards me. Frankly, I was asking for it with wearing two Conservative badges and having a ‘Honk for Change’ bumper sticker on the back of my bike. However, if all you’ve witnessed are scare tactics from the previous government – who punched us in the face with “WEAR A HELMET OR YOU WILL DIE” posters, then you are in an uninformed position to tell me to “wear a helmet”

Cycling is the greener, healthier and on many occasions, quicker way to get around London. If masses of people started wearing helmets whilst cycling, it would give the façade of being a dangerous activity – when it’s not. In fact, recent research suggests that pedestrians and car passengers are more in danger of injury than any cyclist – does that mean we should encourage them to wear helmets?

I believe that if you choose to wear a helmet, you are more at risk of serious injury and more likely to be involved in a collision. According to the American Journal of Public Health, you are seven times more likely to crash wearing a helmet. It is basic common sense: you are more likely to receive the injury to your head than to your elbows or knees if you’re wearing something that’s twice as big as your head and relatively heavy. The University of Bath found that you are more likely to be struck by a vehicle if you are wearing a helmet and research shows that people drive closer to cyclists wearing a helmet than those who choose not to.

The most ridiculous, over-controlled tripe I regularly hear is that cycle helmets should be made compulsory. I am a relatively easy-going person, but this suggestion makes me see red. If you look at places like Australia where bicycle helmets are compulsory for all ages, not only has this completely destroyed the cycling boom but, there has been a considerable increase in cycling causalities. This is because the more people that cycle, the safer cycling is. Cycling on major London roads has grown by a huge 110% and overall cyclist rates by just over 10% which is proving London is the safest cycling city in the UK – safer than Manchester, Leeds, and Newcastle.

To all those who have told me to wear a helmet – On your bike!