Cycling accidents involving children have been in the news over the summer, as a private member’s bill progresses through the Houses of Parliament with the intention to make it compulsory for under-14s to wear helmets when cycling. The Cycles Bill, sponsored by Mid Dorset and North Poole MP Annette Brooke, proposes the introduction of penalty fines if children are found riding without helmets.
Responses to the bill have been mixed, with several cycling charities pointing out that whilst helping to prevent serious injuries and brain damage in accidents where cyclists have not been wearing a helmet is a good idea, any potential benefits will be outweighed by the reduction in the number of people who use their bikes. The introduction in other countries of compulsory cycle helmet laws has led to marked drops in the number of people who cycle. For example, after wearing a helmet became compulsory for young cyclists in New Zealand, 47,000 fewer teenagers were reported cycling when compared with the pre-introduction figures.
On the other hand several road and cycle safety charities have supported the Bill, including Brake, Headway and the Child Accident Prevention Trust. They point out that whilst overall figures for road deaths continue to decline in the UK, cyclists are actually being involved in an increasing number of road accidents. Compared with 2009, the road accident figures for 2010 show a 7% increase in the number of cyclists killed on UK roads and a 2% increase in serious injuries. The groups in favour of compulsory helmet wearing also point to evidence from the Department for Transport’s road safety research and statistics division which suggests that around 4 in 10 cyclists who are admitted to hospital after a cycling accident will have suffered brain injuries.
Striking the balance
At My Cycling Claim, we see the impact that cycling injuries can have on a person, both in terms of their physical injuries but also the wider effects on their confidence and their ability to lead a normal life. Preventing cycling injuries is a noble aim, but it is always important to strike a balance between the benefits of making an activity safer (such as making cyclists wear helmets) versus the costs (to public health) of making that activity more difficult to do, or less attractive as a leisure activity.
There are various other measures that can help to make roads and urban environments safer for cyclists, including lowering speed limits from 30mph to 20mph on roads that see a high volume of cyclists. Additionally, cycling charity Sustrans has advocated increasing the cycling safety classes offered to schoolchildren as an alternative to compulsory cycling helmets and one which would have the added advantage of giving young cyclists the skills to cycle safely on the road and in busy areas.