To Encourage Biking, Cities Lose the Helmets

Post by samspot » Wed, Oct 03, 2012, 8:28 PM UTC

bunderbunder wrote: post #197

jdietrich wrote: post #161

There is no evidence that segregated cycle facilities improve cyclist safety. The majority of serious bicycle accidents are right-of-way disputes, occurring at junctions. It is just as likely that segregated facilities could increase the number of accidents, by making the movements of cyclists less predictable to motorists when they merge onto general roads. It is known that sidewalk cyclists are significantly more v…

> The majority of serious bicycle accidents are right-of-way disputes, occurring at junctions. Makes sense, really. I recently started regularly driving a car again, and I've noticed that there's just no way motorists can be reasonably expected to anticipate something that's in the pedestrian right-of-way but moving at five times the speed of normal pedestrian traffic. In a denser area where a driver's view of the si…

I am frequently forced off the sidewalk by cyclists while walking my dog, and we even have bike lanes!

Post by stouset » Wed, Oct 03, 2012, 8:58 PM UTC

petercooper wrote: post #141

ekianjo wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean, I am not against helmets if it makes you or anyone else feel safer when biking or cycling, but making it mandatory is stupid. It is up to everyone to take their own responsibility and assume the consequences of their actions. I am appalled that in a country like the US which WAS known to value individual responsibility it has become mandatory to wear helmets when cycling.

It is up to everyone to take their own responsibility and assume the consequences of their actions. [..] I am appalled that in a country like the US which WAS known to value individual responsibility it has become mandatory to wear helmets when cycling. Though it's hardly a new development. Seat belts have been mandatory for decades. People complain about safety restrictions like these at first but seat belt laws hav…

One important distinction here is that the health benefits from cycling, even without a helmet, outweigh the dangers by a factor between 7-1 and 20-1, depending on the study.

Any policy which reduces the number of people who would otherwise choose to bicycle is de facto worse for people's health. If mandatory helmet laws decreases the number of bike trips by even one, it's a net loss.

Re: To Encourage Biking, Cities Lose the Helmets

Re: To Encourage Biking, Cities Lose the Helmets