we have a forum at work called Yammer. Its a bit like Facebook. Someone put a question on there, after attending a safety conference where helmets were promoted with a very emotional video, asking why cyclists don't wear helmets, to which i supplied a balanced answer (as the rep of the cycle group) and expressed my displeasure that the people who organised the conference should have consulted the cycle group. Not surprisingly a month long helmet debate ensued with the pro helmet lobby. It was interesting to note that most of those who supported helmets never rode a bike in their life. The cyclists gave a very balanced view to them, providing statistic after statistic, telling them all about risk compensation theories, what standard they were tested to, whats happened in countries who have enforced it by law, how research has even suggested that in car collisions it can actually make things worse etc etc. Despite the fact that none of them could provide any evidence whatsoever that they have been proven to make a difference, and that they "didn't want to force their opinion on anyone so why were cyclists so defensive?" they still wanted helmet wearing enforced by law! Someone even wrote to a recognised national cycle organization on the back of the debate who basically confirmed what we were was saying, that it must remain the choice of the cyclist, probably good for kids if they fall and bump as they are only a metre in height but in car collisions evidence to suggest they cause rotational injury etc etc. Of course, he didn't have the balls to put the answer on yammer but i saw the email. And so did the people who organised the conference. Needless to say those people will now be contacting me before any more safety conferences. And we will be tackling driver behaviour rather than whether the cyclist is wearing a helmet!
interestingly it had the opposite effect on me than the helmet lobby hoped. I already wear a helmet, never really thought much of it, just went out and got one. After a month researching helmets to provide the balanced view (I'm the cycle safety rep so had to debate from the neutral position) i actually found nothing to convince me of their effectiveness. To make it worse, i only found evidence to suggest they make things worse and I'm now seriously wondering why i bother. Probably because it covers up my bad hairdo in the morning.
