Why are there so many newspaper cycle helmet polls?

[MontyVeda]

 

[Dan B]

It is impossible to make helmets compulsory as bikes aren't registered and we don't have to carry I.D. cards so how does a policeman know if you are giving false details if he stops you for not wearing one?

By that argument it's also impossible to make red light jumping illegal

 

[simon the viking]

By that argument it's also impossible to make red light jumping illegal

I agree. unless you are driving a car which can be traced to its owner who will then be made to say who's driving, any minor crime not serious to warrant a trip to the station, could possibly be (not that I have done it) got away with saying you have no I.D and giving someone else's details as the police would not have time to question your info (unless they search you and find your wallet) with regard to helmets I was thinking more of up to 17 year old's who do not have I.D. normally.

Obviously if a policeman want's to tell me this is wrong then I will bow to their superior knowledge as I am using supposition

Edit: The lawyer known as "Mr Loophole" used to get celeb/footballer drivers off by the loophole that if no Driving licence was seen by policeman and no producer given.... then he would wait until court and then say that the drivers identity had not been confirmed only the owner of the car was known not the driver at the time of offence... (I think they have fixed this now... but same principle)

 

[Dan B]

I agree.

And yet, unless the Highway Code - together with an awful lot of posters on this forum - is wrong, red light jumping already is illegal. How can this be?

 

[Ern1e]

They can check you out against the elecotral register which should agree with the name you give them,ok if you know some one else you could use this and get them in trouble ! but it would be quite difficult for the police to enforce an helmet law.

 

[albion]

Seems to me they would save far more lives installing invisible cameras at most junctions.
They could even use these to catch the cyclist who jump red jumpers.

Surely a guaranteed life saver that does not impact on non criminals gets everyone's vote?

 

[Dan B]

They can check you out against the elecotral register which should agree with the name you give them,ok if you know some one else you could use this and get them in trouble ! but it would be quite difficult for the police to enforce an helmet law.

I know from personal experience (some number of years ago, I should add) that they successfully manage to enforce the existing law on RLJ. Just because some people may give false details doesn't invalidate the general approach: that's like saying that it would be generally impossible to provide electricity to private dwelling houses because some people tamper with their meter

 

[avalon]

Helmets are compulsory here in Australia, even on cycle tracks and in parks and the Police love to enforce the law. It's much easier to chase and catch a cyclist than it is to catch a criminal.

 

[Yellow Fang]

Interesting links for future arguments.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3313260.ece
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2010/05/19/GR2010051905937.html
http://road.cc/content/news/24515-uk-cycling-deaths-continue-fall
http://www.rospa.com/roadsafety/adviceandinformation/cycling/facts-figures.aspx

Looking at The Times article, it does not look to me like many of those deaths would have been prevented by helmet wearing. The one where a girl hit her head on the pavement may be one. Most of them were the result of high speed traffic accidents.
One of the links said that many accidents occurred at junctions, at roundabouts, and at places where a pavement joined a road. No great surprise to me.

 

[ComedyPilot]

Alongside hi-viz and pudding bowls, the other thing about UK cycling that p*sses me off, is ignorant journalists (who seldom ride bikes) writing these polls and broadcasting them to millions of people (who incidentally don't ride bikes).

I wish they'd pack it in and go away....!!!!

Edit: Lots of swearing removed

 

[Yellow Fang]

Two in a million die per year in cycle accidents. About one in 17000 is badly injured in cycling accidents, which might represent a loss in QALYs (Quality Adjusted Life Years), the right metric to use in my opinion. Yet not all those QALYs would have been saved by helmet wearing. Compare that with the loss of QALYs from obesity, diabetes, dementia and heart disease, all linked to lack of fitness.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality-adjusted_life_year
http://www.nice.org.uk/newsroom/features/measuringeffectivenessandcosteffectivenesstheqaly.jsp

 

[jdtate101]

So this week, there have been three newspaper online polls on whether helmet wearing should be made compulsory. Is there anything going on?

It's because Wiggo went on record recently saying Helmets should be compulsory and wearing earphones whilst riding should be illegal, they've all picked up on it and used as a convenient segway for the trolls.

Personally, I'm not convinced on the 1st point (even though I wear one all the time), however the 2nd I do agree with (the number of times I've nearly been taken out by someone "wired up" despite shouting at them).

I personally would accept a law requiring helmet use IF there was greater education to drivers on cyclists rights (ie safe passes and increased patience) alongside full enforcement and correct sentencing of the existing laws regards dangerous driving, death of a cyclist caused by driving, and using a vehicle in an aggressive and threatening manner (also full punishment for those who assault cyclists NOT using a vehicle, ie get out and punch them). To my mind that would be an acceptable trade, although we should be getting that ANYWAY RIGHT NOW without having to "trade".

 

[ComedyPilot]

I won't give in to pressure to wear a helmet, because there's no need for them.

And moreover, I want stricter enforcement of the law on careless/dangerous driving when incidents involve vulnerable road users

 

[gavroche]

Making wearing of helmets compulsory will not make any difference to road fatalities but will certainly make helmet manufacturers very wealthy. Educating motorists and cyclists about respecting each other would be far more productive but hey! , there is no money making in doing that so it won't happen.
Motorbikers have to wear helmets by law but many still get seriously injured or killed every year.
Education and proper roads and cycle lanes are the answer, not wearing a lid on your head.

 

[Mile195]

I pretty much always wear one (except on the 2-minute cycle to my local shop).

However I don't think anyone should be forced to really. At the end of the day, the only person who may be at risk by not wearing one, is oneself. If it doesn't affect others, then who is any politician to make rules about it. Adults must be allowed to make their own informed choices.

That said, I really think kids ought to have to wear them, until they're old enough to make up their own mind about it at any rate.