Dear Sir,

Dennis Prickett has a “particular problem” with the evidence on helmet wearing (Letters, CW January 10th). This (see www.cyclehelmets.org) shows the take up wearing of helmets the there is little or no reduction – or even an increase - in casualty rates, with little or no improvement in head injury rates. This may be due to: the ineffectiveness of helmets against impacts to the head (broken helmets do not necessarily indicate successful mitigation of impact effect); less careful behaviour by motorists; or (more likely) the adaptive behaviour by helmet wearers.

I personally don’t worry too much if people absorb perceived safety benefits by less careful behaviour – providing they don’t hurt others. This does not apply much to cyclists, unlike motorists in increasingly crashworthy cars with the plethora of seat belts, air bags and other “safety aids” which have made life worse for those of us outside cars. (Although helmet advocates should be aware of the facts and a little less smug in their pronouncements - if you like cycling downhill at over 60 mph, you are not well qualified to talk about self-protection). Self-appointed authorities like Mr. Prickett are good at highlighting occasions where there seems to be no adaptive behaviour by a helmet wearer, but not so good at describing the subtle changes in their everyday cycling which tend to increase their chances of crashing at other times.

Helmets continue to be used as an excuse by authorities such as the Government who should be dealing with road safety. As a road safety professional I am appalled at the way helmet advocacy has diverted attention away from real measures to tackle danger on the road. Mr. Prickett is part of this process of helmets being a perfect excuse for the powers that be to fail in their obligations. Successful helmet advocacy leads to compulsion and declines in cycling, whatever advocates’ intentions may be.

Going for yet another supposed quick fix while delaying real measures is part of the culture which has got us into the current situation of unacceptable danger on the road, but now with some extra victim blaming as well.

Yours sincerely

Dr. Robert Davis
Principal Policy Advisor, Road Danger Reduction Forum