The Senior Cyclist
Cycle Helmets - the Debate
Until relatively recently, cyclists either wore no headwear or else some sort of hat they felt comfortable with. The most popular headwear was probably the cotton cap favoured by racing cyclists and "roadies". Some professional racing cyclists wore a type of protective headgear popularly known as a "leather hairnet". This was a kind of lattice of thick leather strips, designed to cushion the head against knocks sustained in the frequent falls and spills associated with mass-start road racing.
When all-terrain cycling, or mountain biking, became popular, some riders adapted climbing helmets to protect them against head knocks from overhanging branches or falls on rocky ground.
As the general public began to notice these protective items, the notion began to develop that cycling was somehow dangerous and that safety hats were a necessary part of a rider's equipment. A few commercial companies spotted the market potential of this notion and brought out helmets made of various types of foam, principally expanded polystyrene. Early models were of plain white or grey foam, sometimes covered by a colourful cotton or nylon fabric. More recent helmets are made of expanded polystyrene bonded into a thin plastic "shell". They are made with a greater or lesser number of holes for ventilation.
Various commercial and semi-public testing bodies developed testing and certification schemes for these helmets which are essentially designed to reduce damage to the skull by crumpling on impact and absorbing energy. The tests generally assume the helmet will meet with a low speed impact typical of a fall from a few feet. On this basis, if a cyclist falls off a bike from a low speed or a stationary position, he or she will be protected to a greater or lesser degree from any damage to the skull which might result from such a fall. Additionally, the wearing of such a helmet is likely to protect the cyclist from the kind of cuts and grazes you would normally get from scraping your head on a road or other hard surface.
So far, so good. Most experienced cyclists ignored these helmets because they offered no protection from the kind of serious injuries potentially associated with the biggest risk of all, which is an impact with a motor vehicle. Unfortunately a number of well-meaning people came to the view that so serious was the risk to cyclists' health from not wearing a helmet, it was necessary for them to campaign for parliament to introduce a law making it compulsory for cyclists (particularly young ones) to wear one. This despite a considerable body of evidence from other countries that such legislation was not only ineffective in reducing death or serious injury, but actually had the effect of putting people off cycling altogether, which would obviously be detrimental to public well-being generally.
Attempts to introduce such legislation have so far been defeated in the UK parliament, but campaigning continues, with influential bodies such as the British Medical Association giving support to the campaign. Detailed information on the issues involved and considerable discussion of the potential implications can be found at www.cyclehelmets.org and at www.whohelmets.org The position of those opposed to a mandatory law is explained at this site
For some time I always wore a helmet when cycling, but only because Pauline insisted on it. Despite my protestations and attempts to discuss the evidence, she became convinced that it must be less dangerous for me to cycle with a helmet than without. I suspect that many helmet wearers find themselves in a similar position. Anti-compulsionists sometimes argue that people who take that approach risk adding to the pressure for legislation, because at one point the UK government indicated that they would not be prepared to legislate while a majority of active cyclists did not favour wearing helmets. By wearing a helmet, they would argue, they bring compulsion a small step closer. I'm happy to report that at the present time Pauline has relented in the face of further evidence that helmets are of little use to the adult road cyclist and I now once again wear traditional cotton caps when riding. However, I've kept the helmet and wear it occasionally if I'm cycling off-road where I'm at some risk of a low-speed fall from the bike on to knobbly surfaces.
One small point worthy of note for the Senior Cyclist is that wearing a helmet allows one to affix a rear view mirror to it. This is extremely useful for detecting BMW drivers and other pests approaching from behind without the need to strain the remaining neck muscles by looking backwards.