Be very scared direct.gov

[bovlomov]

In fact, that's a good point. Considerably more people die in stabbings than in bicycle accidents by a considerable margin, so we'd be as well to throw our weight behind a 'stab vest for all' campaign.. it could save many more lives

I suppose fluorescent stab-proof vests will be mandatory for cyclists.

But let's not give 'em ideas!

[gaz]

It's gone.

Wonder if I'll get a reply?

[sirmy]

I've just realised how sick in the head I am after getting that poor little boy catapulted 100 metres through the air 10 times! AND I LOVED EVERY ONE OF THEM!

[Ivor Tingting]

Those in agreement and those against cycle helmets have been universally united over the issue in their condemnation of the government's propaganda campaign to get children to wear cycle helmets. Amazing, absolutely amazing .

[gaz]

I'll keep you informed of any reply.

I finally got one today.

Dear (gaz),



Thank you for your email of 18th May 2009 regarding our online game aimed at encouraging cycle safety amongst children aged 6-11 years old. My apologies for the delay in responding to your enquiry.



Thirteen children were killed and more than 500 seriously injured while cycling on Britain ’s roads in 2007. We are working to cut this terrible toll in a number of ways, including improving the safety of our roads and investing in cycling training.



As part of a wide-ranging child road safety campaign – Tales of the Road - this game was designed to encourage 6-11-year-olds to wear cycle helmets, which can help to reduce the severity of head injuries. After due consideration of the nature of the game and feedback we have received, we agreed the game was inappropriate and so we removed the game from the website on 21 May. The Department is currently considering alternative options for communicating cycle safety messages to children.



I hope this helps to reassure you about the action we have taken in response to the concerns raised.



Yours sincerely,

My thanks again to all concerned.

[Swizz69]

Nice one Gaz

Ah well, least their 'arts int right place

[bovlomov]

My reply from the DfT had a little bit more than that. I had expressed disbelief that the game had received the support of teachers, and I threatened to put in a FOI request to find out exactly who they had consulted and how.

This is the response:

I would also like to clarify that in the original response to your enquiry, my colleague did not mean to suggest that this specific game was tested with primary school teachers. Rather, testing with primary school teachers formed a part of the research that was conducted at the formative stages on the initial concepts for a new child road safety communications campaign (with Tales of the Road as the resulting campaign). The concepts were also tested with children aged 6-11 years old and parents.

Hmmm... So, though they claimed the backing of the NSPCC and teachers (pretty impressive, eh!), in fact they hadn't consulted anyone in any meaningful way.

Idiots.

[Swizz69]

in fact they hadn't consulted anyone in any meaningful way.

Like cyclists? CTC? BHRF? Rospa?

...or 'school teachers' & 'NSPCC'

Idiots.

Yep.

Incidentally i've just fitted some crank adaptors to our kidback tandem today, for our eldest (7) to ride. So does she wear a lid for riding with me in traffic? Where do I look for decent advice? The situation as it stands on helmets is pretty confusing. Until a month or so ago I never went out without mine until having a google to see why helmet threads run into several pages

Ian...

P.S:- Did they really consult NSPCC, and then put that game online??? Blithering

idiots.

[EdinburghFixed]

Incidentally i've just fitted some crank adaptors to our kidback tandem today, for our eldest (7) to ride. So does she wear a lid for riding with me in traffic? Where do I look for decent advice? The situation as it stands on helmets is pretty confusing. Until a month or so ago I never went out without mine until having a google to see why helmet threads run into several pages

Well, the stats tell us two things, that if she does hit her head, a helmet will generally make her better off, and that a helmet will, through some unknown mechanism, make her more likely to have an accident.

However, since she is not controlling the tandem her wearing a helmet or not cannot influence the accident statistics as much (although your choice to do so will have such an effect). So, it's a judgement call.

If your daughter will be be put off by the process of getting all armoured up to ride with dad, that she might find head-to-toe high-viz to be embarrassing in front of friends, etc., then I'd probably say she's better off as a bareheaded 'normal looking' cyclist than as a non-cyclist!

You need to succeed where almost everybody else fails in making cycling seem normal, fun, and safe to her. In the long term, that is much better for her than a few dozen trips on a tandem which she was never comfortable with, helmeted or not.

[gaz]

Where do I look for decent advice? The situation as it stands on helmets is pretty confusing.

Have a look at this which was the most recent article in Cycle on the subject of EU helmet test standards. Hopefully it will dispel some of your confusion. Of course it may just add to it.

a helmet will, through some unknown mechanism, make her more likely to have an accident.

As I understand it the unknown mechanism is risk compensation. This is two fold. Let's consider extreme cases of the thought processes involved to illustrate.

1. Rider - "I am wearing a helmet. Therefore I am totally indestructible, I can take far greater risks in the way I ride."

2. Driver - "She's wearing a helmet. Therefore she's totally indestructible, I can take far greater risks in the way I overtake her."

Greater risks lead to more accidents.

However, since she is not controlling the tandem her wearing a helmet or not cannot influence the accident statistics

The first seems unlikely in Swizz69's situation (although a stoker is not without influence over the tandem, e.g. "faster daddy, faster") unfortunately the second would still apply.

[Swizz69]

Cheers for the advice chaps & i'll have a good read of the article.

We went for a bit of a test ride last night sans lids. We started off just messing around on the street outside for her to get used to the pedalling, and within minutes she was nagging for a ride - didn't think to go & get togged up really

We only did a couple of miles - mainly quiet roads, canal towpath & converted railway, but did have to hit some busy main roads here & there. I would have walked around the busy bits (infact we did for 20yds up a steep hill due to standing traffic/no room to pass/didn't fancy a hillstart) if we had been unstable, but she was fine - the last bit being a right turn at a crossroads. Encouraging was the lack of hassle from drivers

From a riders point of view I felt happy enough - apart from the extra length to account for, it was pretty much like hauling our shopping home in panniers. And stoker? She loved it & once getting used to being around traffic said she felt comfortable. So looking at it that way i'm confident enough to think that we don't need to dress like a downhill Mtb'er, but of course being her Dad want to wrap her in cotton wool Think i'll read that article

Ian...

[EdinburghFixed]

That sounds great. At the end of the day her enjoyment and participation is the most important thing. Millions of children in the UK have serious health issues partly as a result of lack of exercise, and only a few hundred a year get serious head injuries from cycling.

Take your pick.

[Swizz69]

I was going to add this to another 'H-Word' thread, but dug this one up as its more relevant.

My eldest daughter came home with a nice big pack of information on road safety yesterday. Not the nice friendly Green Cross Code man, but the 'Tales of the Road' campaign as detailed in the OP.

Some of the booklets within are quite well put together but the pictures that the whole pamphlet is splattered with are the stuff of nightmares. They have even kindly enclosed a poster - ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET - with a pic of the sad little girl with a black eye that the helmet wouldn't have prevented, along with a booklet on Road Safety Education. We regularly walk into town, but are doing it wrong according to the booklet - we should be wearing hi-vis tabards

I'm all for teaching kids about road safety, its essential - but this is no way to go about doing it.