Bike helmet laws 'do not prevent head injuries' A major new study has failed to find a link between legislation that makes bicycle helmets mandatory and a drop in head injury rates
A major new study has found that there is no link between compulsory bicycle helmets and head injuries.
Researchers from the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia analysed the hospitalisation rates of different districts in Canada between 2006 and 2011. They then compared the jurisdictions that require cyclists to wear helmets by law against those that don't.
"Helmet legislation was not associated with hospitalisation rates for brain, head, scalp, skull, face or neck injuries" Study authors
Contrary to the received wisdom that bike helmets help to protect the rider from serious head injuries, the academics discovered that riders who lived in the areas with compulsory helmet laws were no more likely to seek medical help than those who were free to cycle without helmets.
In the poll accompanying 34% are think helmets don't help, and another 44% are against compulsion. You may still vote, I have just.
I'm confused here. As a Daily T subscriber, I thought I must have had a SMIDSY episode or worse so I've dug out yesterday's dead tree version from the bin and found no trace no trace.
Closer inspection of the link to Telegraph Men above finds it's dated 6 November 2015. I can't see any sign of a poll there either.
thirdcrank wrote:I'm confused here. As a Daily T subscriber, I thought I must have had a SMIDSY episode or worse so I've dug out yesterday's dead tree version from the bin and found no trace no trace.
Closer inspection of the link to Telegraph Men above finds it's dated 6 November 2015. I can't see any sign of a poll there either.
When I inspect the page brought up my link I find the date 14th.May 2018 at the top. Lower down, below the photograph of commuting cyclists I see the Telegraph Men date of 6th. November 2015. Curious. The poll though is no longer there.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
Si wrote:The poll appeared in the middle for me after a short while.
For me there appears, at the left of the faded out pic of Bojo, a left arrow which when clicked on gives me the total percentage of voters who agreed with me, and thanks for voting. This is presumably the message you get after voting.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
The thing about these types of polls is that if you have strong opinions and want your voice heard louder than anybody else all you do is ...
1. Vote 2. Remove the cookie left from "qmerce.com" 3. Refresh the Telegraph page 4. Vote again 5. Back to 1 and vote again 6. and again 7. and again etc.
Not that I'd do anything like that of course. Just pointing out possibilities ...
My 71-year-old brother doesn't cycle but thinks I ought to wear a helmet. Recently he stumbled while walking on some cobbles and gave himself quite a crack on the head. Fortunately he was all right apart from a black eye but you can guess what I told him!
I can't see any sign of a poll there either.
