http://www.bikebiz.co.uk/news/26861/Halfords-back-pedals-over-helmet-law
Interesting that they virtually admit their position on helmet
compulsion was driven by sales not safety.
Halfords back-pedals over helmet law
13:00, May 2nd 2007 by Carlton Reid
The market-dominating retailer says it now prefers "customer education"
over forcing people to wear head protection when cycling. ALSO: Listen
to a market-stats-and-helmet-law podcast of Halfords’ Louise Bennett.
In 2005, Eric Martlew, the MP who has long campaigned for a cycle helmet
compulsion law for under-16 year olds, said Halfords wanted to see the
introduction of cycle helmet compulsion for children. Barbara Cadd, head
of corporate and brand management at Halfords, told BikeBiz at the time
that the decision to support helmet compulsion for children was made at
board level in February 2005.
The policy was to push for compulsion for young children only, not
teenagers.
"Helmets are not seen as cool by older children, you can't force them to
wear helmets," said Cadd.
The enforced wearing of helmets is a disincentive to cycling, a point
acknowledged by Martlew. In a parliamentary debate in 2005 he said:
"Youngsters are saying, "Look at mushroom-head over there". They do not
think that it is cool to wear a helmet, even though some of them are
extremely well designed. They are pressured into thinking that if they
wear one they are a coward."
Martlew believed modern youth is law-abiding to a degree hitherto
unknown: "[Children] would like legislation to be passed, because then
they could say, "I have to wear a helmet, because it is the law.'"
However, Martlew can no longer rely on the support of Halfords. The
retailer has reversed its policy on helmet compulsion. In a presentation
given to Asian suppliers at the Taipei trade show, Louise Bennett,
product manager for cycle accessories at Halfords, said the retail chain
was to use its "social responsibility" to educate customers about using
cycle helmets but would no longer push for compulsion.
"We've debated this long and hard in the office. I'm not sure a law
would make a massive amount of difference. We need to educate customers.
For their own safety, they should be wearing helmets. 60 percent of our
customers are 'mainstream', [they] don't get on a bike very often. Their
memory of a helmet would be something that is big, bulbous, horrid
colours, makes their head sweat. What we need to do is educate customers
[that] new helmets are lightweight and have vents to allow your head to
breath. What we don't want to do is scare customers."
Bennett said that presenting cycling as an inherently risk activity was
"a real danger" in itself even though a helmet compulsion law would lead
to a big increase in helmet sales for Halfords.
"Some in the office think [compulsion] would lead to sales very quickly
but take child seats as an example. There are still people not using a
child seat in the UK, some people flout the laws. A [helmet law] would
be difficult to enforce."
Bennett also said there needs to be more education on how to wear cycle
helmets correctly:
"We have a lot of injuries from customers who buy a helmet but wear it
on the back of their head. A helmet that's not on the forehead offers no
protection anyway."
Halfords is to produce new PoS showing customers how to wear cycle
helmets correctly. "We have a social responsibility to inform," said
Bennett.
--
Tony
"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there
is no good evidence either way."
- Bertrand Russell