Okay, could folk proof-read & fact-check this letter before I send it to my MP? Ta.
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Dear Rt Hon Alistair Darling,
I was recently preparing to write to you concerning the Private Members Bill proposed (if I recall
correctly) by the MP for Carlisle, regarding making use of cycling helmets compulsory.
Events have overtaken me, and as well as asking you to oppose the bill, and so oppose the use of
compulsion in the matter of wearing cycle helmets, I would ask you to support the Early Day
Motion on the subject of cycle helmets of earlier this week, number 764, tabled by Jane
Griffiths,to be precise.
Further to the material in the EDM, it is of concern to me that the Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust,
which is behind the Private Members Bill, is knowingly using discreditted statistics in its
materials.
This is made even worse given that they are the recipients of a large sum of government funding.
There are many arguments to be made against compulsory use of cycle helmets - but an honest debate
first requires honest facts. They are principally:
1) the number of injuries sustained by cyclist is small - cycling is safer than walking in this
regard. (According to the government's own statistics, walking is almost twice as risky as
cycling, per kilometre, and as far as I know, no-one is proposing compulsory helmets for
pedestrians.)
2) The main cause of serious cyclist injury is being hit by a car, and bicycle helmets are not
designed to help in this sort of matter. (They are designed to help with low impact-speed
accidents involving the cyclist and the ground)
3) Compulsory helmet use has been shown in other jurisdictions to substantially lower levels of
cycle usage, and still not provide lower levels of cycle injury.
4) The risks to health from inactivity far outweigh the far outweigh the risks to health posed
by cycling.
Some of the arguments can be found, courtesy of the National Cycling Strategy, particularly their
booklet on Cycling and Health.
nationalcyclingstrategy.org.ukcycling and health.pdfOpen ↗
Cheers, Euan Gawnsoft: gawnsoft.co.srgawnsoft.co.srOpen ↗ Symbian/Epoc wiki: html.dnsalias.nethtml.dnsalias.netOpen ↗
Smalltalk links (harvested from comp.lang.smalltalk) html.dnsalias.netsmalltalkOpen ↗
