Letters in the Times, Bristol Evening Post and now Local Transport Today,
all in a week!
the LTT one:
"I couldn't help noticing the irony of two stories in LTT of 6th May: The
front page article "Tackling obesity epidemic requires change in travel
habits says medical chief" and on page 7 "Bill to compel kids to wear
helmets is scuppered by absent MPs".
The only demonstrable effect of mass cycle helmet promotion and laws is to
hugely depress the number of people cycling and despite the denial by Mr
Martlew, the sponsoring MP, this has happened everywhere that a helmet law
has been introduced.
The effect of helmet laws has therefore been entirely opposite to that
intended, with a reduction in public health and massive costs to the public
purse, as fewer people take healthy exercise, obesity increases and, since
the safety of cyclists appears to be largely dependent on the number of
cyclists, cycling becomes more dangerous.
It is to be regretted that the debate was lost on a technicality, as this is
a fascinating subject, but one clouded by misinformation and distortion.
The claims made by the Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust (BHIT) have been
shown to be untrue, but this has not stopped them promoting three Bills in
parliament to make cycle helmets compulsory and getting MPs, who it might be
hoped would be slightly more sceptical of a single issue pressure group, to
believe their claims.
The facts are that nowhere that such a law has been enacted has demonstrated
any reduction in risk to cyclists and in some places there has been an
increase in risk. In Alberta, Canada, where the law applied only to those
aged 16 and under, as did this proposal, deaths and injuries to that group
doubled.
The only conclusion to be drawn from the debate is that road safety policy
should not be made by fanatical do-gooders and gullible politicians.
Richard Burton."
I have to admit I'm astonished that the published the last paragraph!
--
cheers
Rich