Now the freaking school are at it!

[thelawnet]

The concern for me would be that children would decide not to cycle altogether, rather than wear helmets. Perhaps not the ones that already do cycle, but for the ones that don't, it's quite off-putting IMO, and is going to have a deterrent effect.

 

[ufkacbln]

I note that several parents have cars with missing lights and hence poor maintenace

I would just go along with the guys wishes, which as most of us will realise are sensible one's. Anything else may be seen as rocking the boat.

But are they?

He has shown an alarming ignorance of reality!

If it anything like school activities around here the two things they could do to improve cyclist safety are:

1. Send home any boy whose parents park on the pavements, the pedestrian crossing or across the cycle entrance
2. Send home any boy whose parents cannot understand the big 20 in a circle on the road - it dos not mean 30 or 40 mph
3. send home any boy whose parent's car has faulty lights

But then again this is nonsensical.... why deal with the real safety issues when you take the sensible approach nd make the kids can wear a helmet to protect them from these unnecessary hazards?

 

[Red Light]

The concern for me would be that children would decide not to cycle altogether, rather than wear helmets. Perhaps not the ones that already do cycle, but for the ones that don't, it's quite off-putting IMO, and is going to have a deterrent effect.

Australia saw drops of 30% plus in child cycling and up to 90% in teenage girls when it made helmets compulsory so its more than a concern.

 

[benb]

Quite, and the health benefits of cycling far outweigh the protection offered by a helmet, even if we were to accept the claims of the most fervent helmet supporter.

Anything which may result in less people cycling is a massive own goal.

 

[screenman]

I note that several parents have cars with missing lights and hence poor maintenace



But are they?

He has shown an alarming ignorance of reality!

If it anything like school activities around here the two things they could do to improve cyclist safety are:

1. Send home any boy whose parents park on the pavements, the pedestrian crossing or across the cycle entrance
2. Send home any boy whose parents cannot understand the big 20 in a circle on the road - it dos not mean 30 or 40 mph
3. send home any boy whose parent's car has faulty lights

But then again this is nonsensical.... why deal with the real safety issues when you take the sensible approach nd make the kids can wear a helmet to protect them from these unnecessary hazards?

Maybe they should do all of those as well.

 

[400bhp]

I'm in two minds about whether to progress this one, as there is a large part of me that thinks it is right for kids to wear helmets. Were it not for the compulsion element, if it was strongly recommended for instance, I wouldn't have said anything.

However, I have received a reply:


I think it's good that they have thought about it and consulted, but I think it is bad that they have only looked at the superficial "If I bang my head wearing a helmet, it hurts less" level rather than actually checking any facts or stats.

He agrees that the helmet may have made the neck injury worse but I don't think he realises how little energy they absorb when saying that "...he is also sure that if he had not been wearing a helmet he wouldn’t be worrying about his neck"

Risk transference, or whatever it's called, makes the seatbelt analogy completely redundant. That would be akin to me taking the airbag out of everyone else's car and replacing it with a spike.

I don't think I'll get anywhere, but I do think it is worth another response, just to try and open their eyes to the facts about the increased dangers from other road users, and to the facts about the very low amount of energy a cycling helmet does absorb.

Still, if it only means that the kids get some more training in riding and maintenance, and that a fewer helmets are badly fitted, that might be as close to victory as I can hope to get.

Like you say, it's nice you got a reply.

FWIW, I wouldn't reply with an attempt at quantifying the risk aspects as this may bore the guy silly-better to get a measure of him in person . I'd be tempted to say something wooly like, "there are other aspects of helmet wearing that haven't been considered and I'd like the opportunity to discuss this with you".

Are you a member of a cycling club?

 

[ufkacbln]

Maybe they should do all of those as well.

In order?

 

[CopperCyclist]

Quite, and the health benefits of cycling far outweigh the protection offered by a helmet, even if we were to accept the claims of the most fervent helmet supporter.

Anything which may result in less people cycling is a massive own goal.

Yeah but I think the point we've all missed is that he is NOT promoting cycling. He's trying to be 'seen' to be safety active by getting people to wear helmets. Despite the truth of the matter, the vast majority of parents now will not blame the school if their child is involved in an accident and gets hurt.

 

[Norm]

I met with the Head of Rowing this evening, had a chat about it, put him right on a few things which he felt were "obvious" and thanked him for looking into the other safety measures. There is nothing that can be done in the short term, as they've only just brought this in, but I've put myself on the radar should they ever discuss it further.

 

[lukesdad]

IMO peer pressure has been the main reason (where helmets are involved) for youngsters not cycling.

 

[zexel]

A very interesting helmet thread.

After reading through the thread two post before the end 'CopperCyclist' has IMO hit the nail on the head and said what I was going to say:
"Yeah but I think the point we've all missed is that he is NOT promoting cycling. He's trying to be 'seen' to be safety active by getting people to wear helmets. Despite the truth of the matter, the vast majority of parents now will not blame the school if their child is involved in an accident and gets hurt."

It's sad but true.

 

[martynjc1977]

How can a club or school dictate how an individual gets to an activity? or what they wear while getting there. As there is no law compelling a person to wear a helmet, the new rule is infringing on the club members free will not to wear one and can be challenged with the human rights act. Unless you are using transport provided by the club/school they have no say in what you do outside of its gates.

 

[Sara_H]

I'm in two minds about whether to progress this one, as there is a large part of me that thinks it is right for kids to wear helmets. Were it not for the compulsion element, if it was strongly recommended for instance, I wouldn't have said anything.

However, I have received a reply:


I think it's good that they have thought about it and consulted, but I think it is bad that they have only looked at the superficial "If I bang my head wearing a helmet, it hurts less" level rather than actually checking any facts or stats.

He agrees that the helmet may have made the neck injury worse but I don't think he realises how little energy they absorb when saying that "...he is also sure that if he had not been wearing a helmet he wouldn’t be worrying about his neck"

Risk transference, or whatever it's called, makes the seatbelt analogy completely redundant. That would be akin to me taking the airbag out of everyone else's car and replacing it with a spike.

I don't think I'll get anywhere, but I do think it is worth another response, just to try and open their eyes to the facts about the increased dangers from other road users, and to the facts about the very low amount of energy a cycling helmet does absorb.

Still, if it only means that the kids get some more training in riding and maintenance, and that a fewer helmets are badly fitted, that might be as close to victory as I can hope to get.

Oh dear, very disapointing.

The head at my sons school has banned children rising to school without helmets. I was going to write to her to challenge the rule, but frankly, couldn't be bothered as I anticipated a similar response to the one you've got.

 

[Sara_H]

[QUOTE 1749541, member: 45"]I'd carry on sending them without helmets and watch what the response is.[/quote]
We live two minutes walk from school o don't bike, but it does annoy me that teachers think they can dictate on this subject!

 

[Norm]

[QUOTE 1749563, member: 45"]Get on the governors and sort them out. I managed to get a bike shed (which within 4 weeks was overcrowded when beforehand no-one cycled to school) and now the school is on the Bikeability scheme.[/quote]
Thing1's school has a bunch of bike sheds, probably enough for 150+ bikes. They are always over-flowing, with bikes locked to railings etc.

I didn't get elected as a governor. We were told that we could only write 100 words to support our application, the governors who were up for re-election wrote around 250 words. They all got re-elected.