Ready for the Guardianistas' helmet mass debate?

[swee'pea99]

“That’s more or less what the infamous helmet debate has become,” Hussey lamented. “Shouty strangers shouting at other shouty strangers for choices that don’t affect the first shouty stranger’s life."

Fun for all the family, at:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/mar/21/bike-helmet-cyclists-safe-urban-warfare-wheels

 

[Drago]

Commenting on the article, not the helmet debate -

"The great majority of UK cyclists ride helmeted..."

Not sure how they arrived at that. They seem to be inventing facts such as that, then then selectively promoting others.

Why can't any newspaper promote a balanced debate evenly presenting all the evidence, instead of publishing only the evidence that supports the view of the writer, and then inventing other facts to dress it up?

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

I get the impression that we're being asked to wear helmets to make those that don't cycle feel safe.

 

[raleighnut]

Commenting on the article, not the helmet debate -

"The great majority of UK cyclists ride helmeted..."

Not sure how they arrived at that. They seem to be inventing facts such as that, then then selectively promoting others.

Why can't any newspaper promote a balanced debate evenly presenting all the evidence, instead of publishing only the evidence that supports the view of the writer, and then inventing other facts to dress it up?

I too would question whether "The great majority of UK cyclists ride helmeted" not the ones I see, 'Weekend Warriors' yes but people who ride bikes in everyday life.

 

[velovoice]

No idea about the rest of London, much less the whole of the UK, but certainly on my 12-mile route Mitcham to Liverpool Street -- where cyclist congestion is a very real Thing -- I am one of the very few (rare, in fact) without a helmet. People ride in running kit showing the world their builder's bum -- but they won't not wear a helmet.

 

[srw]

No idea about the rest of London, much less the whole of the UK, but certainly on my 12-mile route Mitcham to Liverpool Street -- where cyclist congestion is a very real Thing -- I am one of the very few (rare, in fact) without a helmet. People ride in running kit showing the world their builder's bum -- but they won't not wear a helmet.

I did a survey once while I was supposed to be reviewing a report from my eyrie overlooking Gracechurch Street. The numbers were pretty statistically significant, and may still be on here somewhere. During the middle of the afternoon it was about 50/50 with and without, and at prime commuter time it was more like 70/30 in favour of helmet wear. I didn't take a record, but anecdotally it seemed that helmet wear correlated postively strongly with wearing lycra and with being male. Women cyclists were more likely than men to wear ordinary clothes, ride an upright bike and not wear a helmet.

 

[mjr]

I did a survey once while I was supposed to be reviewing a report from my eyrie overlooking Gracechurch Street. The numbers were pretty statistically significant, and may still be on here somewhere. During the middle of the afternoon it was about 50/50 with and without, and at prime commuter time it was more like 70/30 in favour of helmet wear. I didn't take a record, but anecdotally it seemed that helmet wear correlated postively strongly with wearing lycra and with being male. Women cyclists were more likely than men to wear ordinary clothes, ride an upright bike and not wear a helmet.

The last UK government statistics I saw were 34% helmet wearing but they've not been collected since 2008 - but helmet use was falling in all European countries that reported it except Poland (risen to 12%) and Denmark (1% rise to 28%).

I think I remember reading that the central London major roads count points at rush hour was Peak Helmet and in the high 40s percent, but it's not my campaigning area so I don't keep those figures handy.

 

[david k]

I've done a simple count of cyclists in London from time to time, just to pass time when walking to the office though!

It seems to range between 8/10 to 10/10 who wear helmets. Obviously a very small proportion and not sure if this is representative around the UK or not but reasonable for someone to make that generalisation if walking in central London imo