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Helmet fixation distracts from effective safety strategies says US professor

He says helmets are given too much emphasis in the US and believes this shapes the safety debate

A fixation on cycle helmets is hampering efforts to improve bicycle safety in the United States, according to a professor from the University of Heidelberg. Streets Blog reports how Gregg Culver is arguing that the helmet occupies a special place within official bicycle safety discourse and that this distracts from more effective strategies to improve safety.

Early on in his paper, published in Applied Mobilities, Culver emphasises that his issue with helmet advocacy is purely one of proportionality: “I wish to make clear that I do not seek to make claims or recommendations on helmet use, one way or the other. Instead, my intention is to interrogate an exaggerated and arguably misplaced fixation with helmets.”

He goes on to say that… “cyclists in the United States are far likelier to wear helmets and yet five times likelier to be killed and about 21 times likelier to be injured than in the Netherlands, where helmet use is a rarity.

“If safe cycling can be achieved without helmets, and if relatively dangerous cycling persists despite helmet use, then basic logic dictates that the helmet simply cannot possibly be the most significant factor of bicyclist safety.”

Culver believes that attitudes to cycling in America, “must ultimately be understood within the larger context of the subordination of the bicycle to the automobile.”

He explains: “Virtually everyone involved in automobility has an understandable inclination to reflexively consider the death of cyclists as tragic accident rather than manslaughter. The helmet fixation redirects attention away from the overarching problem of vehicular violence, assisting in its denial.”

To analyse the attitudes of American public officials to cycling and cycle helmets, Culver conducted analysis of the official bike-related texts posted online by the planning departments of 25 US cities.

What he found was a “fixation” with cycle helmets which he says sees them prioritised over other safety measures in a number of different ways.

Helmet use was typically mentioned either first or among the first safety measures relating to cycling. He also found that ‘admonishments’ about helmet use were given special emphasis via exclamation marks, italics, or similar, whereas other safety measures were not.

He describes one example, from the city of Phoenix, where a strikingly graphic comic was used to illustrate the dangers of not wearing a helmet to children. In it, a cyclist’s head is split open and his brains can be seen by other cyclists.

In many cases, Culver identified an “overtly moralising tone that is largely unique to helmets compared to other elements of bicycle safety.” He said helmet use was presented not as a legitimate personal choice, but as “a moral duty.”

Reflecting on what he perceives to be a disproportionate emphasis on helmet use, he concludes: “Whether they (choose to) wear a helmet or not, cyclists should refuse to acquiesce to vehicular violence, and push for serious bicycle infrastructure investments and policies that safeguard vulnerable traffic participants. Considering that motorists operate fantastically lethal machines, a greater focus on improving motorist awareness for and responsibility toward vulnerable traffic participants should be pursued.”

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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120 comments

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Ush | 6 years ago
2 likes

Oh, also, I would like to state that I am unequivocally against mandating dried frog pills for anyone and think it should be left to be an individual choice.   Now, back to work filing misleading PR briefs for Headway.

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davel replied to Ush | 6 years ago
0 likes

Ush wrote:

Oh, also, I would like to state that I am unequivocally against mandating dried frog pills for anyone and think it should be left to be an individual choice.   Now, back to work filing misleading PR briefs for Headway.

Well, the next time you send your kid in without a dried frog pill, I will confiscate their property and mode of transport. Shoes, cars, whatever. 

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Ush | 6 years ago
2 likes

Homeopathy may have health benefits.  On your next check up Mr. Griff I shall be solicitously enquiring whether or not you have taken your dried frog pills.  You never know, it may help, in addition to the open heart surgery.    Just being reasonable.  Thank you.

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hawkinspeter replied to Ush | 6 years ago
1 like

Ush wrote:

Homeopathy may have health benefits.  On your next check up Mr. Griff I shall be solicitously enquiring whether or not you have taken your dried frog pills.  You never know, it may help, in addition to the open heart surgery.    Just being reasonable.  Thank you.

No-one has actually demonstrated any harm coming from taking Homeopathic treatments (except for fake news like https://arstechnica.com/science/2016/10/fda-homeopathic-teething-gels-ma... ), so the most sensible course of action is to hedge your bets and take all of the medicines just in case. Personally, I swig down a pint of sea water as that's basically got a tiny bit of everything diluted and I've NEVER died!!!!

alansmurphy wrote:

Across at the park, messing about on a bmx, not so much. Swings and roundabouts...

are best avoided when on the bike

Dagnammit!! There goes my next KickStarter idea.

 

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alansmurphy | 6 years ago
1 like

Same as Davel (as we are the same person - hi me) but perhaps a bit harsher.

 

Daughter aged 11 now has a road bike and has a helmet with a built in light. She also has proper shoes, padded shorts, gloves etc. just picks up the helmet as part of her kit. The club rides i do involve helmets so she's one of the gang.

 

Across at the park, messing about on a bmx, not so much. Swings and roundabouts...

 

are best avoided when on the bike  3

 

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Pudsey Pedaller replied to alansmurphy | 6 years ago
2 likes
alansmurphy wrote:

Same as Davel (as we are the same person - hi me) but perhaps a bit harsher.

 

Daughter aged 11 now has a road bike and has a helmet with a built in light. She also has proper shoes, padded shorts, gloves etc. just picks up the helmet as part of her kit. The club rides i do involve helmets so she's one of the gang.

 

Across at the park, messing about on a bmx, not so much. Swings and roundabouts...

 

are best avoided when on the bike  3

 

I definitely think helmets should be mandated for swings and roundabouts.

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hawkinspeter | 6 years ago
1 like

@Griff500: Also some BMA members: https://www.helmets.org/bmareport.htm

... but apart from that, what have helmet wearing advocates ever done for us?

 

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alansmurphy | 6 years ago
0 likes

Interesting that Sir Bradley of Wiggins would say that; I've a video of me passing him on Ventoux (he wasn't trying btw - i'm not THAT guy) and he was wearing a jaunty cap...

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Morat | 6 years ago
2 likes

I'd rather see stats for:

1. Cyclist deaths with Motor Vehicle involved

2. Cyclist deaths without Motor Vehicle involved

Then I think we could make some progress.

 

 

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ClubSmed replied to Morat | 6 years ago
1 like

Morat wrote:

I'd rather see stats for:

1. Cyclist deaths with Motor Vehicle involved

2. Cyclist deaths without Motor Vehicle involved

Then I think we could make some progress.

This!

You don't stop fingers getting cut in the kitchen with sharp knifes by forcing those who prepare food wear chainmail gloves! You do so by educating those people to use the tool properly and safely and designing the kitchen in a way that makes it safe.

Helmets are not the main cause of injury, they are a distraction, as the article states and as this lengthy discusion proves!

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don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
3 likes

Curd we all agree to disagree, constant bickering isn't the whey forward. As a starter, there is no conclusive evidence for either argument.  Rennet (ouch) becomes law, I will consider wearing a helmet, until then it is my choice.

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Robarthur | 6 years ago
1 like

If I hit you on the head with a sledgehammer I know the result.

Fancy volunteering  to try it with a helmet.

30, 40 mph headbut on a wall is the same dead, helmet or not!

Sorry, just being ott

 

,

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Robarthur | 6 years ago
0 likes

If I hit you on the head with a sledgehammer I know the result.

Fancy volunteering  to try it with a helmet.

30, 40 mph headbut on a wall is the same dead, helmet or not!

Sorry, just being ott

 

,

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alansmurphy | 6 years ago
0 likes

Davel, not doubting that you're right here. Do you think the compulsory wearing in events is partly down to insurance though?

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davel replied to alansmurphy | 6 years ago
0 likes
alansmurphy wrote:

Davel, not doubting that you're right here. Do you think the compulsory wearing in events is partly down to insurance though?

Not sure... I don't remember the original reasons BC and British Triathlon etc gave. I know some sportives use the insurance excuse...

But I don't think insurance companies themselves have much truck with mandated helmet wearing? (I recall a debate on here about holiday insurance where one insurer seemed to be going out on a limb by mandating them.)

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alansmurphy replied to davel | 6 years ago
0 likes

davel wrote:
alansmurphy wrote:

Davel, not doubting that you're right here. Do you think the compulsory wearing in events is partly down to insurance though?

Not sure... I don't remember the original reasons BC and British Triathlon etc gave. I know some sportives use the insurance excuse... But I don't think insurance companies themselves have much truck with mandated helmet wearing? (I recall a debate on here about holiday insurance where one insurer seemed to be going out on a limb by mandating them.)

 

Indeed. I was just thinking of the risk assessments etc. that must be a shit load of paperwork. As others have said perception versus reality is a factor. I could quite imangine the insurance, public liability etc. may be significantly different for 2,000 riders versus 2,000 riders with a helmet...

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hawkinspeter | 6 years ago
8 likes

More graphs!!

 

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Yorkshire wallet | 6 years ago
3 likes

If the perfect helmet was invented that did everything you wanted (proven with stats and everything), weighed nothing and actually was invisible.....I'd imagine a percentage of Road.cc would still claim it caused accidents, global warming, increased the likelyhood of a disc-brake injury etc.

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700c | 6 years ago
4 likes

Many people who chose to invest in - and wear one - have a need to believe in it's efficacy, just as people who opt out need to believe it won't make any difference in a crash, or worse, that it will make you less safe.  So on they go selecting their stats out of context and confirming their biases.  After all Google can be made to prove pretty much anything.

This is the problem when the debate descends into this particular black hole of entrenchment!

 

 

 

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alansmurphy | 6 years ago
4 likes

Jesus people, you are going to make me agree with Rich!

 

Readers will probably know I had a high speed Mont Ventoux issue and my helmet also ended up a mess (as did my shoulder from hitting a metal pole. I wouldn't be so brave as the poster in the picture to say it saved my life but I do reckon my shoulder is a tad harder than the side of my head and that was well and truly totalled.

 

Arguing that a helmet can never have a positive impact is as stupid as those suggesting it is the primary consideration for safer cyclists.

 

The fella fell, his helmet smashed, his head didn't = win!

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Yorkshire wallet | 6 years ago
5 likes

If you don't wear a helmet you are literally Hitler

//cosminpopan.co/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/hitler.png)

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Jimmy Ray Will replied to Yorkshire wallet | 6 years ago
3 likes

Yorkshire wallet wrote:

If you don't wear a helmet you are literally Hitler

//cosminpopan.co/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/hitler.png)

 

Once upon a time, the application of Godwin's law was enough to end any forum thread... alas these days there is seemingly no killing off of a thread! 

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leaderthiever | 6 years ago
0 likes

My children don't have a choice.  They have to wear a helmet.  When they are older and have become adults they can choose for themselves.

I'm glad I was wearing mine the other day.  One moment I am cycling along, the next I'm lying on the ground after hitting a patch of black ice.  I had hit my head on the road but it was only when I arrived at work and took the helmet off that I realised the damage to the helmet.

I will never know for sure, but kind of thinking I would not be here if I hadn't have been wearing a helmet.

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BehindTheBikesheds replied to leaderthiever | 6 years ago
3 likes

leaderthiever wrote:

My children don't have a choice.  They have to wear a helmet.  When they are older and have become adults they can choose for themselves.

I'm glad I was wearing mine the other day.  One moment I am cycling along, the next I'm lying on the ground after hitting a patch of black ice.  I had hit my head on the road but it was only when I arrived at work and took the helmet off that I realised the damage to the helmet.

I will never know for sure, but kind of thinking I would not be here if I hadn't have been wearing a helmet.

So your helmet failed and by fact of science didn't even absorb close to the maximum in lab reduction of forces which in itself (in best case scenario) isn't even enough to lower those forces to below concussion thresholds. Have you even remotely considered that your head might well have missed the ground completely not wearing a helmet?

It's (not) strange that helmet wearers hit their heads a hell of a lot more often than non wearers and despite the supposed benefits helmet wearing doesn't improve injury rates.

by your logic you should wear a helmet for other activities, walking and driving are two for starters, make sure your kids wear helmets in the car and walking too, both activities proven to be far more likely to cause death by head injury than ALL child cycling deaths in England and Wales.

My child had a choice, he looked to me to offer him advice and guidance, I said f he wanted to he could wear one, I even bought him one, he wore it once, maybe twice then didn't bother, much like his peers.

He cycled to school for 7 years down a 7-8% 60mph limit road and then onto a busy residential road, he started doing that on his own at the age of 10. I now encourage my grandsons to ride and even the older one (at age 9) understands the logic behind not wearing as against wearing a lid as being the safer option and that a helmet increases the chance of a head strike.

Your children are at more risk wearing, children take significantly more risk doing activities when they think they are protected, more so than adults, this is proven time and time again and in multiple peer reviewed studies (google it).

Kids are in the same bracket as those risk takers in the competitive ranks who exhibit the exact same traits and hence why despite all the additional H&S improvements on courses, despite better tyres, better brakes, better handling bikes, crash more, get injured and die more often since helmets were mandated. This also happens on the club run, it happens in weekend warrior riding and in all types of riding to the point that we have clear evidence that helmets have done precisely the sum of nothing to increase safety.

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burtthebike replied to leaderthiever | 6 years ago
3 likes

leaderthiever wrote:

My children don't have a choice.  They have to wear a helmet.  When they are older and have become adults they can choose for themselves.

I'm glad I was wearing mine the other day.  One moment I am cycling along, the next I'm lying on the ground after hitting a patch of black ice.  I had hit my head on the road but it was only when I arrived at work and took the helmet off that I realised the damage to the helmet.

I will never know for sure, but kind of thinking I would not be here if I hadn't have been wearing a helmet.

Please allow me to remove your doubt: the helmet didn't save your life.

Helmets are supposed to work by compressing the expanded polystyrene, which absorbs quite a bit of energy, and if they crack or shatter, as yours did, they absorb very little energy; the more energy absorbed, the more protection they provide and yours provided almost none.  To demonstrate the point, take a ceiling tile or some expanded polystyrene packaging, and try to compress it with your fingers; hard isn't it.  Now try snapping it: easy isn't it.

The picture of your helmet shows no sign of compression deformation, it has simply snapped, and thus provided very little protection.  Experts in helmets have examined hundreds of them involved in collisions and found no evidence of compression, and there are thousands of pictures like yours on the web, all showing clearly that helmets don't work as intended, they fail catastrophically instead.

All neatly summed up here http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1209.html

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Rich_cb replied to burtthebike | 6 years ago
1 like
burtthebike wrote:

Please allow me to remove your doubt: the helmet didn't save your life.

Helmets are supposed to work by compressing the expanded polystyrene, which absorbs quite a bit of energy, and if they crack or shatter, as yours did, they absorb very little energy; the more energy absorbed, the more protection they provide and yours provided almost none.  To demonstrate the point, take a ceiling tile or some expanded polystyrene packaging, and try to compress it with your fingers; hard isn't it.  Now try snapping it: easy isn't it.

The picture of your helmet shows no sign of compression deformation, it has simply snapped, and thus provided very little protection.  Experts in helmets have examined hundreds of them involved in collisions and found no evidence of compression, and there are thousands of pictures like yours on the web, all showing clearly that helmets don't work as intended, they fail catastrophically instead.

All neatly summed up here http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1209.html

So the compression of the polystyrene is the only way in which helmets work?

No.

There is also energy dissipation.

A small force collision with a small area (eg a rock or the edge of a kerb) will produce very high levels of pressure at the point of impact, this can easily cause a skull fracture and a brain injury. If the force of collision is dissipated over a larger area by a helmet then the pressure becomes much reduced along with the likelihood of a skull fracture.

So a cracked helmet doesn't prove that the helmet hasn't worked at all.

It's absolutely impossible to tell this from just a picture, your certainty is merely a reflection of your own bias.

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FluffyKittenofT... replied to Rich_cb | 6 years ago
3 likes

Rich_cb wrote:
burtthebike wrote:

Please allow me to remove your doubt: the helmet didn't save your life.

Helmets are supposed to work by compressing the expanded polystyrene, which absorbs quite a bit of energy, and if they crack or shatter, as yours did, they absorb very little energy; the more energy absorbed, the more protection they provide and yours provided almost none.  To demonstrate the point, take a ceiling tile or some expanded polystyrene packaging, and try to compress it with your fingers; hard isn't it.  Now try snapping it: easy isn't it.

The picture of your helmet shows no sign of compression deformation, it has simply snapped, and thus provided very little protection.  Experts in helmets have examined hundreds of them involved in collisions and found no evidence of compression, and there are thousands of pictures like yours on the web, all showing clearly that helmets don't work as intended, they fail catastrophically instead.

All neatly summed up here http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1209.html

So the compression of the polystyrene is the only way in which helmets work? No. There is also energy dissipation. A small force collision with a small area (eg a rock or the edge of a kerb) will produce very high levels of pressure at the point of impact, this can easily cause a skull fracture and a brain injury. If the force of collision is dissipated over a larger area by a helmet then the pressure becomes much reduced along with the likelihood of a skull fracture. So a cracked helmet doesn't prove that the helmet hasn't worked at all. It's absolutely impossible to tell this from just a picture, your certainty is merely a reflection of your own bias.

 

Surely basic physics means the energy is  going to go somewhere?  It's not 'dissipated' into nothing (what's the definiton of 'dissipated', in this context, by the way?  Where is the energy 'dissipated' to?).

I would have thought it would largely go into rattling your brain around inside your skull, which still seems rather unpleasant.  But I expect the helmet would mean less of it went into direct abration and localised impact on a part of the scalp and skull...though what the helmet breaking says about that is entirely non-obvious.

 

The previous poster does indeed display too much certainty, but I think its understandable in the face of yet another 'look at what happened to this helmet, it's obvious it helped change the outcome' post.  He can't know it _didn't_ help, purely because it broke, but excessive certainty begats excessive certainty.

 

The central point is a valid one - a helmet breaking doesn't prove it "absorbed" more energy, nor that it 'dissipated' it.  I can't imagine a bit of plastic snapping emits much heat energy or noise, so how oculd it 'absorb' more energy?  Where did it go?  Some sort of elastic compression spreading out the transmission of that energy over a few microseconds?  It seems a very long way from 'obvious' what it all means.

All one can rationally do is look at that picture and think 'and?  what am I supposed to conclude from that?'  Where's the detailed physical analysis?

Avatar
Rich_cb replied to FluffyKittenofTindalos | 6 years ago
1 like
FluffyKittenofTindalos wrote:

Surely basic physics means the energy is  going to go somewhere?  It's not 'dissipated' into nothing (what's the definiton of 'dissipated', in this context, by the way?  Where is the energy 'dissipated' to?).

I would have thought it would largely go into rattling your brain around inside your skull, which still seems rather unpleasant.  But I expect the helmet would mean less of it went into direct abration and localised impact on a part of the scalp and skull...though what the helmet breaking says about that is entirely non-obvious.

 

The previous poster does indeed display too much certainty, but I think its understandable in the face of yet another 'look at what happened to this helmet, it's obvious it helped change the outcome' post.  He can't know it _didn't_ help, purely because it broke, but excessive certainty begats excessive certainty.

 

The central point is a valid one - a helmet breaking doesn't prove it "absorbed" more energy, nor that it 'dissipated' it.  I can't imagine a bit of plastic snapping emits much heat energy or noise, so how oculd it 'absorb' more energy?  Where did it go?  Some sort of elastic compression spreading out the transmission of that energy over a few microseconds?  It seems a very long way from 'obvious' what it all means.

All one can rationally do is look at that picture and think 'and?  what am I supposed to conclude from that?'  Where's the detailed physical analysis?

The energy is still mostly transferred to the head with a small amount being absorbed by the cracking of the helmet.

The crucial point is the surface area. As the impact is transmitted through the helmet the surface area that the impact is spread over is greatly increased.

By spreading the force/energy in this way the likelihood of a skull fracture is reduced.

You can't prove anything by looking at a picture of a broken helmet. A large crack could indicate that the helmet has hit a sharp rock and successfully spread the energy over a large area avoiding any injury. It could also mean the helmet simply failed.

The well worn argument that 'unless you see compression of the polystyrene the helmet has done nothing' is obviously flawed.

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Griff500 replied to FluffyKittenofTindalos | 6 years ago
1 like

FluffyKittenofTindalos wrote:

 

Surely basic physics means the energy is  going to go somewhere?  It's not 'dissipated' into nothing (what's the definiton of 'dissipated', in this context, by the way?  Where is the energy 'dissipated' to?).

I would have thought it would largely go into rattling your brain around inside your skull, which still seems rather unpleasant.  But I expect the helmet would mean less of it went into direct abration and localised impact on a part of the scalp and skull...though what the helmet breaking says about that is entirely non-obvious.

In an ideal World, it is as you suggest, the impact energy is converted to heat, but don't expect your helmet to become too hot to handle. Arresting a 2.5kg head from 30mph releases 211Joules, which will only heat up your 300g helmet by 0.5C.  

Burtthebike is possibly correct. It is not easy to see from the photographs, but if the helmet broke due to a large area impact, which is what cycle helmets are designed to protect against, there would be some sign of  permanent deformation of the foam. Breaking foam, due to applying an uneven load, does not take much force, and therefore does not absorb much energy. 

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