An Australian academic who helped compile a report into the impact of the country’s compulsory helmet laws has acknowledged that some of the data used may have been flawed, but insists that the central finding of the research remains unchanged, and that lower levels of head injuries since the law was introduced are due to factors other than compulsory use of helmets.
The original research was published by Clinical Associate Professor Chris Rissel and Dr Alex Voukelatos of the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney in the August 2010 issue of the Journal of the Australasian College of Road Safety (JACRS).
In their study, the pair sought to assess whether the introduction of a law in 1991 in New South Wales that had made it compulsory for cyclists to wear a helmet had resulted in a demonstrable reduction on the level of head injuries among cyclists, as reported on road.cc at the time.
However, in a response published in JACRS in its November 2010 issue (page 76) and reported on the health-focused blog Croakey, epidemiologist Tim Churches highlights errors in the original data used and disputes the researchers’ findings.
Professor Rissel, for his part, has wasted no time in admitting in an article on Croakey that, yes, the data used were flawed, and that corrected data will be submitted to JACRS. However, he asserts that the essential finding remains the same – that evidence across Australia shows a downward trend in head injuries among cyclists even before helmets were made compulsory in 1991.
You can read his response, which is accompanied by graphs illustrating the data, on the Croakey blog, while the edition of JACRS containing the original research, a special issue of the journal that focused on bicycle safety in general, can be found here.
I'm not sure the police count as 'infrastructure'.
I suppose it depends on the Police force. I know from CycleGaz videos that the MET will issue FPNs for crossing into the ASL...
I was similarly sceptical about his 'justification'....
Road.cc, have you updated the content of this article since 12- and 13-speed came along? Would be useful to know what the manufacturers currently...
Drivers cutting corners without looking is unfortunately very common, and will continue to be so long as there are no consequences for it. Or,...
I'd love one of these Thanks.
This is terrible - very sad that someone's weekend TT could end up this way and I feel for anyone close to them....
This one turns the earth quicker.
As mentioned, alcohol based, or similar, hand gel / santiser plus a good bit of elbow grease will get you there....
I have a friend who rides with an old chain in her pocket...