Source: https://momentummag.com/a-little-more-fuel-for-the-helmet-debate-fire/
Researchers in Canada have determined that mandatory helmet laws have no impact on bicycling injury hospitalization rates. Other factors, namely mode share, were much more likely to affect the outcome.
A little more fuel for the mandatory helmet debate fire
At least this time we should be talking about infrastructure
by: Hilary Angus, momentummag.com
Main conclusions of investigation:
1. The analysis concluded that helmet legislation was not associated with hospitalization rates, including and specifically for injuries to the head, scout, skull, face or neck.
2. The factors that didn’t have a measurable impact were modal share and sex. “For all injury causes sex was associated with hospitalization rates; females had rates consistently lower than males.”
3. For traffic related injury causes, higher cycling mode share was consistently associated with lower hospitalization rates.
4. The authors suggest that transportation health policy makers who aim to reduce bicycle injuries should direct their focus to initiatives that increase cycling mode share and specifically rates of women cycling.
5. Mandatory helmet laws have already been proven to reduce rates of cycling by either their inconvenience and discomfort, and/or by creating a culture of fear around biking.
* Full text: https://momentummag.com/a-little-more-fuel-for-the-helmet-debate-fire/
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Bio: Founding editor of World Streets (1988), Eric Britton is an American political scientist, teacher, occasional consultant, and sustainability activist who has observed, learned, taught and worked on missions and advisory assignments on all continents. In the autumn of 2019, he committed his remaining life work to the challenges of aggressively countering climate change and specifically greenhouse gas emissions emanating from the mobility sector. He is not worried about running out of work. Further background and updates: @ericbritton | http://bit.ly/2Ti8LsX | #fekbritton | https://twitter.com/ericbritton | and | https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbritton/ Contact: climate@newmobility.org) | +336 508 80787 (Also WhatApp) | Skype: newmobility.)
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