Cookie Consent

Our site uses web cookies to give you the best experience and keep things secure. Some are essential and can't be turned off. Others are used for measuring and testing performance and improving functionality. We recommend you accept all cookies or you can choose your own settings. Read more in our Data Protection Policy and our Privacy Policy
Accept
Cookie management

Giving you the benefits you don't get from insurance

Supporting you and your family on the road, on your bike and at home

We have 57,399 members and their families, driving 75,575 vehicles and riding 47,833 cycles

In 2023 we saved our members £385,240 in recovery fees, storage charges, and insurance excess

In 2023 we successfully helped 4,269 members with their motoring, cycling and property claims

Wearing a helmet may put cyclists more at risk of being injured

Wearing a helmet may put cyclists more at risk of being injured

Former Cycling UK councillor Colin Clarke and author and journalist Chris Gillham analysed overall changes in accident risk with increased helmet wearing.

They looked at data from Australia and New Zealand, both of which have nationwide mandatory helmet laws, the US and Canada, where compulsion is widespread particularly for children but laws vary in local jurisdictions, and the UK, where there is no legal requirement to wear one.

Summarising their findings, they said:

"Bicycle helmet wearing globally has increased over the past 30 years via promotion and in some cases legislation.

Various reports have assessed the changes in wearing rates, accidents, injuries and cycling activity levels.

A limited number of reports have analysed overall changes in accident risk per kilometres cycled, per hours cycled or in relationship to cycling levels via survey information.

A significant number of findings suggest a higher accident/injury rate may result from helmet usage and there is strong evidence that helmeted cyclists suffer a higher rate of upper body limb injuries than non-wearers, suggesting a higher rate of falls than non-wearers."


Besides highlighting an increased casualty rate among cyclists wearing helmets, they also noted that according to census data, the compulsory helmet laws introduced in Australia and New Zealand in the 1990s had led to a reduction in cycling.

For example, they highlighted that

"Children's cycling in New Zealand reduced from 23 million hours to 13.6 million hours in less than a 10 year period and currently is about 4 to 5 million hours per year.

That ties in with one argument often put forward by opponents of mandatory helmet laws, namely that discouraging people from cycling through such legislation ultimately has an adverse effect on public health generally.

To put that another way, the perceived reduction in casualties of cyclists brought about by making helmets compulsory is outweighed by the fact that such laws deter people from cycling, and therefore do not aid efforts to tackle more widespread issues such as obesity which exercise can help address."


In conclusion, Clarke and Gillham said:

"The possible reasons for increased risk of injury per cyclist, particularly upper extremities, appear to be due to increased falls. It appears helmet use increases the accident rate by more than 40 per cent. This should be the subject of further research to determine why overall accident and injury rates outweigh head injury benefits provided by helmets."

Read another article

Assist Protect Ltd is regulated by the Data Protection Act 2018 and is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office, ref. Z2148051. Registered office: Mercia Place, 2 Main Street, Repton, Derbyshire, United Kingdom, DE65 6EZ. Company No. 7184256.

© Assist Protect Limited. All rights reserved.

AssistProtect, the AssistProtect logo and all the logos of Assist Protect Ltd's products and services are trademarks of Assist Protect Ltd.
The website www.assistprotect.co.uk and its designs are solely owned by Assist Protect Ltd.