In the past I have written blogs about the importance of wearing a bike helmet, but prior to yesterday I never thought about how I reacted when driving by bicyclists who were not wearing helmets. Perhaps, I shook my head in disgust or let out a sigh, or perhaps, even hoped that they wouldn’t get into an accident. But, I never took into account what I did behind the wheel. Well, not until yesterday.
Yesterday I read an interesting report done by a Bristish professor who was run over twice by vehicles while he conducted a study on bicycle safety. His study’s startling find: “Motorists give greater leeway to cyclists who do not wear safety helmets.”
According to Ian Walker, who works at the Department of Psychology of Britain’s University of Bath, “drivers were up to two times more likely to get close when passing cyclists wearing helmets than when overtaking bare-headed pedalers.” I found that so interesting and wondered if I too exercised the same practice.
Of course, Walker’s conclusion that wearing a helmet might therefore make a collision more likely isn’t sitting well with many safety-advocacy groups, which caution against “giving up a helmet’s protection against head injury in hopes of avoiding a crash.”
Before you decide take a look at the nuts and bolts of Walker’s study:
He set off by riding a bicycle fit with a computer and an ultrasonic distance sensor and recorded data from more than 2,500 motorists. Walker spent half his time wearing a helmet and half without. In the process of the experiment Walker says he was struck by a bus and a truck while wearing the helmet. When he went to interview drivers he found that many considered cyclists as a group of “lycra-clad street-warriors.” (I wonder if this means that drivers equate wearing lycra with the ability to survive being struck by a vehicle?) Walker concluded that: “Drivers believe cyclists with helmets are more serious, experienced and predictable than those without.” He also found drivers passed an average of 3.3 inches closer to cyclists with a helmet than without, giving cyclists the room needed to avoid drain covers and potholes.
Now here’s the part of the study that I found most interesting: As part of his experiment, Walker also donned a blond wig and found drivers gave him an average of 5.5 inches more space when they passed what appeared to be a female cyclist.
“We know helmets are useful in low-speed falls, and so definitely good for children, but whether they offer any real protection to somebody struck by a car is very controversial,” said Walker. “Either way, this study suggests wearing a helmet might make a collision more likely in the first place.”
Not surprising, after Walker’s study was made public safety advocates were quick to retort, saying: “The study highlighted the vulnerability of cyclists and the need for drivers to take greater care.” Proponants of bicycle helmets reiterated that it is not a good idea to stop wearing cycle helmets because of Walker’s research. They maintain that despite what Walker may have encountered, “helmets have been shown to reduce the likelihood of head and brain injuries in a crash.”
After driving around a bit today, I realize I pull my car over as much as possible for all bicyclists (regardless of whether they are wearing a helmet). Do you brake for bicyclists wearing helmets? Do you give them more space if they aren’t wearing a helmet?
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