Misplaced priorities about cyclists reflect intrusion of nanny state

Matt Cooper argued in his Friday column (Jul 6) that only those with a pronounced distrust of the nanny state could object to legislation which would require children under 13 to wear helmets when cycling. We are enthusiastic adherents of the nanny state, but fear that Cooper’s priorities are misplaced.

Helmets do not prevent accidents; at best, they mitigate their effects to a limited extent. Even this limited benefit depends on helmets being correctly fitted and in good condition — one US study ascertained that 96% of children and adolescents wore helmets in inadequate condition and/or with inadequate fit. And helmets can also cause accidents, especially when worn in inappropriate situations such as at playgrounds, where the straps can catch on equipment.

Helmet laws and campaigns “dangerise” cycling by falsely presenting it as a high-risk activity. Trying to persuade or force people to cycle wearing helmets can deter people from cycling at all. When this happens, those who stop cycling lose the health benefits conveyed by cycling, congestion and pollution increase, and cyclists who remain on the road lose the “safety in numbers” effect (the more people cycle, the safer cycling becomes, since drivers get into the habit of looking out for cyclists.)

Fetishising compulsory helmet-wearing distracts from much more useful things we could do to protect cyclists. In the risk-aware nanny state of our dreams, children and adult cyclists would be ticketed if their lights and/or their brakes were out of order. In the risk-averse nanny state of our nightmares, on the other hand, children would be constantly monitored by helicopter parents. The helicopter parents would be constantly monitored by official helicopter parent overseers. Failure to wear a sunhat, a bicycle helmet, etc., would be punishable by draconian fines.

Do we want a risk-averse society obsessed with safety equipment and insurance? Or a risk-aware society which identifies and prioritises the reduction of real risks?

Catherine Swift

359 Tirellan Heights

Galway

Sarah Swift

Badstrasse 11

96049 Bamberg

Germany