Safety vs. Profit

Everyday on the way to work I see hundreds of people wobbling along on their bikes, dodging cars and people while they head to work.

One thought comes to mind each time “Why are they not wearing a helmet?” It is then I remember that there is no law stating that you have to wear a helmet while cycling.

The helmet is to a bike what the seatbelt is to a car (it is illegal to drive without a seatbelt); and on a bike there is no protective exterior, there is no ‘crush zone’ – just you and the object you are hitting.

Although there is no law for it, an ad was recently banned from TV as it had large crowds cycling without helmets. The ad was said to “encourage young children to not wear a helmet”. The ad itself had no children appearing and was not aimed at a young audience.

So why are we not seeing this changed? Could it be due to the Boris bikes that are now all over Central London?

If the law was changed and we had to wear helmets to ride a bike, would people still use Boris Bikes? I personally am doubtful.

Perhaps this is why the law won’t change anytime soon as the bikes are still paying back the debt they cost to set up…