tag:theconversation.com,2011:/uk/topics/bicycle-helmets-523/articlesBicycle helmets – The Conversation2023-08-07T04:10:53Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2079282023-08-07T04:10:53Z2023-08-07T04:10:53ZDo I have the right bicycle helmet and how can I tell if it’s any good? A bike helmet researcher explains<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532339/original/file-20230616-27-f1f5xs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C21%2C7200%2C5065&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/group-of-cyclist-on-road-2373200/">Pexels/Nishant Aneja</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you ride a bike and want to cut your risk of traumatic head injury, you should wear a helmet. A major Australian <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyw153">review</a> of 40 different studies and 64,000 injured cyclists worldwide showed wearing a bicycle helmet reduces the risk of serious head injury by nearly 70%.</p>
<p>But there’s a bewildering array of designs out there. How do you know if yours is up to scratch or when it’s time to replace it?</p>
<p>I’m a head injury biomechanics researcher who has researched on bicycle helmet designs. Here’s what you need to know about choosing a bike helmet.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539875/original/file-20230728-21-sabxi0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man sitting next to his bike, wearing a helmet." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539875/original/file-20230728-21-sabxi0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539875/original/file-20230728-21-sabxi0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539875/original/file-20230728-21-sabxi0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539875/original/file-20230728-21-sabxi0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539875/original/file-20230728-21-sabxi0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539875/original/file-20230728-21-sabxi0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539875/original/file-20230728-21-sabxi0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Pick a helmet that fits comfortably yet firmly on your head and can’t be tilted for more than an inch in any direction.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-sitting-beside-bicycle-2270328/">Pexels/Dó Castle:</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/over-the-top-policing-of-bike-helmet-laws-targets-vulnerable-riders-125228">Over-the-top policing of bike helmet laws targets vulnerable riders</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<h2>The parts of the helmet</h2>
<p>A typical bicycle helmet consists of a plastic shell, foam-like liner and the straps that keep it on your head. </p>
<p>The shell prevents any sharp penetration. The liner – usually made of expanded polystyrene foam or expanded polypropylene – absorbs the impact energy that would otherwise be colliding dangerously with your head.</p>
<p>In Australia, bicycle helmets must be certified to the mandatory Australian and New Zealand standard (the technical name for this standard is “<a href="https://www.productsafety.gov.au/product-safety-laws/safety-standards-bans/mandatory-standards/bicycle-helmets">AS/NZS 2063 — Bicycle helmets</a>”).</p>
<p>This is a very robust safety regulation, and means the helmet has to be tested for:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>impact attenuation (how well it absorbs impact),</p></li>
<li><p>load distribution (how well force is spread out over a larger area, so as to reduce the risk),</p></li>
<li><p>strength, and</p></li>
<li><p>effectiveness of the strap retention system (how well the helmet stays on your head).</p></li>
</ul>
<p>So check your helmet to see if it says “AS/NZS 2063” on it somewhere (usually on a sticker inside it).</p>
<p>However, it’s worth noting these tests mostly look at the helmet’s ability to reduce the translational force (a force which causes an object to move in a single direction) of a direct impact. </p>
<p>They don’t properly consider the damage done by what’s called “rotational forces” – when the head is hit at an angle, causing it to shift abruptly.</p>
<p>This can cause the brain to rotate inside the skull, leading to severe and irreversible <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/traumatic-brain-injury#:%7E:text=Diffuse%20axonal%20injury%20is%20the,different%20parts%20of%20the%20brain.">brain damage</a>.</p>
<h2>Bike helmet technology is always changing</h2>
<p>A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijimpeng.2022.104317">recent review</a> by colleagues and I at Swinburne University of Technology looked at bicycle helmet design technologies that may reduce the risk caused by rotational forces.</p>
<p>The best known one is called a “multi-directional impact protection system” (sometimes abbreviated as MIPS). This design allows the helmet shell to rotate around the inner liner, so the helmet absorbs some of the angular forces that would otherwise be transmitted to your head. </p>
<p>You can tell whether a helmet is MIPS-equipped by looking for a small yellow MIPS logo from the outside or a thin yellow liner beneath the pads on the inside. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539877/original/file-20230728-25-vxf17x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539877/original/file-20230728-25-vxf17x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539877/original/file-20230728-25-vxf17x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539877/original/file-20230728-25-vxf17x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539877/original/file-20230728-25-vxf17x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539877/original/file-20230728-25-vxf17x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539877/original/file-20230728-25-vxf17x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539877/original/file-20230728-25-vxf17x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A MIPs-equipped helmet will usually be labelled as such.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Another fancy helmet technology is called an “omni-directional suspension system” (ODS), which has double liner layers connected by special rubbery materials. If you want this feature, look for a white, red and black ODS logo on the helmet shell.</p>
<p>Then there are “shearing pads inside” helmets (also known as SPIN helmets), which features silicone-injected pads in a structure that moves inside the shell.</p>
<p>These help redirect rotational forces when the rider’s head is hit in an accident. Helmets with this feature usually have a SPIN logo on the helmet shell or blue strips on the inside.</p>
<p>A few bicycle helmets use special collapsible liners to reduce the stiffness of shearing in the helmet. Helmets that feature this technology may have words like AIM (which stands for angular impact mitigation), WaveCel and HEXR on them.</p>
<p>My team at Swinburne is developing a bio-inspired flexible structure which can potentially be used as a bicycle helmet liner, and we are currently conducting tests in our Impact Engineering Laboratory. We’re also working on a <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering8110173">helmet design</a> featuring an inflatable airbag in a traditional bike helmet.</p>
<h2>How to pick a helmet</h2>
<p>When choosing a helmet in the shop, pick one that fits comfortably yet firmly on your head and can’t be tilted for more than an inch in any direction. </p>
<p>It should be snug but not annoyingly tight; you’re less likely to wear it if it’s uncomfortable.</p>
<p>Ensure the helmet complies with the national or international bicycle helmet standards, which should be stated on the label inside the helmet.</p>
<p>You may consider buying a helmet featuring one of the advanced protection technologies mentioned earlier (things like AIM, MIPS, SPIN or ODS), as these can help mitigate rotation-induced traumatic brain injury if your head gets hit at an angle.</p>
<p>Pick a helmet with a thicker liner, as long as it’s still comfortable enough to wear properly when riding. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-019-02328-8">Thicker liners</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0924-0136(02)00047-X">tend</a> to absorb more impact energy because they have a longer crushing zone (a bit like how a car with a longer hood in the front has a longer crush zone before the impact hits the driver).</p>
<p>Ideally, choose one just firm enough to minimise impact forces without “bottoming out” (where the impact crushes and flattens the liner). </p>
<p>Denser foams resist very hard impacts better before crushing to their ultimate limit. Once a foam reaches its crush limit, the remaining impact energy is transmitted to your head. Softer foams compress or crush more easily in lighter impacts, giving better protection against milder injuries. </p>
<p>You never know what kind of accident you will have, so it’s better to choose a helmet with both dense and soft foam layers in the liner.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539878/original/file-20230728-17-moflih.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman tried on a helmet in a bike shop." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539878/original/file-20230728-17-moflih.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539878/original/file-20230728-17-moflih.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539878/original/file-20230728-17-moflih.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539878/original/file-20230728-17-moflih.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539878/original/file-20230728-17-moflih.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539878/original/file-20230728-17-moflih.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539878/original/file-20230728-17-moflih.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Your helmet should be snug but not annoyingly tight.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Should you replace your helmet every few years anyway?</h2>
<p>The US Consumer Product Safety Commission says it might be prudent replace your bike helmet between <a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/safety-education/safety-guides/sports-fitness-and-recreation-bicycles/which-helmet-which-activity">five and ten years</a> after you bought it. </p>
<p>But an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) spokesperson told The Conversation the lifespan of a bicycle helmet is not set by time alone; it depends on its use pattern. </p>
<p>The ACCC suggests a bicycle helmet should be replaced if:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>it’s showing obvious signs of wear and tear (a helmet that is used more often is likely to show more wear and tear sooner)</p></li>
<li><p>it’s showing sign of damage (cracks, pieces missing, compression of the foam, frayed straps)</p></li>
<li><p>it has been involved in an accident and has received a severe blow (even if it appears undamaged, you should destroy and replace it).</p></li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-what-bike-sharing-programs-need-to-succeed-85969">Here's what bike-sharing programs need to succeed</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207928/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kwong Ming Tse receives funding from the Australian government and from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p>Ensure your helmet complies with the national or international bicycle helmet standards, which should be stated on the label inside the helmet.Kwong Ming (KM) Tse, Senior lecturer in Department of Mechanical Engineering and Product Design Engineering, Swinburne University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2074132023-06-14T01:44:33Z2023-06-14T01:44:33ZSafety vests and helmets make cyclists look ‘less human’ to other road users<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531511/original/file-20230613-24-cnyp5h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4449%2C2961&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Getting more people to <a href="https://bicyclenetwork.com.au/newsroom/2023/05/24/climate-council-urges-australians-to-triple-bike-riding-and-walking/">ride bikes</a> has been flagged as a simple and effective way to improve public health while tackling <a href="https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/CC_MVSA0354-CC-Report-Road-to-Personal-Transport_V5-FA-Screen-Single.pdf">climate change</a>. However, research has repeatedly found safety concerns <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140522002109">deter people from cycling</a>.</p>
<p>Australia’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/cycling-and-walking-are-short-changed-when-it-comes-to-transport-funding-in-australia-92574">limited cycling infrastructure</a> often forces cyclists to share the road with motor vehicles. This puts them in a vulnerable position as, unlike motorists, they have little to protect their flesh and bones from the road or the vehicles on it.</p>
<p>To reduce their vulnerability, cyclists wear safety gear such as helmets to protect their heads and high-vis safety vests to make them more visible to other road users. However, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369847823001018">our study</a> found cyclists wearing helmets or safety vests are more likely to be perceived as “less human” than those not wearing safety gear. Around 30% of respondents also perceived cyclists to be less than fully human.</p>
<p>This finding is consistent with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369847818308593?casa_token=weI6xibv-roAAAAA:2vb1bpuJsrYWxLG5oyhC1Xr3wA00ZV895BF-jN0wmSmhwXMhGCWypst3ObzEegObXEv_vz1jUjtd">previous research</a> showing that perceiving cyclists as “less human” (known as dehumanisation) was associated with more <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0001457518309588?casa_token=JWfMHzYpB2YAAAAA:RDDs6Q5K2jyUVasAl_OT6odcCDx2y2xg_kM_fP3ZNcTHw_mvaYTynnQ4W2Jb55yLRjuGm3PJY8vM">aggression towards cyclists</a>. Dehumanisation is the denial of attributes, such as complex emotions, intelligence, rationality and individuality, that differentiate humans from other animals and inanimate objects. To dehumanise is to perceive a person or group as having lesser value and worth, which can lead to their mistreatment.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cycling-and-walking-are-short-changed-when-it-comes-to-transport-funding-in-australia-92574">Cycling and walking are short-changed when it comes to transport funding in Australia</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What did our study find?</h2>
<p>In <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369847823001018">our study</a>, 563 participants were shown a series of photographs of models holding a bicycle. The models wore different attire in each photo, including: no headwear, a cap, a helmet, and a bright orange safety vest. Participants were asked to select the person in each pair who looked “less human”. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531257/original/file-20230611-197517-o2hiep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Man in casual clothes holding a bicycle, same man in casual clothes holding a bicycle and wearing a helmet" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531257/original/file-20230611-197517-o2hiep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531257/original/file-20230611-197517-o2hiep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=321&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531257/original/file-20230611-197517-o2hiep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=321&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531257/original/file-20230611-197517-o2hiep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=321&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531257/original/file-20230611-197517-o2hiep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531257/original/file-20230611-197517-o2hiep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531257/original/file-20230611-197517-o2hiep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An example of one of the photo comparisons: the model without a helmet versus the same model with a helmet.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369847823001018">Limb & Collyer 2023</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The results showed a clear difference between attire types. People were more likely to select images where the model wore “overt” safety gear as “less human”. </p>
<p>The photos of bicycle riders with helmets were 2.5 times more likely to be selected as “less human” than those with no helmets. Those wearing safety vests were 3.7 times more likely to be selected.</p>
<p>The study participants also provided anecdotes about their experiences cycling on Australian roads. Some reported other road users treated them differently depending on what they wore. Full lycra cycling gear attracted more abuse than casual wear.</p>
<p>Female bicycle riders reported receiving less abuse from motorists than their male counterparts. This observation led some to accentuate their femininity to increase their perceived safety when riding on roads. One said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>As a female I don’t get treated as badly as my male friends (who have had things thrown at them). I actually purposely have my long hair showing to help.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Our finding that riders in safety vests are seen as “less human” than those without adds to the debate on the actual versus perceived benefit of <a href="https://safetyatworkblog.com/2011/09/04/where-is-the-evidence-for-the-safety-benefits-of-high-visibility-clothing/">safety vests</a>. Safety vests do not necessarily make a rider <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457513004636?casa_token=4z4T1bnmBW8AAAAA:t1drqFJvdaV1DNc0fisG3zYT73jP3J88FS24Um2d82hymMWVncurTVjbJRm2e7yBWmxmCH3BAIUA">safer</a> or more <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/pdf/10.3316/informit.344785481775753?casa_token=o0rY-lqpMFQAAAAA%3AGsqOGL_EjaWR6P7fS6Xok5i6Rz0xsfSlu8ND7TKVReTDTZW1kyzmUwAvJ_omwTX5ICVAmdef0I4THaZy">visible</a>. Instead, they reinforce the idea that bicycle riding is a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2013/jan/10/cycling-high-visibility-safe-fluorescent">dangerous activity</a> – further deterring its uptake.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/minimum-space-for-passing-cyclists-is-now-law-australia-wide-it-increases-safety-but-possibly-road-rage-too-159926">Minimum space for passing cyclists is now law Australia-wide. It increases safety – but possibly road rage too</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>So how can we keep riders safe?</h2>
<p>With cyclists dehumanised and unwelcome on Australian roads, and also not welcome on <a href="https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/sydney-police-crack-down-on-delivery-drivers-who-ride-bikes-on-footpaths/news-story/5c05fc45d6bdca54c607b31e48fae537">footpaths</a>, it seems the best solution is to “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jOk8dk-qaU">keep them separated</a>” as US rock band The Offspring sang back in ’94. Australia needs separate infrastructure for bicycle riding, especially if we want more people to take up this active, carbon-neutral form of transport.</p>
<p>It’s time for Australia to follow the lead of countries like <a href="https://www.government.nl/latest/news/2022/08/26/government-shifts-cycling-to-a-higher-gear">the Netherlands</a> and provide <a href="https://theconversation.com/ride-to-work-youll-need-a-bike-barrier-for-that-19111">safe facilities</a> for people to ride on. When the Dutch <a href="https://dutchcycling.nl/">promote cycling culture</a>, they show people dressed for the destination, not the ride. They highlight everyday folks, in everyday clothing, unhindered by special equipment, enjoying a safe and social experience.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/3-in-4-people-want-to-ride-a-bike-but-are-put-off-by-lack-of-safe-lanes-172868">3 in 4 people want to ride a bike but are put off by lack of safe lanes</a>
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</em>
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<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531258/original/file-20230611-172706-lna8lm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Casually dressed couple on a bicycle in Amsterdam" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531258/original/file-20230611-172706-lna8lm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531258/original/file-20230611-172706-lna8lm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=816&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531258/original/file-20230611-172706-lna8lm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=816&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531258/original/file-20230611-172706-lna8lm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=816&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531258/original/file-20230611-172706-lna8lm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1025&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531258/original/file-20230611-172706-lna8lm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1025&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531258/original/file-20230611-172706-lna8lm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1025&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Dutch cycling promotional material.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://issuu.com/dezoelehaven/docs/amsterdam_20cycling_20matters_20onl">Cycling Matters magazine, City of Amsterdam</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A city that has active transport is safer, healthier, quieter and more environmentally friendly. The lesson is clear: we need to <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2016/10/543292">prioritise people</a> over cars.</p>
<p><a href="https://road.cc/content/news/77369-coroner-cyclists-have-duty-other-road-users-wear-high-viz">Blaming cyclists</a> for not being “visible enough” is an ill-considered response. Most cyclists would prefer not to travel on the same roads as motor vehicles. But, until we can achieve complete separation, efforts to counteract the dehumanisation of those who ride bicycles are needed.</p>
<p>While <a href="https://www.cityservices.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/2168768/Report-Putting-a-human-face-on-cyclists-in-the-ACT-24-Jan-2023-accessible.pdf">investigations</a> are informing campaigns to “humanise” bicycle riders, change can begin at an individual level. We can ask ourselves: what goes through our minds when we see a cyclist when we are driving? Do we think of them as someone like us who is just trying to get to work or home, or do we see them differently? Are we dehumanising them?</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ride-to-work-youll-need-a-bike-barrier-for-that-19111">Ride to work? You'll need a bike barrier for that</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207413/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Bike riders wear helmets and high-vis vests to reduce their vulnerability on the road. Problem is a new study finds this dehumanises cyclists, putting them more at risk of aggression from drivers.Sarah Collyer, Research Associate, Caring Futures Institute, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders UniversityMark Limb, Lecturer in Urban and Regional Planning, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/859692017-12-21T19:04:36Z2017-12-21T19:04:36ZHere’s what bike-sharing programs need to succeed<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198256/original/file-20171208-11318-1ewonai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">After nearly a decade of operation, Brisbane's CityCycle scheme still needs to be subsidised.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ashkyd/8398181994/in/photolist-dN7SVh-dN7W8C-8FnprD-dMFYFY-8FpQDt-bkTPF8-iWL2Fc-9HVBaU-9HSJCz-8FqzUJ-9Jd8qV-8FqzXJ-9dwsdZ-aPYdCz-8upi63-8umbvK-8Vjh1y-9dzwpj-nEYDN7-8VjgTf-8VgcG2-aPYdQx-8umaSV-8FnpVR-8FqA5E-aPYdJD-8upgAm-8umb8p-8FqztN-ahpPHj-8upibj-8Fnzhz-8FqAr3-8HevuV-8umbCg-8upiHJ-8FqA3J-anoT9c-8FnoQD-8FqzBb-8FnqUr-8umci2-8FnqeD-8FnpMe-8FnHrp-8FqAkN-8vVQwc-8upghu-8Fnp4n-8uphuQ">Ash Kyd/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="http://www.esb.bike/bikesharing_system/">Bike sharing</a> has become a <a href="http://trrjournalonline.trb.org/doi/abs/10.3141/2143-20">buzzword</a> in cities from Cape Town to Shanghai to Melbourne. Planners, politicians and media pundits keep <a href="http://tsrc.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/Bikesharing%20in%20Europe,%20the%20Americas,%20and%20Asia%20-%20Shaheen.pdf">touting their benefits</a>: reducing pollution, congestion, travel costs and oil dependence, while improving public health. Bike sharing also helps make cities appear hip, vibrant and cosmopolitan – qualities much sought after by the <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/105746/gay-bars-bike-paths-ka-ching-creative-classs-10th-birthday">creative class</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p><em><strong>Further reading:</strong> <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-global-bike-sharing-boom-why-cities-love-a-cycling-scheme-53895">The global bike sharing boom – why cities love a cycling scheme</a></em></p>
<hr>
<p>But what makes for a successful public bike-sharing program? This is an important question because installing one requires significant public and/or private investment and modifications to the built environment.</p>
<p>While many programs have been launched amid much fanfare, often their popularity has soon declined. A number end up <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-05/citycycle-contracts-should-be-renegotiated-following-loss/7571192">operating at a financial loss</a> and depend on other profitable enterprises to cross-subsidise them. Some have resulted in <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/pranksters-cause-headaches-for-sydney-councils-wanting-to-control-share-bikes-20171013-gz0hvq.html">dumped</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/sep/27/scores-of-obikes-fished-out-of-melbournes-yarra-river">discarded</a> bikes becoming <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/17/chinese-discard-hundreds-of-cycles-for-hire-in-giant-pile">an eyesore</a>. </p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HG6o10H0-lo?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The dumping of share bikes is causing concerns in some cities.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Understanding which factors enhance or hinder public bike sharing is critical in helping cities decide whether such a program is viable, before contemplating what design and siting will work best.</p>
<p>Drawing on current knowledge, we discuss the importance of the local landscape, climate, cycling infrastructure and land use. We also touch on other factors, such as the legal environment and the characteristics of the bike-sharing program itself.</p>
<h2>Natural environment</h2>
<p>Two natural environment factors are known to affect participation: hilliness and weather. </p>
<p>A hilly terrain discourages balanced bike-sharing use, as users <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856415301531">avoid returning bicycles to stations on hilltops</a>. Those stations (termed <em>sources</em>) end up being empty, while stations on flat terrain (termed <em>sinks</em>) are often full, so users cannot find a dock to return their bike.</p>
<p>Services offering <a href="http://en.velib.paris.fr/How-it-works/Stations">bonus minutes</a> to return a bike uphill, such as Parisian bike-share operator Vélib, or incorporating <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0968090X16000747">e-bikeshares</a>, like in China, can be vital to the program’s success.</p>
<p>As for weather, optimal temperature ranges vary by climate zone. In continental climates, the range is as broad as
<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/met.6/full">4-40°C</a>. In subtropical climates, though, the range is as narrow as <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11116-014-9540-7">15-32°C</a>. </p>
<p>Case studies show warm and dry weather <a href="http://docs.trb.org/prp/15-2001.pdf">encourages public bike sharing</a> use. Humidity, rain and strong wind <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966692314001951">reduce the frequency of trips</a>. </p>
<p>Again, the adoption of <a href="https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/07/why-dont-more-cities-have-e-bike-shares/">shared e-bikes</a> could <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0968090X16000747">reduce some of the adverse effects of bad weather</a>. Other approaches, such as providing sheltered, shaded, or even <a href="https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2012/10/invention-we-wish-we-had-heated-bike-lanes/3706/">heated</a> or <a href="https://mvsa-architects.com/project/projects-doha-corniche-cycle-path-transportation/">cooled</a> cycling infrastructure, could prove useful. Innovative concepts are being tested around the world. </p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nmmdjquL9Tc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Qatar once proposed a 35km artificially cooled cycling path.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Built environment</h2>
<p>The presence of high-quality bicycle infrastructure is crucial to participation in bike-sharing programs – and to cycling more generally. The length of segregated bicycle paths near each docking station <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856416307674">strongly affects use</a>.</p>
<p>Without high-quality cycling infrastructure, expanding the system size does not necessarily increase participation. No “<a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/n/network-effect.asp">network effect</a>” is evident, although station density does improve the performance of programs. </p>
<p>In addition to connecting stations, segregated bicycle paths must connect key land uses, such as central business districts, university and high-school campuses, high-density residential clusters and the like. The distances between these vital land uses must be “cyclable”.</p>
<p>Otherwise, bike sharing programs have little utilitarian value (riding to work and back, for example). They then end up being used mainly on weekends and for recreation in parks.</p>
<h2>Legal environment</h2>
<p>The legal environment in which public bike sharing programs operate must be factored in too. </p>
<p>For example, <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01441647.2015.1033036">laws that require cyclists to wear helmets</a>, which most Australian states adopted in the 1990s, discourage use. These laws added to the safety but also to the inconvenience for cyclists. </p>
<p>Such laws can lead to <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1539-6924.2011.01785.x/pdf">large declines in cycling rates</a>, from which there has been little recovery. Helmet laws are a typical example of how cyclists are forced to bear the responsibility for their own safety, regardless of who is at fault. </p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/cars-overwhelmingly-cause-bike-collisions-and-the-law-should-reflect-that-78922">Under current Australian laws</a>, if a car and bicycle collide, the cyclist must make a case against the motorist to claim on the motorist’s insurance. If the insurance company contests the claim, the injured cyclist must take the case to a civil court.</p>
<p>By contrast, the Netherlands and Denmark have <a href="http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2176&context=ealr">a law of “strict liability”</a> to protect vulnerable road users from <a href="https://theconversation.com/cars-bicycles-and-the-fatal-myth-of-equal-reciprocity-81034">“more powerful” road users</a>. Under this law, in crashes involving cars and bicycles, the driver is liable by default. This arguably makes Dutch and Danish drivers much more cautious than Australian drivers around cyclists.</p>
<hr>
<p><em><strong>Further reading:</strong> <a href="https://theconversation.com/cars-overwhelmingly-cause-bike-collisions-and-the-law-should-reflect-that-78922">Cars overwhelmingly cause bike collisions, and the law should reflect that</a></em></p>
<hr>
<h2>System design</h2>
<p>Public bike-sharing programs’ design and subscription can help or hinder performance.</p>
<p>For example, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/mar/22/bike-wars-dockless-china-millions-bicycles-hangzhou">dockless systems</a>, while more convenient for users, are at higher risk of problems such as <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-17/obike-responds-to-criticism-of-bike-sharing-scheme/8813574">vandalism</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196413/original/file-20171127-14066-1cyducr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196413/original/file-20171127-14066-1cyducr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196413/original/file-20171127-14066-1cyducr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196413/original/file-20171127-14066-1cyducr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196413/original/file-20171127-14066-1cyducr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196413/original/file-20171127-14066-1cyducr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196413/original/file-20171127-14066-1cyducr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Dockless systems are more convenient for users, but it’s also harder to control where the bikes end up.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">James Ross/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Cheap subscription prices are crucial for success. Most users take short trips during the free initial periods provided under most schemes and do not incur any charges other than for membership. However, nonprofit operators tend to perform more poorly.</p>
<p>Technology, such as seamless payments via apps, is adding to the attraction of bike-sharing programs. </p>
<p>Clearly, many of the key ingredients for the success of bike-sharing programs are the same as the ingredients needed to <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01441640701806612">make cycling, in general, “irresistible”</a>. For these programs to work, cities must adopt aggressive pro-bicycle programs, while reining in longstanding pro-driving policies.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/85969/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Iderlina Mateo-Babiano receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dorina Pojani receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jonathan Corcoran receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Richard Bean is a co-convenor of the Brisbane CBD Bicycle User Group. </span></em></p>Many short-term bike-hiring programs have been launched amid much fanfare, only for their popularity to decline soon after. Several key factors need to be in place for a program to work.Derlie Mateo-Babiano, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, The University of MelbourneDorina Pojani, Lecturer in Urban Planning, The University of QueenslandJonathan Corcoran, Professor, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of QueenslandRichard Bean, Research Assistant, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/209732013-12-03T19:32:55Z2013-12-03T19:32:55ZPolitics trumps hard-headed reason on bicycle helmets<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36744/original/f7554wzs-1386035662.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Brisbane cyclists have to keep their helmets on after all, including on bike paths.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP/Dan Peled</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>For a few hours, late last week, it looked like Queensland could become the first Australian state to start relaxing its strict bicycle helmet laws.</p>
<p>After months of careful review of the evidence, a state parliamentary committee backed the need for <a href="http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/committees/THLGC/2013/INQ-CYC/rp-39-29Nov13.pdf">A new direction for cycling in Queensland</a>, releasing a 200-page report that recommended, among other things, letting cyclists over 16 ride helmet-free in certain conditions.</p>
<p>Yet within hours of that report being released, the state Transport Minister Scott Emerson called a press conference to reject relaxed bicycle helmet laws, in what I would argue was a clear example of personal views and <a href="http://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f3817">politics trumping science</a> and evidence.</p>
<p>While the minister will support many of the report’s 68 other recommendations, such as safe passing distance rules for motorists and increased penalties for breaking road rules, <a href="http://www.scottemerson.com.au/media/media-releases.html">he declared</a> that:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Personally I’m a big believer in the benefits of helmets and I believe the evidence shows helmets reduce the risk of serious injury.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>That statement sums up well the confusion around this issue. </p>
<p>While on the one hand helmets can protect against some head injuries, particularly minor scrapes and contusions, making them compulsory at all times does not automatically reduce rates of serious injury at a population level.</p>
<h2>Clashing heads over helmets</h2>
<p>The <a href="http://cyclehelmets.org/1146.html">evidence</a> on the effectiveness of mandatory helmet legislation is <a href="http://theconversation.com/ditching-bike-helmets-laws-better-for-health-42">highly contested</a>, with many analyses reporting negative effects on <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22497060">cycling participation</a>.</p>
<p>There is compelling evidence that cycling head injury rates were consistently declining before the introduction of helmet legislation (<a href="http://www.ors.wa.gov.au/Documents/Cyclists/ors-cyclists-report-helmets-evaluation.aspx">see figure 1, p4 of this report</a>), with any reductions in head injuries attributed to the legislation actually due to a <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0001457596000164">marked reduction in the number of people cycling</a>.</p>
<p>After examining the evidence, the Queensland parliamentary committee summed this up well:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The report notes Australia is one of the few countries in the world that has compulsory helmet laws and the committee was not convinced there was sufficient worldwide evidence of the safety outcomes of compulsory helmet wearing to justify the mandating of helmet wearing for all cyclists.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In other words, the committee was not against encouraging helmet use; instead it was a recognition that, in some circumstances, a helmet may not always be required when cycling.</p>
<h2>Making adult decisions</h2>
<p>The committee’s recommendation (number 15) was to have a two-year trial, exempting cyclists aged 16 years and over from the mandatory helmet road rule when riding in parks, on footpaths and shared/cycle paths and on roads with a speed limit of 60 km/hr or less.</p>
<p>Those people who want to wear a helmet can certainly continue to do so. The focus on adults is important, as 50% of cycling injuries are among <a href="http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Cycling_preventing_injury">children</a>.</p>
<p>Further, the conditions of the trial are those scenarios where the risk of a cycling crash, or the even less likely event of a head injury, is very, very low. In the conditions where the risk of cycling is high, such as road racing or mountain biking, helmets are still required. </p>
<p>An important aspect of this recommended trial was to evaluate it carefully, with baseline measurements and data collection on injury and cycling participation. This trial could have established the evidence, either for or against this helmet law reform, and finally lay to rest the debate over the value of helmet legislation.</p>
<p>What a sensible idea! We could have had real world evidence to inform policy, but instead we have seen one politician and his advisers who know better. </p>
<p>Is this another example of politicians being out of touch with the majority views of the public? Consider the views on increasing spending of taxpayers’ money on public transport in Sydney (supported by the public) versus investment in motorways (supported by the government). </p>
<p>On this issue, many local councils around the country, including <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/trial-helmetfree-cycling-zones-says-brisbane-city-council-20130809-2rmrq.html#ixzz2mHpRvPZM">Brisbane</a>, <a href="http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/13656583/fremantle-in-call-for-no-helmets-trial/">Fremantle</a>, and the <a href="http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/lifestyle/the-great-bicycle-helmet-debate-should-cyclists-be-forced-to-wear-a-skid-lid/story-fnizi7vf-1226750438769">lord mayors of Adelaide and Sydney</a> have publicly expressed their support of reviews of helmet laws, seeing them as one barrier to increasing cycling participation.</p>
<p>The negative effect of helmet legislation on the bicycle share schemes in Brisbane and Melbourne has also been <a href="http://helmetfreedom.org/1818/study-confirms-helmet-laws-killing-australian-bike-share/">well-documented</a>.</p>
<p>Queensland has missed a good opportunity to start bringing Australia back to parity <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_helmet_laws_by_country">with the rest of the world</a>. </p>
<p>It is worth remembering that the Northern Territory already has legislation, which allows helmet-free cycling on footpaths and cyclepaths. They have one of the highest rates of cycling participation by women, and cycling mode share for journey to work in the country. Their <a href="http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=10737421994">cycling injury rates</a> are no different to the rest of the country.</p>
<p>Despite this lack of political leadership on bicycle helmet law reform, if the <a href="http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/committees/THLGC/2013/INQ-CYC/rp-39-29Nov13.pdf">other recommendations</a> of the Queensland parliamentary committee are implemented, there should be significant improvements in cycling. These are to be applauded. </p>
<p>If the Queensland transport minister can’t be persuaded to change his mind, then perhaps it will be up to another state now to do what needs to be done to trial and evaluate what happens when you relax bicycle helmet laws.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/20973/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris Rissel receives funding from the Australian Research Council for the a project to evaluate cycling infrastructure in Sydney. He is a member of the Australian Cyclists Party and Bicycle NSW. </span></em></p>For a few hours, late last week, it looked like Queensland could become the first Australian state to start relaxing its strict bicycle helmet laws. After months of careful review of the evidence, a state…Chris Rissel, Professor of Public Health, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/202842013-11-18T06:05:58Z2013-11-18T06:05:58ZA smarter scheme could help more people use Boris bikes<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/35320/original/zss3jzhn-1384451954.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">"As improvements I'm going to need your clothes, your boots, and your motorcycle."</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Stefan Rousseau/PA</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As a London commuter, travelling from my neighbourhood to the city and back every day, I’ve often wondered how I could make better use of the <a href="http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/14808.aspx">London Cycle Hire Scheme</a> – the “Boris Bikes” parked around the city centre.</p>
<p>Over the years I’ve become used to travelling seamlessly on the capital’s different modes of transport – the Underground, Overground, National Rail and buses. The key to this ease of travel is the direct pre-paid access granted to most public transport by the Oyster card – with one notable exception: the Barclays-blue Boris Bikes.</p>
<p>The cycle hire scheme does not accept the <a href="http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14836.aspx">Oyster smart card</a>, and I’ve not signed up to its separate membership system. The scheme as it is currently set up does not really fit with how I travel or my daily commute. It doesn’t seem sufficiently integrated into the rest of the city’s transport system.</p>
<p>This lack of integration prompted me to set a task for my students to re-think how the London Cycle Hire Scheme could work be adjusted to work better for commuters.</p>
<p>The students are looking at how to come up with useful concepts and apply them to coherent designs that add value to a service.</p>
<p>Each student team worked for up to ten weeks to develop, prototype and evaluate new service designs. Their remit was to rethink all aspects of the cycle hire service, from redesigning the bicycles themselves and introducing new smart technologies, to rethinking the softer aspects of the system related to safety and security. At the end of the process, they presented their service redesigns to representatives from <a href="http://www.tfl.gov.uk">Transport for London</a>.</p>
<p>The student teams observed and understood how commuters currently use the Boris Bikes, and quizzed commuters as to what they wanted in the future from a bicycle rental service. Each design prototyped and evaluated their resulting service designs with commuters on the streets of London. The results were diverse, exciting and focused on different aspects of the service. Some new features might appear obvious, others less so:</p>
<ol>
<li><p><strong>Smart Oyster</strong>: an integrated travel smart card that included the cycle scheme as well as other modes of London transport. Introduced alongside a redesign of the payment system, this would come in the form of a swipe card readers built into the bike’s handle bars.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Redesigned docking station</strong>: to make them easier to use, more appealing and offer more services, such as a vending machine for bike equipment, interactive region map, protection from the weather, added lights and security.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Bike buddy scheme</strong>: an option to hire a “buddy” (an experienced cyclist) to help first timers or those new to London to get around the city. This would address safety concerns and offer the buddy in-kind payment through discounts or free bicycle hire. Such a proposal might help certain groups – for instance, older users – to make greater use of the cycle scheme.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Greater online integration</strong>: easier access to information about the scheme at London Underground and National Rail stations, and a membership scheme with various levels that brings benefits, discounts, or for example tracks mileage or calorie burning.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Redesigned to use space better</strong>: problems emerge when docking stations have no bikes, or no free spaces for others to leave them. Each docking station would have eight bicycle spaces, of which two would always be empty. Bicycles could be stored in underground lockers or raised or lowered as required. Whenever possible, docking stations should be integrated with bus stops to ease connections between modes of transport.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Comes with helmet and lock</strong>: one reason people don’t use bicycles is due to lacking a helmet, something most people who don’t own a bike would carry with them. This innovative idea combined the helmet and bicycle lock – unlock the bicycle and automatically obtain a helmet.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>The student teams believe that their design suggestions could help Transport for London to have an even better understanding of the demographics of their users, but also of those who aren’t making use of the bike scheme, and why.</p>
<p>Would they change how you use or perceive the scheme?</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/20284/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Neil Maiden receives funding from EPSRC, European Commission. He is affiliated with North Finchley Town Team</span></em></p>As a London commuter, travelling from my neighbourhood to the city and back every day, I’ve often wondered how I could make better use of the London Cycle Hire Scheme – the “Boris Bikes” parked around…Neil Maiden, Professor of Systems Engineering; Head, Centre for Human-Computer Interaction, City, University of LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/162652013-07-29T19:55:43Z2013-07-29T19:55:43ZShould the UK embrace mandatory bike helmet laws?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/28141/original/68zj8tkx-1374816985.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The UK could be next in line to make cycling helmets mandatory.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tejvan Pettinger</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The bare-headed cycling movement has recently stirred from hibernation in the United Kingdom. Freedom to ride with the wind in their hair remains, but perhaps not for very much longer. </p>
<p>The British Medical Association has thrown its weight behind <a href="http://bma.org.uk/transport">mandatory bicycle helmet laws</a>, and <a href="http://jme.bmj.com/content/early/2012/02/21/medethics-2011-100085">some fear</a> this is the penultimate falling domino before Brits succumb to lidded cycling. </p>
<p>Australians have undergone the helmet experiment for two decades now, so who better to <a href="http://jme.bmj.com/content/early/2013/06/10/medethics-2013-101476.abstract">set the record straight</a> for our Northern brethren? Rest assured, there’s nothing to fear and everything to gain from the humble helmet.</p>
<h2>Good or bad?</h2>
<p>First, some myth busting: cycle helmets don’t really work, do they? In fact, the only time a helmet is useless is when it’s hanging from your handlebars. </p>
<p>Robust studies show helmets reduce head injury risk <a href="http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=412317">by up to 74%</a>. Recently, Sydney researchers found cyclists who crashed without helmets were five times more likely to <a href="https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2013/198/8/effectiveness-helmets-reducing-head-injuries-and-hospital-treatment-costs?0=ip_login_no_cache%3Dca35236fb2dbd15a8297b755561d2936">sustain severe head injuries</a>. </p>
<p>This is serious trauma - 70% of people in this injury category end up on <a href="https://theconversation.com/bike-helmets-an-emergency-doctors-perspective-13935">ventilators in intensive care</a>. </p>
<p>People familiar with the laws of physics won’t be surprised. When the head hits the tarmac (or a car bonnet) the result is a shattering release of energy. Helmets <a href="http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-0-387-21787-1_14#">dissipate that force</a> by deforming, thus sparing the same fate for skull and brain below. </p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/28154/original/szvzy5f8-1374820876.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/28154/original/szvzy5f8-1374820876.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/28154/original/szvzy5f8-1374820876.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/28154/original/szvzy5f8-1374820876.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/28154/original/szvzy5f8-1374820876.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/28154/original/szvzy5f8-1374820876.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/28154/original/szvzy5f8-1374820876.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Arm injuries are common in bike crashes so they’re a good indicator of total rider numbers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">all these numbers/Flickr</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A <a href="http://www.trl.co.uk/online_store/reports_publications/trl_reports/cat_road_user_safety/report_the_potential_for_cycle_helmets_to_prevent_injury___a_review_of_the_evidence.htm">British review</a> found a helmeted head could fall four times the distance of a bare pate for the same risk of injury. </p>
<p>But how likely is your head to come to grief in a bike crash? <a href="http://www.monash.edu.au/miri/research/reports/muarc311.html">A study I led</a> with Alfred Health and Monash University found nearly half of riders who ended up in the emergency department hit their heads. And the risk of head injury went up threefold when riding over 20 kilometres per hour, which is a pretty conservative commuter speed.</p>
<h2>Yes, but…</h2>
<p>What about <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8870773">the study</a> that showed bike helmet laws only limit head injuries by dissuading people from riding? That chestnut has been cracked by <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23026203">researchers</a> who compared head and arm injuries in hospitalised riders. </p>
<p>Arm injuries are common in bike crashes so they’re a good indicator of total rider numbers. Relative to arm injuries, head injuries dropped by over 50% between 1991, when helmet laws came in, and 2010. That’s good evidence helmets rather than cycling refusal stemmed the flow of injured heads. </p>
<p>But don’t drivers endanger helmeted cyclists by <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17064655">overtaking closer</a> because they see them as less vulnerable? Yes, but the solution isn’t to ditch the only protection a cyclist has. Better to retain helmets, and <a href="http://www.amygillett.org.au/a-metre-matters/">educate drivers</a> to keep their distance.</p>
<p>Interestingly this “risk compensation” research also shows some cyclists <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21418079">take more risks themselves</a> when wearing a helmet. Conceded, but antilock brakes saw car drivers <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9183467">following closer and braking later</a>, and few think we should drop this safety feature. Instead we rely on education and enforcement to make tailgating history.</p>
<h2>Ethical considerations</h2>
<p>Okay, helmets work. But who needs micromanagement from the nanny state? Is riding with wind on scalp a non-trivial right best left untrammelled? </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/28153/original/ddqrcgqs-1374820639.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/28153/original/ddqrcgqs-1374820639.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1001&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/28153/original/ddqrcgqs-1374820639.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1001&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/28153/original/ddqrcgqs-1374820639.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1001&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/28153/original/ddqrcgqs-1374820639.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1258&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/28153/original/ddqrcgqs-1374820639.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1258&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/28153/original/ddqrcgqs-1374820639.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1258&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Philosopher John Stuart Mill built a strong case that competent adults should be free to make their own choices.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wikimedia Commons</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Granted, John Stuart Mill, the architect of liberalism, built a strong case that competent adults should be <a href="http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mill/">free to make their own choices</a>. But his caveat was that freedom ends when harm to others begins; the affliction of head injury, catastrophic as it can be, extends beyond the victim. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.tac.vic.gov.au/about-the-tac/our-organisation/research/tac-neurotrauma-research/vni/the20economic20cost20of20spinal20cord20injury20and20traumatic20brain20injury20in20australia.pdf">Access Economics estimates</a> each case of moderate brain injury costs A$2.5 million. In severe injury, the figure rockets to A$4.8 million. Much of this cost is met by the public purse for emergency medical care. </p>
<p>As the <a href="http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3706006.ece">popularity of cycling soars</a>, this expense may demand limiting other services. As a guide, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/oct/17/nhs-cuts-impact-on-patients-revealed">recent UK government cuts</a> included nursing coverage on general wards, birthing centres and obesity treatment.</p>
<p>What of smoking, alcohol and fast food, which also generate medical burden, yet escape veto? In fact, Australia now <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/smokers-may-face-new-bans-20121126-2a3lf.html">outlaws smoking</a> in many public places including restaurants, pubs and playgrounds. </p>
<p>Public consumption of alcohol is also widely regulated. And the obesity epidemic has seen calls for tighter control of junk food advertising.</p>
<p>Isn’t this the thin end of the wedge? Next, we’ll be calling for <a href="https://theconversation.com/theres-no-ethical-case-for-mandatory-cycle-helmets-15737">pedestrians to wear helmets</a>. Certainly, falls in the elderly and the ever-present threat of cars account for many <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21264788">pedestrian head injuries</a>. </p>
<p>But head-injury risk increases with <a href="http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/3/2/110.short">speed and exposure to motor vehicles</a>. Cyclists are at greater risk on both counts, and therefore belong in a separate category. </p>
<p>So, kinsmen across the waves, fret not. To wed oneself with a helmet is to begin a lifelong romance. Like all newly betrothed, however, there will be a few pre-nuptial jitters. But they will pass and a perfect union could soon be realised.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/16265/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul Biegler receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He led the Monash Alfred Cyclist Crash Study and co-authored a recent defence of mandatory bicycle helmet legislation in the Journal of Medical Ethics. </span></em></p>The bare-headed cycling movement has recently stirred from hibernation in the United Kingdom. Freedom to ride with the wind in their hair remains, but perhaps not for very much longer. The British Medical…Paul Biegler, Adjunct Research Fellow in Bioethics, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/141852013-05-16T14:49:22Z2013-05-16T14:49:22ZWho put the brakes on cycling in Britain?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/23771/original/hxk74hvs-1368556087.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Britain's woeful road infrastructure for cyclists is dragging us down.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tim Ireland/PA</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Making a city more bicycle-friendly is not simply a matter of painting a few lines and installing parking spaces. It requires cities to work with cyclists as participants in redesigning the city. Ensuring that riding a bike is not just the province of young, macho, urban-warrior types, and that road users respect each other and that traffic is calmed. Real political commitment and leadership is vital to this process.</p>
<p>This year’s index of the world’s 150 most <a href="http://copenhagenize.eu/index/">bicycle-friendly cities</a> from Copenhagenize.com defines 13 separate categories that make everyday cycling practical and enjoyable. Managing the use of cars in city centres and encouraging alternatives to them factor heavily in improving the liveability and attractiveness of a city for investment. Rankings of the world’s top cities produced by the <a href="https://www.eiu.com/public/topical_report.aspx?campaignid=Liveability2012">Economist Intelligence Unit</a> and <a href="http://monocle.com/">Monocle</a> feature bike-friendly cities highly. </p>
<p>A city that provides welcoming space for cyclists allows greater social interaction, lower noise levels, reduces congestion and stress levels as well as benefiting from increased <a href="http://allpartycycling.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/get-britain-cycling_**_goodwin-report.pdf">general health and well-being</a>. </p>
<p>This is not simply an issue for an alternative travel enthusiast minority. From our top 150 cycling friendly cities, the obvious candidates of <a href="http://copenhagenize.eu/index/01.html">Amsterdam</a> and <a href="http://copenhagenize.eu/index/02.html">Copenhagen</a> still top the list. More remarkable, however, are the new entrants such as <a href="http://copenhagenize.eu/index/04.html">Seville</a> and <a href="http://copenhagenize.eu/index/06.html">Nantes</a>; both have used hosting an international <a href="http://www.ecf.com/projects/velo-city-2/">Velo-city conference</a> to publicly declare their commitment to change priorities for urban mobility. They have realised that benefit-to-cost ratio of investment in cycling infrastructure is higher than from other transport investments, and that increasing cycling numbers has significant economic impact <a href="http://corporate.sky.com/documents/pdf/publications/the_british_cycling_economy">in its own right</a>. </p>
<p>Not a single British city makes the grade. London slid out of its <a href="http://copenhagenize.eu/index/2011.html">previous top 20 position</a> partly, one suspects, through a failure to capitalise on initial enthusiasm for city transformation, guided by clear leadership for city-wide planning (rather than devolved to boroughs), and a tendency to prioritise high visibility flagship projects over the necessary everyday details. Boris bikes and superhighways look good but are icing, not the cake itself. Other cities such as Bordeaux, Antwerp and Tokyo have lifted their game considerably to eclipse London, which has seen little real advance the past two years.</p>
<p>So what are the barriers, and how do we overcome them? There is no single magic recipe to transform a city. There has to be commitment. Most European cities have the advantage of working within <a href="http://www.ecf.com/projects/national-cycling-officers-network/">National Cycling Strategies</a>, something lacking in the UK. Even without this, where a city has a degree of autonomy it can arrive at its own solutions. Unfortunately again, the budgetary and spending constraints on local administrations in Britain makes this very difficult.</p>
<p><a href="http://copenhagenize.eu/index/16.html">Rio de Janeiro</a> scored highly this year from political and practical commitments to boost cycling as a substitute for the short car journeys responsible for much of the city’s air pollution. Cycling lanes, locking posts and facilities have been integrated into public transport networks, and awareness campaigns have raised the social status of cycling. </p>
<p>The environmental benefits are matched by economic and social benefits. Bicycle journeys are relatively egalitarian, available to the slick rider of an imported European superbike as well as the local cargo-cycle delivery rider, distributing water cooler bottles or market vegetables. With increasing fuel prices and often gridlocked streets, the economic benefits to rapid, short distance delivery services by bike are obvious.</p>
<p>But in Britain, the frequent verbal abuse and physical intimidation experienced by many cyclists suggests a widespread view of riders as deviant road users: experiences <a>widely shared on social media</a>. Changing attitudes requires institutional commitment, and intolerance of abuse towards cyclists should be central. </p>
<p>Helmets, as the Copenhagenize study recognises, are no solution. Indeed promotion campaigns serve to present cycling as an unsafe and scary activity only viable with protective clothing. Where riding is normal daily practice (like that equally risky activity, walking) as in the Netherlands, helmet use by adults is negligible. </p>
<p>“Social Acceptance” is an explicit <a href="http://copenhagenize.eu/index/criteria.html">category</a> in the Copenhagenize survey, underpinning a broad culture where riding is unremarkable, rather than something <a href="http://www.copenhagenize.com/2013/05/i-vacuum-copenhagen.html">commented on constantly</a>. Investment in new cycling road infrastructure has been touted as a way to spark economic regeneration, but I only ever hear it described as spending that local authorities can ill-afford. Years of entrenched thinking underpin erroneous assumptions not based on the best available evidence. </p>
<p>Cities and local authorities need to make clear, public commitments to improve life for cyclists in Britain. Second-class, incoherent, poorly planned cycle-lanes and paths won’t make people change the way they travel. Good practice is not hard to find across a number of European cities; it’s time that we looked and learned.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/14185/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Cox is affiliated with the Cycling and Society Research Group and the European Cyclists' Federation academic network "Scientists for Cycling"</span></em></p>Making a city more bicycle-friendly is not simply a matter of painting a few lines and installing parking spaces. It requires cities to work with cyclists as participants in redesigning the city. Ensuring…Peter Cox, Senior Lecturer, University of ChesterLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/102292012-11-25T19:05:50Z2012-11-25T19:05:50ZFixing Australian bike share goes beyond helmet laws<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/16787/original/5tmh2pb7-1350954421.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">London bike share has proved more successful than schemes in Australia, but focusing on infrastructure could help improve sharing here.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">cat1788/Flickr</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Bike share programs in Melbourne and Brisbane were much heralded by the governments that installed them. But they’ve proved far less popular than schemes overseas. Is Australian bike share doomed?</p>
<p>Since 2005, public bike share programs <a href="http://www.innovativemobility.org/publications/Bikesharing_in_Europe_The_Americas_and_Asia_Past_Present_and_Future.shtml">have sprung up</a> in cities in Europe, Asia and North America. Paris is perhaps the best known of the 300+ cities currently operating a public bike program, with over 20,000 bicycles. <a href="http://www.chinanews.com/df/2011/12-31/3575510.shtml">In China</a>, Wuhan and Hangzhou have systems comprising 70,000 and 60,000 bikes respectively. New York City is set to launch the largest system in North America next March, with 10,000 bicycles.</p>
<p>There is growing enthusiasm for bike share. Various tracking and payment technologies are now available and affordable, so people can use the system with the swipe of a credit card. Public bike share growth is part of a wider interest in urban bicycling. Although coming from a low base, a large number of cities are experiencing significant growth rates in commuter bicycling. When used as a car replacement, bicycles are able to lower emissions, congestion, parking pressure and increase rates of physical activity. </p>
<p>Another, less publicised but no less potent reason behind the growth in bike share is the marketing benefit it offers. To many, bike share symbolises a sustainable, liveable urban culture. It says “we are a city that embraces change and rises to the challenge of climate change, traffic congestion and the need for clean air and healthy citizens”.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/16789/original/kzj9k2vy-1350954503.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/16789/original/kzj9k2vy-1350954503.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16789/original/kzj9k2vy-1350954503.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16789/original/kzj9k2vy-1350954503.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16789/original/kzj9k2vy-1350954503.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16789/original/kzj9k2vy-1350954503.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16789/original/kzj9k2vy-1350954503.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Melbourne’s image as a liveable city is enhanced by having bike share, but its popularity has been lower than expected.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">avlxyz/Flickr</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Implied in most of the benefits of bike share outlined above is an assumption that journeys taken on public bikes are substituting for motor vehicle travel. An examination of the evidence currently shows this is seldom the case. For instance, in Dublin, research¹ shows 66% of users previously walked. In <a href="http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/corporate/travel-in-london-report-3.pdf">London</a> and <a href="http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/library/details.cfm?id=4725">Washington DC</a>, only 1% of users report leaving the car at home. </p>
<p>It appears the vast majority of public bike users replace walking and/or public transport. While bike share programs in Europe, North America and China are heavily used, their success is limited by the degree to which they can attract people out of their cars.</p>
<p>Melbourne (Melbourne Bike Share) and Brisbane (CityCycle) have both had public bike programs since 2010, with approximately 600 and 1800 bicycles respectively. Usage has been lower than other cities and there has been widespread speculation about why this is the case. </p>
<p>Internationally, usage rates <a href="http://eprints.qut.edu.au/47243/">generally vary</a> between three and eight trips per day per bike. In Brisbane and Melbourne usage has generally been within 0.3–0.4 and 0.4–0.8 trips per day per bike respectively. Washington DC in January, when it is snowy and wet, has substantially more usage on its bike share scheme than Melbourne or Brisbane have in December.</p>
<p>A number of reasons help explain lower levels of bike share popularity in Australia. Focus groups in Brisbane said accessibility problems (the sign up process, helmets and docking station location) and safety issues reduced use². The lengthy sign up process doesn’t use instant access, credit card swipe procedures common elsewhere (including Melbourne). This might stifle the spontaneity typically thought to attract people to public bikes. The 10pm closing time (most are open 24/7) frustrated current members, who reported having to leave engagements early to check out a bike before the system closes for the night. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/16788/original/zzhthzqf-1350954421.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/16788/original/zzhthzqf-1350954421.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16788/original/zzhthzqf-1350954421.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16788/original/zzhthzqf-1350954421.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16788/original/zzhthzqf-1350954421.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16788/original/zzhthzqf-1350954421.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16788/original/zzhthzqf-1350954421.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Mandatory helmet laws make running a bike share scheme much more difficult in Brisbane than in Paris.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sharat Ganapati</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Having to wear a helmet is often seen as a barrier to bike share use; focus groups support that. As one participant said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I think it’s safer to use them [helmets] riding around town. If there was some sort of special bicycle lane that was safer and we did not need to wear helmets, I think that would be okay.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Many focus group participants just don’t think to take a helmet with them, in case they’d like to bike share later. Brisbane City Council saw a significant increase in casual use once they began providing helmets with some of their bicycles. </p>
<p>There is little doubt rescinding helmet laws would boost bike share usage in Australia. However until the full population health/safety impacts have been carefully assessed, such a move may have unintended consequences. </p>
<p>In order to bring Australian bike share usage closer to international norms (short of removing helmet legislation) the following measures should be considered:</p>
<ul>
<li>substantial improvements to the bicycle lane/path network</li>
<li>lower speed limits</li>
<li>integration with public transport smartcard ticketing</li>
<li>significant increase in docking stations and bicycles (particularly Melbourne)</li>
<li>improved helmet availability. </li>
</ul>
<p>Adopting these measures would improve not just the performance of Melbourne and Brisbane’s bike share programs, it would also provide a significant benefit to the sustainability of the transport system generally.</p>
<p><strong>References</strong></p>
<ol>
<li><p>Murphy, H. (2010). Dublin Bikes: An Investigation in the Context of Multimodal Transport. MSc Sustainable Development, Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin.</p></li>
<li><p>Fishman, E., Washington, S., & Haworth, N. (2012). Barriers and Facilitators to Public Bicycle Scheme Use: A Qualitative Approach. Awaiting publication in Transportation Research Part F-Traffic Psychology and Behaviour</p></li>
</ol><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/10229/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>This document and the views and opinions expressed in it, do not reflect the views and opinions of Brisbane City Council and this document does not represent Brisbane City Council policy. Brisbane City Council gives no warranty or representation about the accuracy or fitness for any purpose of the information and expressly disclaims liability for any errors and omissions in its contents.
</span></em></p>Bike share programs in Melbourne and Brisbane were much heralded by the governments that installed them. But they’ve proved far less popular than schemes overseas. Is Australian bike share doomed? Since…Elliot Fishman, PhD Student, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/19792011-06-23T04:29:42Z2011-06-23T04:29:42ZPutting a lid on the debate: mandatory helmet laws reduce head injuries<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/1837/original/Ed_Yourdon.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Ed Yourdon</span> </figcaption></figure><p><em><strong>Since mandatory bike helmet laws were introduced in 1991, researchers, cyclists and campaigners have debated the law’s role in cyclist <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-be-fooled-keeping-bike-helmets-is-best-for-health-661">safety</a> and the <a href="http://theconversation.com/ditching-bike-helmets-laws-better-for-health-42">desirability</a> of bike riding.</strong></em> </p>
<p><em><strong>A new analysis reveals rates of head injuries reduced by almost a third after the laws were introduced. We spoke with the lead author of the study Jake Olivier, Senior Lecturer at UNSW’s Prince of Wales Clinical School, about the evidence used in the bike helmet debate:</strong></em></p>
<p>My involvement in this research began when the <a href="http://acrs.org.au/journals/august-2010-vol-21-no-3/">Voukelatos and Rissel paper</a> came out last year in the <a href="http://acrs.org.au/publications/journals/">Journal of the Australasian College of Road Safety</a>. The paper said rates of cyclist head injury had decreased more in the period before the mandatory helmet laws were introduced than after. </p>
<p>When I read it initially, I thought the article had some interesting methods. But on closer inspection, the authors’ analysis looked weak. </p>
<p>It came out later that there were some <a href="http://acrs.org.au/journals/february-2011-vol-22-no-1/">data errors</a>, which were <a href="http://www.cbdbug.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/helmet-research-paper-released/Attachment-3-Voukelatos-and-Rissel-Released.pdf">pointed out by Tim Churches</a>. The errors turned out to be real and Voukelatos and Rissel were given a chance to respond. They didn’t, so the journal <a href="http://acrs.org.au/journals/february-2011-vol-22-no-1/">retracted the paper</a>. </p>
<p>At that stage, I decided to take Voukelatos and Rissel’s basic idea and do a more comprehensive and statistically rigorous analysis. </p>
<h2>What was your methodology?</h2>
<p>In order to find out whether there was a reduction in head injures, we looked at the ratio of head to arm injuries – and this is what Voukelatos and Rissel did. </p>
<p>Any major drop in cycling rates would have resulted in a drop in head <em>and</em> arm injury rates. So the comparisons we made were “exposure free”, meaning the variations in cycling numbers wouldn’t affect the analysis. </p>
<h2>What periods and regions did you examine?</h2>
<p>We looked at data from New South Wales from eighteen months before the legislation and then eighteen months after its introduction. It’s the same data source that Voukelatos and Rissel used. (The Daily Telegraph ran a story today saying it was new data but this isn’t true). </p>
<p>When Tim Churches corrected the mistakes from Voukelatos and Rissel’s paper, he came to the same conclusions we did. </p>
<h2>What are the key findings from your re-examination of the data?</h2>
<p>We found a 29% reduction in bicycle-related head injury attributable to the introduction of the mandatory helmet law.</p>
<p>There has been some debate about whether the head-to-arm injury ratio was the best methodology. So we also looked at the ratio of head to leg injury, to see if we could observe the same effect among cyclists, and we did. </p>
<p>We then repeated those two analyses on pedestrians. The helmet law was directed at cyclists not pedestrians, so if we found a big drop in pedestrians, that would be an indication of general road safety improvements. </p>
<p>But we did not see a reduction in pedestrian head injury at all relative to limb injuries. </p>
<p>So the reduction in head injuries seems to have been isolated to cyclists and that drop appears to be real. </p>
<h2>How does your analysis compare with the existing data on the introduction of mandatory bike helmet laws?</h2>
<p>There are some conflicting reports out there. And a lot of these have been dogged by problems of confounding variables: Is the decline in head injury a result of general road safety improvements? Is it because of other things that are happening in the community? </p>
<p>We developed our analysis to account for all that – and this sets our methodology apart from what’s been done in the past. </p>
<p>Based on our analysis, I think the question of whether mandatory helmet laws reduced head injury should no longer be debatable in NSW. We should maintain mandatory helmet laws. </p>
<h2>Did cyclist numbers reduce after the mandatory helmet laws were introduced?</h2>
<p>The Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) commissioned a few reports around the time the helmet law was introduced. One that came out in 1991 found the number of child cyclists reduced by around a third but there seemed to be an increase in adult riders. The overall numbers appear stable around that time. </p>
<p>So the numbers of cyclists overall may not have changed much, with more adults cycling but fewer children cycling – our model accounted for that. </p>
<p>Our conclusions remain the same regardless of the numbers of cyclists. But there is certainly active debate about whether it stopped people from cycling or not, and whether those that stopped cycling took up other activities and returned to cycling after our study period. </p>
<h2>Are helmets currently a barrier to cycling? </h2>
<p>Helmets aren’t a major barrier. There’s a <a href="https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/images/uploads/publications/Cycling-Survey-2011-Riding-a-Bike-for-Transport.pdf">widely cited survey</a> by the Cycling Promotion Fund and the National Heart Foundation that suggests it is one of many coming in as the tenth most selected barrier. However, there were some problems with their methodology in terms of finding the primary barriers to cycling.</p>
<p>The researchers asked, “What do you find are the barriers to cycling?” and gave the respondents a list of choices, allowing them to tick as many as they wanted. The problem with that is you don’t get an idea of what the <em>main</em> barrier of cycling is for these people. </p>
<p>The results showed around 16% said the helmet law was a barrier to cycling and it was ranked the tenth most common barrier. So when you consider that this might not be the main barrier, the actual figure is likely to be much lower than 16%. </p>
<h2>How can we improve cycling rates?</h2>
<p>We need to separate cyclists from pedestrians and motorcars, increase education programs and work to make the roads safer in general. </p>
<p>If we can increase cycling numbers in Australia we will get a “safety in numbers” benefit, but we are far from reaching cycling participation rates to achieve that. </p>
<p>Improving road infrastructure for cyclists would certainly increase safety. But on top of that, we need to make sure every rider has a helmet on top of her head to get the maximum safety benefit. </p>
<p><br></p>
<p><em><strong>The Conversation has previously published articles on both sides of the mandatory bike helmet debate: Chris Rissel argued <a href="http://theconversation.com/ditching-bike-helmets-laws-better-for-health-42">ditching bike helmet laws would encourage more people to cycle and the public health benefits would outweigh the increased risk of head injury</a> and Max Cameron <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-be-fooled-keeping-bike-helmets-is-best-for-health-661">outlined the benefits of mandatory helmet laws in protecting cyclists against head trauma</a>.</strong></em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/1979/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jake Olivier receives funding from NHMRC, ARC and the RTA.</span></em></p>Since mandatory bike helmet laws were introduced in 1991, researchers, cyclists and campaigners have debated the law’s role in cyclist safety and the desirability of bike riding. A new analysis reveals…Jake Olivier, Associate Professor, School of Mathematics and Statistics, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.