Is the importance of city bike usage more important than wearing a helmet? The New York Times takes a look a bike sharing programs, helmet usage and the adoption of these programs. The real question is: do the benefits of getting more people on bikes outweigh the risks of not wearing a helmet while doing so?
"In the United States the notion that bike helmets promote health and safety by preventing head injuries is taken as pretty near God’s truth. Un-helmeted cyclists are regarded as irresponsible, like people who smoke. Cities are aggressive in helmet promotion."
"But many European health experts have taken a very different view: Yes, there are studies that show that if you fall off a bicycle at a certain speed and hit your head, a helmet can reduce your risk of serious head injury. But such falls off bikes are rare — exceedingly so in mature urban cycling systems."
Read the full article here.
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