http://go.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=13474112
TORONTO (Reuters) - Motorists give greater leeway to cyclists who do not
wear safety helmets, according to a study by a academic in Britain who was
hit by traffic twice as he rode his bike to carry out his research.
Researcher Ian Walker from the Department of Psychology of Britain's
University of Bath found drivers were up to two times more likely to get
close when passing cyclists wearing helmets than when overtaking bare-headed
pedalers.
He said wearing a helmet might therefore make a collision more likely, but a
safety-advocacy group cautioned against giving up a helmet's protection
against head injury in hopes of avoiding a crash.
To conduct his experiment, Walker rode a bicycle fitted with a computer and
an ultrasonic distance sensor and recorded data from more than 2,500
overtaking motorists.
He spent half his time wearing a helmet and half bare-headed. He says he was
struck by a bus and a truck while wearing the helmet but was uninjured.
Walker, whose research has been accepted for publication in the
international journal Accident Analysis & Prevention at a date not yet set,
said his study followed previous research that found many drivers saw
cyclists as a group of "lycra-clad street-warriors.."
"This may lead drivers to believe cyclists with helmets are more serious,
experienced and predictable than those without," he said in a statement
released on Tuesday.
Walker found drivers passed an average of 3.3 inches (8.5 cm) closer to
cyclists with a helmet than without, giving cyclists the room needed to
avoid drain covers and potholes.
As part of his experiment, Walker also donned a blond wig and found drivers
gave him an average of 5.5 inches more space when they passed what appeared
to be a female cyclist.
"We know helmets are useful in low-speed falls, and so definitely good for
children, but whether they offer any real protection to somebody struck by a
car is very controversial," said Walker. "Either way, this study suggests
wearing a helmet might make a collision more likely in the first place."
A spokesman for Britain's Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said
the study highlighted the vulnerability of cyclists and the need for drivers
to take greater care.
"But we would not recommend people stop wearing cycle helmets because of
this research. Helmets have been shown to reduce the likelihood of head and
brain injuries in a crash," said the spokesman.
© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.
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