A survey of law compliance and helmet wearing among cyclists was conducted in March and April of 1991. The timing of the survey was arranged to allow evaluation of the impact of the compulsory helmet regulation introduced on January 1st, 1991, for cyclists of sixteen years age and older and to provide a baseline measurement of helmet wearing among cyclists under the age of sixteen prior to the compulsory helmet requirement for this group which came into operation on July 1st, 1991. The survey shows the following estimates of helmet wearing among adult cyclists: the percentage of cyclists who wear a helmet over 16 years of age is 77%, and over 20 years of age is 84%. The group of cyclists to whom the new regulation applies but who are less than twenty years of age wear their helmets less frequently (46%). However, since the age of each cyclist is not known but is estimated, erroneous classification of fifteen-year-olds would lead to an underestimation of the percentage of helmets in this group. If cyclist numbers have decreased, the helmet wearing estimates presented would give a misleading account. It must also be noted that the numbers of cyclists may be affected by seasonal change, by day-today weather, and by the nature of the vacation. However, despite these provisos it appears clear that the new regulation has not deterred cyclists. The change in adult cyclist numbers since compulsory helmets is +6%. This overall increase in numbers of cyclists is made up of a 22% increase in numbers in Sydney and a 9% decrease in numbers in rural New South Wales. The aim of the compulsory helmet regulation is to increase the safety of cyclists by providing protection against head injuries. It would be a matter of grave concern if the increased safety afforded by helmets was balanced by an increased willingness among cyclists to take risks on the road now that they felt 'protected'. A comparison of law compliance before the new regulation (first survey, September, 1990) with the law compliance observed in this survey provides evidence to support the claim that wearing protective helmets might incline cyclists to take more risks on the road. This survey was designed to provide a focus on the helmet wearing of children. Children were observed throughout New South Wales in three different kinds of cycling environments: road intersections, recreational areas and schools. The results show that helmet wearing in children depends heavily on age and bicycling environment. The lowest usage of helmets occurs among secondary school students when cycling to and from school. Among secondary school students the helmet wearing rate in Sydney High Schools is lower than that in the rural High Schools. Across the different cycling environments, girls were more likely to wear a helmet (42%) than boys (29%). It is suggested that the fact that secondary school age children wear helmets more at other times than when cycling to school suggests the presence of peer pressure against the use of helmets. Primary school children, by contrast, may wear helmets because of parental pressure.
Samenvatting