A survey of Year 9 and Year 10 school students was conducted in September 1993 to determine teenagers' attitudes towards bicycle helmets. The survey found that bicycles are the preferred form of wheeled recreation/self-transport amongst teenagers. However, less than one-quarter of all teenagers reported that they always wore a helmet when they rode a bicycle. Major factors leading to teenagers not wanting to wear a bicycle helmet were the helmet's appearance and comfort. Both safety considerations and parental pressures were factors that influence a teenager to wear a helmet. This study has highlighted three major problem areas: low helmet ownership and wearing rates; the low priority that teenagers give to safety issues compared to comfort and peer acceptance; and an ignorance of the need for helmets in all riding situations. (A)
Samenvatting