There have been many comments in our bicycle-related articles about safety and proper riding styles. Any time we post a photo of a ride sans helmet, some readers inevitably let us hear about it. They feel that presenting an unhelmeted rider sets a bad precedent.

Generally, I would agree. If I'm going to be in an accident, I would much rather be wearing a helmet when it occurs. I wear a helmet for 99% of my riding. One potential downside of helmets – they further marginalize cyclists on the road. It's as if we're tacitly agreeing that riding a bike is inherently dangerous, like we're entering a construction zone. Driving a car's quite a dangerous undertaking and most drivers aren't wearing flame-proof suits and full headgear.

Dr Ian Walker, a British traffic psychologist from the University of Bath, proved another drawback – drivers will give less room to a cyclist wearing a helmet.

Walker rigged his bicycle with a computer and an ultrasonic distance sensor. He recorded data from over 2,500 passing vehicles and alternated between riding with and without a helmet. During the study he was struck twice, by a bus and a truck. Both times he was sporting his helmet.

The gap that drivers gave Walker when they passed shrank an average of 8.5 cm (3 1/3 inches) when he wore a helmet.

From the Study's Press Release:

“This study shows that when drivers overtake a cyclist, the margin for error they leave is affected by the cyclist’s appearance,” said Dr Walker, from the University’s Department of Psychology.

“By leaving the cyclist less room, drivers reduce the safety margin that cyclists need to deal with obstacles in the road, such as drain covers and potholes, as well as the margin for error in their own judgements.

“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.

“Either way, this study suggests wearing a helmet might make a collision more likely in the first place.”

As for me, I've been in enough bike crashes, mostly in races, to know from personal experience that helmets protect my noggin. But Walker's study is a fascinating look into human psychology and our own assessments of what's “safe.”

Walker surmises that motorists view cyclists with helmets as more experienced and predictable, and perhaps better protected as well. Subconsciously, they make a decision that these riders require less room.

When Walker donned a long wig to see how gender affected the results, motorists gave an extra 14 centimeters (5.5 inches) of room! Apparently we should all forgo lycra for a skirt, grow out our hair, and revel in the extra asphalt.

For a look at a cyclist's paradise, where helmets are nowhere to be seen, See also: Bikes Rule in Amsterdam.

Comments (10)

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No said:

Helmets aren't the answer, at best they are a marginally useful safety feature that should be left top personal choice. Helmets are just a red herring in the safety debate. We need to look to training & education (both cycle training and driver awareness) and pure numbers. Of course pictures should feature people without helmets, there is nothing wrong with not wearing a helmet.

May 30, 2008

cassi said:

With only the possibility of buying myself a couple of inches from passing cars is not enough incentive to ride helmet-less. Given the endless supply of recipes for cycling accidents - from loose dogs, to blind-turners, to bad pavement, yadda, yadda - helmets have proven unequivocally to save lives and prevent head injury. Check this out for some eye-opening numbers: http://www.iihs.org/research/f...ycles.html If all you are worried about is the buffer space between you and a passing car, you haven't ridden in the real world.

May 30, 2008

mike said:

This is always an issue that brings out the best and the worst in folks. What is amazing to me is that when we look at countries and cities in which bicycles play a huge role in transport - the helmets are often nowhere to be seen! I tend to wear my skull bucket when I'm out on a brevet or 'event' ride, or solo on my road bike. When I used to 'mountain' bike I would wear one in the woods - certainly bouncing off of trees and rocks seemed to warrant the use of any extra safety gear. I rarely wear it about town on the bakfiets (drivers tend to give me the greatest space on the cargo bike) or when on my commuter when running errands and heading to meetings. One could argue that plenty of head injuries happen in the home doing everyday tasks, or that traumatic head injuries happen in cars - yet there is not a cry to wear a helmet from the moment we wake to the moment we tuck into bed (assuming we don't roll out!). I think this is a personal choice based on risk assessment, terrain, traffic, skill, etc. etc. etc. - and it should be left as such. Wear it if and when you want - and don't preach to others - as we all have our own circumstances and make our own choices on the road. I agree that we tend to isolate oursevles as cyclists - we're out riding when most are driving, we sometimes wear goofy clothes and shoes, we don;'t always follow the letter of the law... etc. - we're all people, and riding about in street clothes and without a cage on our heads goes a long way as people recognize you on the street as just another neighbor. Imagine how auto drivers might behave if they weren't shielded from the world by steel and glass and airbags, if their commute was personal, not anonymous...

May 30, 2008 | url

MarkR said:

3 1/2 inches extra for not riding with a helmet? that only begs more questions. Such as what was the Mean, Median and mode and standard deviation? if the S.D. is greater than 1 inch I'd call the info basically useless to cyclists. Was there a bike lane or not. were there certain streets that the he was given more room and not others? was the road 2 lane 4 lane Divided? was the 3 1/2 inches Dependant on the overall width of the road? What is his personal bias with or without helmet? Does Dr. Walker tend to ride more careless knowing that he has a helmet than when he doesn't? Way to many questions / variables. I'll just stick with wearing my helmet. BTW the 3 times I was hit by a car was without helmet, but I was also young and stupid and played a role in not creating the accident. I've also crashed doing bmx stunts without a helmet, hitting my head on asphalt or concrete. Lets just say I've learned stick with a brain bucket when I ride.

May 30, 2008

Kate said:

I remember a news special a few years back in which moustachioed journalist John Stossel (from 20/20 w/ Babs, I believe?) concluded that drivers were far more careless around cyclists who wore a helmet. To test his theory, Stossel wore a blond wig, instead. The result? Drivers gave him far more leeway on the road. The lesson: let your long locks flow? Maybe the guys should grow out their hair. I still wear my helmet over my goldilocks, though, just in case. Here's the word from Stossel, himself: http://www.realclearpolitics.c...ation.html

May 30, 2008 | url

Christopher Reeve said:

I have heard it suggested that wearing a helmet also has an effect on the cyclist, who thinking they are more safe are more likely to take risks. I think I have identified this with myself when mountain biking. Obviously a helmet does offer protection, but when I ride around in town I don't think I am reckless when I don't wear a helmet. I have come of my bike many times and only on one occasion did I bump my head slightly. Unless you cycling into a wall or a post, injuries tend to be gazes. If I car hits you from the side your helmet won't help much. You'd need a motorcycle helmet then because it is the jerking of the head/neck that does the most damage then.

May 31, 2008

Colin said:

I live in a country where cyclists are legally required to wear a helmet. I ignore this law, and although I have yet to be fined by the police I do get constant abuse from motorists (and occasionally other cyclists) because of my bare head. So I created this site: http://www.sydneycyclist.com/g...lessriders

May 31, 2008

SN said:

Bike helmets are like SUVs, American oddities.

May 31, 2008

brian goldner said:

i've heard that b/c most europeans dont wear helmets, when they see a cyclist with one on they think that cyclist is a foreigner, particularly an american...and they try and hit them. still, I've noticed even in the US that the more serious I look (spandex, nice road bike, messenger bag,) the less room ppl tend to give me, versus if I'm riding some junker in pajamas. either way, I'm going to wear a helmet so I don't end up an organ donor. The fact is that even if you are being hit more often b/c of the helmet, it will still significantly reduce your chance of dying from any kind of accident. I'm fine with trading a broken leg for my life should it ever come to that...

June 01, 2008

No said:

Cassi, the data mostly shows that helmets are ineffective. And the manufacturers themselves don't expect one to help with any serious accident (e.g. one involving a car). See www.cyclehelmets.org for more information.

June 05, 2008

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