Goodbye Toronto's Bike Culture

...that if the legisation of manatory helmet and licensing/regisation proposal got through, further reading here.

Bicycle Safety - Cyclist Licensing

Bicycle Safety - All Cyclists Must Wear Helmets

(these are PDF files, don't be surprise if it invited themselves into the peace of your desktop).

how will that kill cycling culture?

I do not understand how these laws will kill the cycling culture.

I think it would be good if there was a law to wear a helmet. Will probably save lots of lives!

Helmets do not save lives

I've heard that trolls saves lives, is this true?

Yippee a helmet debate. Its been at least 3 weeks.

I've heard that trolls saves lives, is this true?

Get fucked you helmet!

I do not understand how these laws will kill the cycling culture.

I think it would be good if there was a law to wear a helmet. Will probably save lots of lives!

look at australia, cycling gone down the moment they introduced helmet law, and with licensing/regisation for your bike just to cycle, I highly doubt this will encourage people to cycle.

nah, it won't kill it, but severally hindered cycling in general.

as for helmet saving lives, I'll says this - safety in number, not equipment.

I've heard that trolls saves lives, is this true?

Some do, but most are mean and won't allow me to cross the bridge.

Really ed?

My (australian) girlfriend says the helmet law in Aus was introduced around 1990.

I heard that bikes outsold cars in Aus a couple of years ago.

Really ed?

My (australian) girlfriend says the helmet law in Aus was introduced around 1990.

.

I reckon it was before that, they were wearing them around 85/86/87 in Neighbours

I think you're right Jol, cycling dropped dramatically in Australia the moment the law been introduced;

Oct 91 - Jun 92 - 2021
(helmet law enforced July 92)

Oct 92 - Jun 93 - 1575
Oct 93 - Jun 94 - 1547
Oct 94 - Jun 95 - 1340
Oct 95 - Jun 96 - 1422

but steady increased after the mid-90's

Oct 96 - Jun 97 - 1791
Oct 97 - Jun 98 - 1678
Oct 98 - Jun 99 - 2405
Oct 99 - Jun 00 - ****
Oct 00 - Jun 01 - 2445
Oct 01 - Jun 02 - 2382
Oct 02 - Jun 03 - 2563
Oct 03 - Jun 04 - 2169
Oct 04 - Jun 05 - 2052
Oct 05 - Jun 06 - 2158

(that if the statistic is accurate).

i reckon it was before that, they were wearing them around 85/86/87 in neighbours

lol!

I think you're right Jol, cycling dropped dramatically in Australia the moment the law been introduced;

Oct 91 - Jun 92 - 2021
(helmet law enforced July 92)

Oct 92 - Jun 93 - 1575
Oct 93 - Jun 94 - 1547
Oct 94 - Jun 95 - 1340
Oct 95 - Jun 96 - 1422

but steady increased after the mid-90's

Oct 96 - Jun 97 - 1791
Oct 97 - Jun 98 - 1678
Oct 98 - Jun 99 - 2405
Oct 99 - Jun 00 - ****
Oct 00 - Jun 01 - 2445
Oct 01 - Jun 02 - 2382
Oct 02 - Jun 03 - 2563
Oct 03 - Jun 04 - 2169
Oct 04 - Jun 05 - 2052
Oct 05 - Jun 06 - 2158

(that if the statistic is accurate).

what are the numbers?

I'm sorry, I have had a few, but what are those statistics? Number of people cycling in Aus? How could the possibly know?

Number of Aussies moving over to England per day

nope they were not!

from there really, not exactly informative methinks;

http://www.cycle-helmets.com/

they're focus on Perth, not the whole of Aussies.

Weekday cyclist flows on Narrows and Causeway bridges combined
~10% annual cycling growth in Perth from 1983 to 1989 Bridge surveys begin Oct 91

So this statistic is for two bridges in one city in Australia?

who gives a fuck about australia?

Weekday cyclist flows on Narrows and Causeway bridges combined
~10% annual cycling growth in Perth from 1983 to 1989 Bridge surveys begin Oct 91

So this statistic is for two bridges in one city in Australia?

not the most robust measure of cycling in australia, eh?

I do not understand how these laws will kill the cycling culture.

I think it would be good if there was a law to wear a helmet. Will probably save lots of lives!

Ed has a good point.

Overall societal health drops with the introduction of mandatory helmet use through a reduction in cycling uptake.

The drop in head injuries is eclipsed by the over all drop in societal health from casual cyclists being discouraged by legislation.

This is the very reason many countries have not imposed helmet usage.

In addition it is know that a helmeted, elbow padded, knee padded, hi-viz jacketed cyclist might take on board - with the safety apparel - an unwarranted sense of safety.

It really is not a simple case of simple extrapolation - more helmets - stronger heads - less injury - so many other factors have to be weighed up.

I'm not convinced about the causal link between a 'mandatory helmet' law and a decrease in bike riding, but I really can't be fucked to read up on it right now.

Ed has a good point.

Overall societal health drops with the introduction of mandatory helmet use through a reduction in cycling uptake.

The drop in head injuries is eclipsed by the over all drop in societal health from casual cyclists being discouraged by legislation.

This is the very reason many countries have not imposed helmet usage.

In addition it is know that a helmeted, elbow padded, knee padded, hi-viz jacketed cyclist might take on board - with the safety apparel - an unwarranted sense of safety.

It really is not a simple case of simple extrapolation - more helmets - stronger heads - less injury - so many other factors have to be weighed up.

While most studies has not shown a decrease in head injuries after imposing a helmet law, we do not see the accidents that does not get reported where the there might have been a head injury if not wearing a helmet.

And as we can see by Eds bridge statistic, there was only a temporary drop in cycling until general acceptance of wearing a helmet.

And as you always say Tynan, where is the evidence of your claims ;)

I'm not convinced about the causal link between a 'mandatory helmet' law and a decrease in bike riding, but I really can't be fucked to read up on it right now.

I like your scepticism, there is not enough of it (seriously).

Please look it up, the research was . . . . who's of guessed it . . . Australian - they seemed to have undertaken most of the in-depth research in the area of cycling over the last decade or so, even more than the famously cyclocentric Nordic counties.

The studies were drawn on in the UK's decision a few years back to not implement mandatory Hemet use.

One other thing that came from the same study was that helmets had a lesser protective effect on head injuries than was previously thought, the main benefits of helmets came from side impacts, cycling impacts from the front and rear are rarely fatal and helmets are thought to have a lesser benefit in this respect, side impacts are less common that frontal impacts in cycling accidents.

This is all from memory and subject to mistake.

I will try and dig out some information / links . . . .