Look Beyond Helmet Laws for Safety

The Orange County Bicycle Coalition is concerned with the safety of bicyclists. We were therefore pleased to see the coverage that your paper gave to this important issue (“Bike Helmet Law Deemed a Success in Its 1st Year,” Dec. 28). The coalition regrets that The Times repeated the discredited claim, made in a 1989 study, that helmets prevent 85% of head injuries. That study was flawed, as is now widely acknowledged, except by some helmet advocates.

According to recent studies, helmets prevent fewer head injuries for less serious accidents and far fewer head injuries for more serious accidents. The data from one study suggests that nearly all reduction in head injuries may be attributed to the fact that helmet wearers are better riders. Wrong statistics have led to overestimates of the benefits of helmet laws.

The coalition believes that a better approach is to look beyond helmet laws and to improve the safety of our streets for all users--bicyclists, pedestrians, and motor-vehicle occupants. Methods for achieving such safety improvements can be as simple as planting trees in the median. Compelling evidence exists that such measures, collectively known as traffic calming, can significantly reduce serious injuries and deaths for all road users.

The helmet law targets child-bicyclists’ head injuries only. Such injuries cost $8 million per year. Traffic calming will reduce all traffic-related injuries. Such injuries cost about $640 million per year. Given these stakes, the coalition wonders when the traffic-calming alternative will be seriously considered.

One final warning: Under the present child-helmet law, if a drunk driver hits a child not wearing a helmet, the driver may completely escape liability by claiming contributory negligence on the part of the child. The coalition and other responsible bicycle advocacy groups insist that a contributory-negligence clause be added to California’s bicycle-helmet law, preventing transfer of liability to the victim. The existing bicycle-helmet legislation is clearly unjust and unfair.

MICHAEL R. MOTT

Chairman

DON HARVEY

Executive director

Orange County Bicycle Coalition