Bike helmets are in the news again. This time the New Scientist is reporting that a new study from an Australian mathematician has found that making helmet-wearing compulsory will cost the UK £0.4billion per year. Essentially, says Piet de Jong, make helmets compulsory, people will stop riding, and the NHS will spend more treating unhealthy people who would be healthy if they rode bikes. Or something.
And, this is what annoys me, I think I agree. I wear a helmet and my very own anecdotal evidence suggests that they do what they're supposed to. However, I hate the thought of being told that I have to wear one. If you're a grown up then you should be able to choose whether or not you put a lid on it. Of course, I'm also a hypocrite and although I'm all for freedom of choice when it comes to lids, I won't let my four year old on her dirt jump bike without a helmet...
