Lifting The Lid On Western Australia's Helmet Laws

A Case Study in Mandatory Helmet LawsIan Ker, CATALYSTMichael Haynes, Perth Urbanist

Neo-Political Action and a New Public Policy Paradigm:

A case study of mandatory bicycle helmet laws

Ian Ker, CATALYSTMichael Haynes, Perth Urbanist

Full paper available from:http://www.perthurbanist.com/category/transport-3

or [email protected]


Evidence and Policy

• Evidence-based policy• Evidence-informed policy

– Directions 2031 (Metro Planning WA)

• Ideology – evidence-free policy– Mandatory cycle helmet laws 1990-92– Elizabeth Quay/Burswood Stadium (WA)

• Evidence-denying policy– Climate change– Carbon tax– Forced local government amalgamations– Shark ‘culls’ in WA– Mandatory cycle helmet laws 2014


If Governments Will Not Respond To Evidence…

• Concerned and informed citizens must take the initiative– Michael Haynes – Head Organiser / Graduate Urban and Regional Planner– Ian Ker – Principal, CATALYST; Adjunct Professor Transport Studies, Curtin University– Brad Pettitt – Mayor of Fremantle– Tim Milsom – CEO Fremantle Chamber of Commerce– Heinrich Benz – Director Bicycle Transport Alliance– Annie Matan – Professor Sustainable Transport CUSP– Sam Newman – Urban and Regional Planner

• Our Goal: – To initiate a Western Australian Parliamentary Inquiry into cycling in Western Australia

and safety initiatives

• Our Focus: – Ensure bicycle helmet laws are included in a parliamentary inquiry– Represent utility cycling in Western Australia– Discuss the impact of bicycle helmet laws as part of wider social, health, and safety

context


What’s the Problem?

• Most (70% in UK) on-road cyclists admitted to hospital had injuries that would not have been mitigated or prevented by a helmet; and

• Most (90% in UK) did not have impact injuries that would have been mitigated or prevented by a helmet.

Image: Flickr/Amsterdamized


What’s the Real Problem?

• Focussing on 10% of injuries distracts attention from other means of improving cyclist safety

Mandatory helmet laws have reduced the level of cycling activity to the detriment of both those deterred from cycling and those who continue to cycle

The Australian policy process provides no effective way to have an issue debated when governments and bureaucrats are in denial.


Helmet laws in contextMandatory Helmet Laws

Cycle UsageCyclist Safety and Health

Head InjuriesOther Injuries

Risk Compensation?

Safety in Numbers?

Trip purposesMode Share

Injury and Illness Outcomes

Resources Used in Transport

Social Inclusion or Exclusion

Trip Lengths

Health and Fitness– Obesity– Disease

Retrospective Evaluation

Reversibility?

Prospective Evaluation

Intrinsic Effect of Helmets

Effect of Compulsory

Helmets

Other Health Outcomes – Heat Stress– Skin Cancer

Mandatory Helmet Laws

Cycle UsageCyclist Safety and Health

Head InjuriesOther Injuries

Risk Compensation?

Safety in Numbers?

Trip purposesMode Share

Injury and Illness Outcomes

Resources Used in Transport

Social Inclusion or Exclusion

Trip Lengths

Health and Fitness– Obesity– Disease

Retrospective Evaluation

Reversibility?

Prospective Evaluation

Intrinsic Effect of Helmets

Effect of Compulsory

Helmets

Other Health Outcomes – Heat Stress– Skin Cancer

Areas often ignored


Intrinsic Effects of Helmets:Heat Stress

• Studies do not show greater heat build-up with helmets– <35ºC and not in extreme humidity

• People do apparently perceive that helmets are uncomfortable in warmer conditions– Reduction in cycling to work was greatest and the recovery least in

hotter cities


Intrinsic Effects of Helmets:Risk Compensation

• Risk-taking by cyclists– “…those who use helmets routinely perceive reduced risk when

wearing a helmet, and compensate by cycling faster.”Phillips R O, Fyhri A and Sagberg F (2011). ‘Risk Compensation and Bicycle Helmets’. Risk Analysis 31 (8) 1187-1195. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1539-6924.2011.01589.x/pdf

Risk-taking by motorists “…overtaking motorists pass closer to a bicyclist when the rider wears

a helmet.” Walker I (2007). ‘Drivers overtaking bicyclists: Objective data on the effects of riding position, helmet use, vehicle type and

apparent gender’. Accident Analysis and Prevention 39, 417-425.http://forum.vikingscycling.org.au/attachment.php?attachmentid=907&d=1282117052

Real effect but more evidence and research needed

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1539-6924.2011.01589.x/pdf

http://forum.vikingscycling.org.au/attachment.php?attachmentid=907&d=1282117052


Are Compulsory Helmets a Barrier to Cycling?

• Not simply ‘having to wear a helmet’ but also the clear implication that cycling is unsafe.


Effect of Compulsory Helmets:Cycle Usage

• Agreement there was immediate reduction of around 30–40%• Disagreement about extent of ‘recovery’ since then

– Paucity of evidence• Tendency to see absence of evidence as evidence of absence

– Conflicting evidence• Disproportionately discourages low-risk cycle use and users

– Short utility trips on local streets• WA clearly very slow recovery

– Overall bicycle mode share down from 5.2% (1986) to 1.7% (2006)– Journey to work still below 1991– But Perth Bicycle Network counts show strong growth


Effect of Compulsory Helmets:Cycle Usage in WA

• Problem identified by 1996

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

52.3%

20.0%

8.0%3.1%

16.5%

60.1%

14.3%8.7%

5.2%11.7%

63.6%

17.2%

5.5%1.7%

12.1%

1976 1986 2006

Mo

de

sh

are

(%

of

trip

s)

• Overall bicycle mode share down from 5.2% (1986) to 1.7% (2006) Even with population growth, total cycle trips

down by 30%.

9%

47%15%

30%

Work

School

Shopping

Other

20%

31%6%

43%

2006

1986




Overall bicycle mode share down from 5.2% (1986) to 1.7% (2006)

9%

47%15%

30%

Work

School

Shopping

Other

20%

31%6%

43%

2006

1986

Work School Shopping Other -

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

16,300

87,300

27,100

55,200

17,000 26,800

5,500

36,900

1986 2006

Cy

cle

tri

ps

pe

r w

ee

kd

ay


10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

16

83

26

53

11 18

4

24

1986 2006

Cy

cle

tri

ps

pe

r 1

00

0 p

ers

on

s p

er

we

ek

da

y




0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

0.96%

1.17%

1.44%1.57%

1.03%1.12%1.16%

1.37%

1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011

Bic

ycle

mod

e sh

are

- jo

urne

y to

wor

k

Overall bicycle mode share down from 5.2% (1986) to 1.7% (2006)

Journey to work still below 1991

But Perth Bicycle Network counts show strong growth – where quality infrastructure is built Work School Shopping Other

-

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

16,300

87,300

27,100

55,200

17,000 26,800

5,500

36,900

1986 2006

Cy

cle

tri

ps

pe

r w

ee

kd

ay


10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

16

83

26

53

11 18

4

24

1986 2006

Cy

cle

tri

ps

pe

r 1

00

0 p

ers

on

s p

er

we

ek

da

y


Effect of Compulsory Helmets:Safety in Numbers

• “…the likelihood that a given person walking or bicycling will be struck by a motorist varies inversely with the amount of walking or bicycling.”

• “a community doubling its walking [or bicycling] can expect a 32% increase in injuries.” Jacobsen P L (2003). ‘Safety in numbers: more walkers and bicyclists, safer walking and bicycling’. Injury Prevention, 2003; 29: pp205-209. http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/9/3/205.full.pdf+html

• For WA, a tripling of the number of regular cyclists resulted in a 50% increase in cyclist hospital admissions.

– 33% for doubling of cycle use

• Individual cyclists safer with experience/maturity and frequency of cycling.

• Reduction in cycling activity reduces safety for those who continue to cycle, especially if they also cycle less frequently.

http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/9/3/205.full.pdf+html


Road

trau

ma

Heal

th a

nd fi

tnes

s: C

yclin

g

Heal

th a

nd fi

tnes

s: W

alki

ng

-20

0

20

40

60

80

100

-12

9.8

19.6

-12

49

98

Year 1Year 5

Cent

s pe

r kilo

met

re

Effect of Compulsory Helmets

• Health and fitness– Four times cyclist road trauma cost

Social inclusion or exclusion Local utility access People without drivers’ licence or car

Resources used in transport Car operating costs Traffic congestion

Already exceeds car operating costs Triple in next 25 years

Car parking

Car Operating Cost


Benefits of Cycling• On the basis of health and safety impact only, but including reduction in cycling

activity:– …where cycling is safe, a helmet law is likely to have a large unintended negative

health impact. – …where cycling is relatively unsafe, helmets will do little to make it safer and a helmet

law, under relatively extreme assumptions may make a small positive contribution to net societal health.

De Jong P (2012). ‘The Health Impact of Mandatory Bicycle Helmet Laws’. Risk Analysis 32 (5) 782-790

29%

31%

14%

20%

5% Transport operating costs

Congestion

Car parking

Road trauma and health

Environment

Add all the other foregone benefits of cycling and net benefit is extremely unlikely.


Effect of Compulsory Helmets:Selective Law Enforcement

• “It is outrageous that police do not fine the ‘interlopers’ immediately.”

• “…they are still fining cyclists for not wearing helmets or for riding on footpaths.”

Peter Newman, Professor of Sustainability, Curtin University


Effect of Compulsory Helmets:Inhibiting Innovation

• ‘Invisible’ helmet

Folding helmet

‘Cardboard’ helmet


Key Issues

• Reversibility– Generation of non-cyclists– Perception of danger instilled by compulsory helmets

• Achievability– Queensland Parliamentary Inquiry recommended trial removal of

some elements of mandatory helmet laws– Minister of Transport immediately said “No” because “helmets

work”

• Need to increase awareness of distinction between individual safety and population health.


E-Petitions: An Alternative Public Policy Model

• Overcome ‘evidence-denial’.• By-pass the policy protectors.• Demonstrate level of concern.• 100,000 in UK equivalent to

35,000 in Australia.• 17 petitions debated in the

UK Parliament.


Neo-Political Action and a New Public Policy Paradigm:

A case study of mandatory bicycle helmet laws

Ian Ker, CATALYSTMichael Haynes, Perth Urbanist

Full paper available from:http://www.perthurbanist.com/category/transport-3

or [email protected]

Government & Nonprofit

Lifting The Lid On Western Australia's Helmet Laws