Helmets – bike/e-bike/micromobility etc – risk minimisation

[Keith Baldock]

A previous help forum item was on new standards for helmets to take into account e-bikes etc. We’re about to launch an e-scooter trial rental scheme in Brighton – also having dodgy e-bikes etc active in the city. There is targeted enforcement but capacity limited by police. Given where we are – lack of government progress on clear progressive legislation etc – I want to run a risk minimisation campaign encouraging helmet use on 2 wheelers. We used behaviour change to develop a cycle helmet one a while ago but I’d be extremely interested in if others have run a campaign – what works and what doesn’t

Especially interested if you’ve run a campaign on the rental bikes / scooters.

I’ve not enough funding to subsidise helmets etc but am up for commercial discounts etc – anyone tried?

[Richard Burton]

Since helmets don’t reduce the death rate of users, it might be better to focus on things proven to work e.g. encouraging safe use of the vehicles. It has been shown that people provided with ‘safety equipment’ take more chances and have more collisions. It’s better to prevent the collision than to ameliorate the effects, so publicity campaigns emphasising the risks and training are likely to be more effective than helmets.

There is a vast amount of research on helmets, some better than others, and I’d recommend cyclehelmets.org to start, even if it’s no longer updated.

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