Following David Cameron's irresponsible failure to wear a cycle helmet, it has emerged that one of the leading campaigners for compulsory helmets is a Tory MP.
David Cameron was today “under fire” for choosing to cycle without a helmet. And, as the news prompted an online row about whether it is “sanctimonious” to highlight cycling safety, it emerged that one of the leading campaigners for compulsory helmets is a Tory MP.
Just weeks ago, Peter Bone, Conservative MP for Wellingborough, spoke out in favour of making helmets compulsory for children up to the age of 14:
“If somebody said 16 per cent of people who died in road accidents could be saved, you would bite their hand off … The savings to the NHS alone would be enormous … I believe individuals can make up their own minds whether they want to kill themselves. Youngsters can’t, however, and we have to do it for them.”
In January 2010, Bone asked a question in parliament about the Department for Transport’s assessment of the safety case for children to wear safety helmets. He received this response from Paul Clark, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the DfT:
“The Department commissioned a research project on cyclists’ road safety, which included a new review of cycle helmet effectiveness.”
The review concludes that, assuming cycle helmets are a good fit and worn correctly they should be effective at “reducing the risk of head injury, in particular cranium fracture, scalp injury and intracranial (brain) injury for users of all ages but would be expected to be particularly effective for children”. The report that Mr Bone highlights also includes the results of a forensic case review of more than 100 British police cyclist fatality reports:
“[The] case review … highlighted that between 10 and 16% of the fatalities reviewed could have been prevented if they had worn a cycle helmet.”
It also found that helmets would be “particularly effective” for children.
Given the currently available evidence (highlighted by one of his very own MPs) of the safety benefits of wearing a cycle helmet, and the (uphill) efforts of safety campaigners to encourage children, in particular, to wear a helmet, David Cameron should be trying to set a good example. Instead, he is irresponsibly choosing to look good for photo opportunities, regardless of the message this sends to Britain’s young cyclists.
46 Responses to “Cameron’s failure to wear cycle helmet “irresponsible””
No Strings Attached
Everyone on this thread seems to be mocking something that is actually quite serious. Whether we like it or not, people in the public eye — today’s ‘role models’ — have a good deal of influence over the children of ‘Broken Britain’ today. Take anorexia, for example. We are seeing incredibly high rates of anorexia among young children — both boys and girls — that is at least partly fuelled because people in the public eye strive to be skinny and, like Kate Moss, choose to make statements about not eating. Without being a direct parallel, it is therefore also concerning when someone with such a high public profile as Cameron doesn’t act responsibly when riding a bike. That he ‘forgot’ is not good enough. Whether or not we find it odd to believe that Cameron could ever be a role model to young kids, doing everything possible to avoid more deaths on the road is critical and not something to be scoffed at.
Henrik
This must be viewed as ANOTHER glaring example of how overly concerned Dave is with his public image.
This obsession with PR highlights Davey-boys lack of substance!
John
Yeah. Highlighting this plays into the Tory campaign against nanny state / health and safety. It probably loses votes among a) cyclists and b) statisticians, given that the evidence suggests cycle helmets don’t help (it’s a little bit safer to have an accident if you’re wearing one, but risk adjustment by cyclists and other road users means that accident is more likely to happen).
MC
Forget about the not wearing the cycling helmet surely its a crime to wear that ridiculous luminous sash!!!!!!
Fashion Police pull over!!!!
Mr. Sensible
This is a couple of years after the immages of Cameron cycling whilst being flanked by the motorcade…
This is really going to serve Mr Bone well in his marginal seat, isn’t it.