Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/770367
7 JAMES DEBONO WEARING helmets should be mandatory for children riding a bike, a report in the Malta Medi- cal Journal has proposed. Ac- cording to the report bicycle hel- mets can reduce the risk of head and brain injuries and death. But the report falls short of recommending making helmets compulsory for adults, calling for a robust educational campaign instead. This is because the scien- tific report confirms that manda- tory helmet legislation may deter adults from cycling altogether, forgoing beneficial personal health gains. The study, 'Cyclist Safety in Malta, a Review' is authored by Jason Attard, Michelle Deguara, and Mariella Borg Buontempo. Most EU Member states have no requirement in legislation for bicycle helmets: mandatory hel- met legislation for children is in effect in seven European Union Member States. Mandatory legislation exists in provinces in parts of Canada and states in Australia where it resulted in a decrease in head in- jury rates but also in the number of cyclists. In Ontario, Canada deaths decreased for children un- der 16 years by 52%. In Australia mandatory helmets led to the decline of between 20% to 40% in the number of cyclists and a decrease in injuries among cyclists. In Melbourne helmet use was cited as the most com- mon reason for not using a bike- sharing scheme, with 36% saying it was hard to find a helmet and 25% not wanting to wear a helmet In Malta there were three deaths due to cycling between 2006 and 2015. But in 2013, there were 173 registered injuries among cyclists. Two in five registered injuries occurred in children under 15 years of age or less. Overall, just over one in four registered inju- ries involved the head. Although young people aged between 10 and 14 years are the most prone to incidents, the study notes that the number of these incidents is decreasing while among 20 to 59 year olds the number is rising. The study calls or an education- al campaign to encourage the use of helmets among adults. It also calls on the authorities to consid- er the introduction of mandatory helmet legislation (MHL) in chil- dren, noting that children who grow up cycling with a helmet are probably likely to become adults who spontaneously use bicycle helmets. The report also calls on the authorities to implement infra- structure measures: to separate cyclists and motor vehicles, in- cluding cycling lanes, wherever this is possible. Focus should be on infrastructure: BAG The Bicycle Advocacy Group (BAG) welcomed the study's ob- servation that mandatory helmet laws discourage the use of bicy- cles as a means of transport. Bicycle advocacy groups world- wide fear that all-ages helmet laws might actually make cycling more dangerous, by decreasing ridership. Research shows that the more cyclists there are on the road, the fewer crashes occur. Academics theorize that as car drivers become used to seeing bikes on the road, they watch out more closely for them. Advocacy groups insist that increasing the number of cyclists should be a national priority. "Cycling is currently the most viable short-term solution to Malta's traffic problem, with buses stuck in traffic and other scenarios of public transport, like any rail-based system, only achievable in the distant future", BAG spokesperson Holger Mit- terer told MaltaToday. While BAG encourages the use of cycling helmets, a cost-benefit analysis by German economist Gernot Sieg in 2014 suggestsed that mandatory helmet laws are not economically advantageous. This is because the public health effects of reduced cycling out- weigh the benefits of reduced head injury by far. The BAG lamented the fact that a study on the broad scope of "cy- clists' safety in Malta" focuses so much on cycling helmets, when the lack of well-designed infra- structure and driving standards are of much more concern. According to BAG mandatory helmets for the use of electri- cally assisted bicycles (so-called pedelecs) has had disastrous ef- fects, with sales dropping by 80%. "This is especially regrettable as pedelecs provide a solution for potential cyclists deterred by Malta's hilly landscape." jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt maltatoday, SUNDAY, 8 JANUARY 2017 News But advises against mandatory helmets for adults as this may result in decline in number of cyclists Country Date enacted Notes Argentina 2004 Mandatory but no fines apply Australia 1989 Austria 2011 Under 12 years of age only Brazil 1997 Not mandatory in all states for all ages Czech Republic Revised to under 18 with effect from July 2006 Croatia 2008 Under 16 years of age only Finland 2003 Not required, but recommended France No requirement Germany No requirement Hong Kong No requirement In 2009, Transport Secretary announced that government had no intention of introducing mandatory helmet law, based partly on "international views that a mandatory requirement may lead to a reduction in cycling activities" Hungary 2010 Wearing a helmet increases the speed limit for bicycles outside populated areas from 40 km/h to 50 km/h Iceland 1998 Under 15 years of age only. Iceland has considered – but not pursued – extending its helmet law to adults Italy No requirement Malta 2004 Bicycles: Only under-10 year olds riding as passengers on an adult's bicycle are required to wear a helmet. Pedelecs: All users must wear helmets Portugal 2013 No requirement (except for users of electric power- assisted bicycles – art 82/n.5 of Traffic Law Code «Código da Estrada» Sweden 2005 Only applicable to children under 15 years old. No penalty for children cycling alone who do not obey the law. Also applies to Segway use Medical study calls for mandatory helmets for children