THE ILLUSION OF SAFETY

An experiment carried out by a traffic psychologist in Britain found that a cyclist is more likely to be hit by a car if he or she is wearing a helmet. The study found that cars give more space to helmet-less cyclists when passing them on the road, and are more than twice as likely to pass within 8.5 centimeters of a cyclist wearing a helmet. The tests also found that drivers give cyclists who appeared to be female (that is, a cyclist not wearing a helmet and with long hair) an average of 14 centimeters more space when passing. “We know helmets are useful in low-speed falls, and so definitely good for children, but whether they offer any real protection to somebody struck by a car is very controversial,” said Dr. Ian Walker of Bath University. “Either way, this study suggests wearing a helmet might make a collision more likely in the first place,” he added. (BBC)