May 13, 2015

Recommended Reading: Lawrence of Arabia and the crash helmet

Given the debate over helmets, Sandy James thinks this is of interest:

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How the accident which killed T.E. Lawrence 80 years ago led to the introduction of crash helmets.

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Article here from the BBC.  With this curious note:

Powell… it was not until 1973 that the House of Commons voted to make wearing a crash helmet on a motorbike or moped mandatory. … For defenders of individual freedom however, that right to choose was sacred.

One opponent of the plans for compulsion was Enoch Powell, who attacked the proposals in the House of Commons in April 1973, in the debate on the bill which made helmets compulsory.

“The maintenance of the principles of individual freedom and responsibility is more important than the avoidance of the loss of lives through the personal decision of individuals,” Powell told fellow MPs,

“Whether those lives are lost swimming or mountaineering or boating, or riding horseback, or on a motor cycle.”

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Comments

  1. Best evidence for wearing a helmet: my financial advisor takes off for a 3 week bike tour of India. Riding through a wildlife refuge an elephant gets spooked by a car speeding by and mistakes the tour leader and his bicycle as the threat. Elephant charges and swings its trunk sending the leader sprawling across to the other side of the road. Elephant then goes over and steps on his head. Helmet cracks. That’s all. A week later he’s back on his bike.

  2. Better to look at older far more bike oriented countries like France, Holland, Germany or Denmark. Wearing a helmet there is neither compulsory nor frequent. Why is BC different ? Let those that wish to wear a helmet wear one. Don’t force one onto me, please.

    And Vancouver is still trying to get a bike share scheme off the ground with a helmet law in place ?

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