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Is it wrong to show a cyclist without a helmet?
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Photo courtesy Velonews
One of my favorite cycling sites, velonews.com, published a picture on the last day of 2008 that drew a “Shame on you…” letter from at least one reader. Velonews’ sin? Depicting a rider sans helmet.
The controversial photo was attached to an article proposing that everyone try to replace at least one car trip of a mile or less with a walk or bike ride on a weekly basis. The rider in the photo appears to be an elderly gentleman on a city bike, complete with rear rack dangling storage bags. Velonews’ letter editor, apparently agreeing that the photo was inappropriate, promised to dissuade the employee who selected the helmetless photo from doing so again by threatening to “…whack him over his (helmet-clad) head…” if the error were repeated.
I read the article when it was originally published and I have to admit that I was not offended or dismayed in any way by the photo. I do believe strongly in helmets – I never ride without mine and I strongly encourage everyone who gets on a bicycle to do the same. But there is one piece of equipment I would take over a helmet any time – a mirror. So now I’m wondering if I’m remiss by not firing off a “Shame on you” missive to every web site and magazine each time I see a photo of a cyclist without a mirror. And I’m also wondering why the self-styled helmet police do not show the same outrage when a photo is published that shows a mirror-less rider. Could it be that these very same, ultra-safety oriented riders do not (gasp!) ride with a mirror of their own?
On further reflection, I realize that I don’t think it’s such a sin to depict individuals riding without helmets, especially when they appear to be on short shopping trips on city bikes. The one-mile solution proposed in the Velonews article will attract far fewer practitioners if we insist they don a helmet every time they take a short trip on a bike. Although the habit is catching on rapidly, many European bicycle commuters still do not wear helmets. On my recent trip to Dubai, I saw zero commuting bicyclists with helmets on.
A helmet is de rigueur for most people in this country who have traveled more than a few miles by bicycle. But I’m not aware of any studies that have shown that pictures of cyclists without helmets will cause defections from the practice. Are impressionable children led astray by such depictions? If so, any old-timer with a collection of bike racing magazines will have to incinerate the lot before the kiddies find them. Until about 10 years ago, there were very few pros who wore helmets and the old mags are filled with images that would surely draw “Shame on you” letters today.
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