The Dangers of Bike Helmets

An article in today’s Sunday New York Times magazine reveals the punch-line of an upcoming article in the journal Accident Analysis & Prevention. (Who even knew there was such a publication? Of course, as a subscriber to that other page-turner, Pensions & Investments, who am I to judge another profession’s publications.) According to the Times, a University of Bath psychologist used an ultransonic sensor to measure how much room passing motorists gave him while riding his bicycle, with or without a helmet. He found that when he wore his helmet, motorists passed, on average, over 3 inches closer. The author of the upcoming article theorizes that helmets change the behavior of drivers. Motorists regard a helmet as a signal that the cyclist is experienced and thus can be approached with less caution. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/magazine/10bike.html