‘Unsafe helmet better than none’

Press, 16 December 1988, Page 3

‘Unsafe helmet better than none’

PA Wellington The Master Cycle Traders’ Federation president, Mr Colin Dickinson, says it is better to wear a cycle helmet which fails to meet safety tests than not to wear one at all.

He was responding to a Consumers’ Insitute report that 10 of 33 cycle helmets tested by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research were found to be unsafe. Mr Dickinson said that three years ago the Ministry of Transport and Accident Compensation Corporation had campaigned to get as many cyclists as possible to wear helmets. But he said moves to make wearing of helmets mandatory would not be implemented till the public had accepted the practice.

The multitude of cycle helmets which came from all over the world carried huge duties. Prices started at $5O and the average helmet cost $7B.

A helmet might pass the supreme safety test but be heavy and uncomfortable.

A cyclist would always go for the one that fitted, he said.

Many parents buying cycles for children were saying to their children: “You can have the bike but only if you wear a helmet.”

The most difficult agegroup to persuade to wear helmets was 12 to 18, Mr Dickinson said. He said there should be a campaign for the safe assembly of cycles and for checks to be made on kitset bicycles sold from warehouses.

Cheap quality bikes were potentially more dangerous than helmets which failed to pass the safety test.

Mr Dickinson said bike shops were inundated with outraged consumers coming in with bikes which had been assembled probably by grandad after he had had a few at the end of Christmas day. The kitset bicycles had model names, not brand names and came from all over the world particularly from China, Taiwan and Japan.