{"id":409774,"date":"2022-02-25T19:15:44","date_gmt":"2022-02-25T16:15:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/can-riding-a-bike-without-a-helmet-actually-be-safer\/"},"modified":"2022-02-25T19:15:44","modified_gmt":"2022-02-25T16:15:44","slug":"can-riding-a-bike-without-a-helmet-actually-be-safer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/can-riding-a-bike-without-a-helmet-actually-be-safer\/","title":{"rendered":"#Can riding a bike without a helmet actually be safer?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3508d7ea73b\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3508d7ea73b\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/can-riding-a-bike-without-a-helmet-actually-be-safer\/#Do_they_save_lives\" >Do they save lives?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/can-riding-a-bike-without-a-helmet-actually-be-safer\/#Where_are_bike_helmets_legally_required\" >Where are bike helmets legally required?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/can-riding-a-bike-without-a-helmet-actually-be-safer\/#Whats_it_like_living_somewhere_with_compulsory_helmets\" >What\u2019s it like living somewhere with compulsory helmets?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/can-riding-a-bike-without-a-helmet-actually-be-safer\/#Helmets_are_a_barrier_to_micromobility_success\" >Helmets are a barrier to micromobility success<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#Can riding a bike without a helmet actually be safer?<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n                            <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I came across <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PedalMe cargo bike company<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> last year, and was impressed. It provides a last-mile cargo and passenger ebike service. All of its riders are employed full-time, with pre-scheduled shifts and hourly pay (instead of the per-delivery income in the gig economy model).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sounds pretty good, hey? But there\u2019s a quirk \u2014 their riders are not allowed to wear bike helmets.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-featured_img wp-image-1381420 js-lazy\" alt=\"Pedal me cargo ebike\" width=\"796\" height=\"597\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 796px) 100vw, 796px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/FMNOoIJXwAUEhTB-796x597.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/FMNOoIJXwAUEhTB-796x597.jpeg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/FMNOoIJXwAUEhTB-280x210.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/FMNOoIJXwAUEhTB-180x135.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/FMNOoIJXwAUEhTB-360x270.jpeg 360w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/FMNOoIJXwAUEhTB-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/FMNOoIJXwAUEhTB-1592x1194.jpeg 1592w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/FMNOoIJXwAUEhTB-368x276.jpeg 368w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/FMNOoIJXwAUEhTB-736x552.jpeg 736w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/FMNOoIJXwAUEhTB-1200x900.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/FMNOoIJXwAUEhTB.jpeg 2048w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fshift-basics%2F2022%2F02%2F25%2Febike-company-wont-hire-helmet-wearing-cyclists%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Pedal Me ecargo bikes carry people and goods across London. Image: Pedal Me\" data-title=\"Share Pedal Me ecargo bikes carry people and goods across London. Image: Pedal Me on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Pedal Me ecargo bikes carry people and goods across London. Image: Pedal Me on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Pedal Me ecargo bikes carry people and goods across London. Image: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pedalme.co.uk\/\">Pedal Me<\/a><\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-featured_img wp-image-1381420\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/FMNOoIJXwAUEhTB-796x597.jpeg\" alt=\"Pedal me cargo ebike\" width=\"796\" height=\"597\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/FMNOoIJXwAUEhTB-796x597.jpeg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/FMNOoIJXwAUEhTB-280x210.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/FMNOoIJXwAUEhTB-180x135.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/FMNOoIJXwAUEhTB-360x270.jpeg 360w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/FMNOoIJXwAUEhTB-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/FMNOoIJXwAUEhTB-1592x1194.jpeg 1592w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/FMNOoIJXwAUEhTB-368x276.jpeg 368w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/FMNOoIJXwAUEhTB-736x552.jpeg 736w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/FMNOoIJXwAUEhTB-1200x900.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/FMNOoIJXwAUEhTB.jpeg 2048w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the company\u2019s latest <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>letter:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We ban our staff from wearing helmets for risk management and safety reasons because of something called \u201cRisk Compensation\u201d \u2014 whereby those wearing protective gear take greater risks and therefore have more collisions.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They further expanded these ideas on <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Twitter<\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">People that are taking risks that are sufficient that they feel they need to wear helmets are not welcome to work for us \u2013 because our vehicles are heavy and could cause harm, and because we carry small children on our bikes.<\/p>\n<p>Instead \u2013 we systematically work to reduce risk.(1\/n)<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Pedal Me (@pedalme<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>) <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/pedalmeapp\/status\/1489594692857647113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 4, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pedal Me has in-house cycling instructors and a thorough training program. They contend that this and the composition of their bikes means that riders are much less likely to have collisions where helmets will help them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead, they focus on \u201csystematically tackling risk through data collection and data-driven decision making.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_they_save_lives\"><\/span><strong>Do they save lives?\u00a0<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Well, it depends on who\u2019s asking and who you ask.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" srcdoc=\"&lt;style&gt;*{padding:0;margin:0;overflow:hidden}html,body{background:#000;height:100%}img{position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;object-fit:cover;transition:opacity .1s cubic-bezier(0.4,0,1,1)}a:hover img+img{opacity:1!important}&lt;\/style&gt;&lt;a href=\" https:=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/wF-Ft8FG2Mg\/hqdefault.jpg\" style=\"top: 50%;left:50%;width:68px;height:48px;transform:translate3d(-50%,-50%,0)\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Helmets are made of hard plastic and lined with foam, to state the obvious.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your head makes contact with a hard object like the ground or a pole, they reduce the force of impact to the skull. However, this is less effective when riding at speed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, to be effective, a helmet needs to be well fitted. There\u2019s also the problem of <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helmets.org\/fakehelmets.htm\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">counterfeit<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> helmets made in China that come with a local safety sticker but lack the safety benefits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So the pro-helmet stance holds that they reduce the risk of serious head injury or death.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By comparison, a company like PedalMe subscribes to an idea called <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Risk_compensation\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Risk Compensation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a school of thought in safety where those wearing protective gear take greater risks and therefore have more collisions. For example, this would posit that those wearing seat belts drive more recklessly than those without.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This approach also looks at the idea of social health. It asks whether the safety aspect of helmets outweighs the health benefits of cycling because helmet laws deter people from taking up cycling.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_are_bike_helmets_legally_required\"><\/span><strong>Where are bike helmets legally required?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1381418 js-lazy\" alt=\"laws bike helmet \" width=\"758\" height=\"689\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 758px) 100vw, 758px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/bike_helmet_laws-e1620126476723.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/bike_helmet_laws-e1620126476723.jpeg 758w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/bike_helmet_laws-e1620126476723-231x210.jpeg 231w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/bike_helmet_laws-e1620126476723-149x135.jpeg 149w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/bike_helmet_laws-e1620126476723-297x270.jpeg 297w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fshift-basics%2F2022%2F02%2F25%2Febike-company-wont-hire-helmet-wearing-cyclists%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Bike helmet laws differ wildly around the world. Image: Wondering Maps\" data-title=\"Share Bike helmet laws differ wildly around the world. Image: Wondering Maps on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Bike helmet laws differ wildly around the world. Image: Wondering Maps on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Bike helmet laws differ wildly around the world. Image: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/wonderingmaps.com\/bike-helmet-laws\/\">Wondering Maps<\/a><\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1381418\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/bike_helmet_laws-e1620126476723.jpeg\" alt=\"laws bike helmet \" width=\"758\" height=\"689\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/bike_helmet_laws-e1620126476723.jpeg 758w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/bike_helmet_laws-e1620126476723-231x210.jpeg 231w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/bike_helmet_laws-e1620126476723-149x135.jpeg 149w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/bike_helmet_laws-e1620126476723-297x270.jpeg 297w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bike helmets are completely mandatory in only a few countries, including Argentina, Finland, Sweden, Namibia, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And it\u2019s downright confusing in Canada and the <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/helmets.org\/mandator.htm\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">US<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, where laws differ on a local level, according to the state, the city, and the rider\u2019s age.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Last week, Seattle city officials <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/02\/18\/us\/seattle-bicycle-helmet.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">overturned the helmet requirement<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in response to discriminatory enforcement of the rule against homeless people and people of color. The city of Tacoma had previously repealed the requirement in 2020 due to similar concerns.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The city of Tacoma, Washington, repealed its requirement in 2020, citing similar equity concerns.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whats_it_like_living_somewhere_with_compulsory_helmets\"><\/span><strong>What\u2019s it like living somewhere with compulsory helmets?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-featured_img wp-image-1381419 js-lazy\" alt=\"helmets sydney\" width=\"796\" height=\"531\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 796px) 100vw, 796px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/6e278ac82ed1f74d535927795510a260-796x531.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/6e278ac82ed1f74d535927795510a260-796x531.jpeg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/6e278ac82ed1f74d535927795510a260-280x187.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/6e278ac82ed1f74d535927795510a260-202x135.jpeg 202w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/6e278ac82ed1f74d535927795510a260-405x270.jpeg 405w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/6e278ac82ed1f74d535927795510a260-1536x1025.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/6e278ac82ed1f74d535927795510a260-2048x1366.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/6e278ac82ed1f74d535927795510a260-1592x1062.jpeg 1592w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fshift-basics%2F2022%2F02%2F25%2Febike-company-wont-hire-helmet-wearing-cyclists%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Helmet-wearing cyclists in Sydney. Image: Sydney.com\" data-title=\"Share Helmet-wearing cyclists in Sydney. Image: Sydney.com on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Helmet-wearing cyclists in Sydney. Image: Sydney.com on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Helmet-wearing cyclists in Sydney. Image: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sydney.com\/destinations\/sydney\/sydney-city\/the-rocks\/hire\/sydney-bike-tours\">Sydney.com<\/a><\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-featured_img wp-image-1381419\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/6e278ac82ed1f74d535927795510a260-796x531.jpeg\" alt=\"helmets sydney\" width=\"796\" height=\"531\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/6e278ac82ed1f74d535927795510a260-796x531.jpeg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/6e278ac82ed1f74d535927795510a260-280x187.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/6e278ac82ed1f74d535927795510a260-202x135.jpeg 202w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/6e278ac82ed1f74d535927795510a260-405x270.jpeg 405w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/6e278ac82ed1f74d535927795510a260-1536x1025.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/6e278ac82ed1f74d535927795510a260-2048x1366.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/6e278ac82ed1f74d535927795510a260-1592x1062.jpeg 1592w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The idea of not wearing a bicycle helmet seemed really alien to me when I moved to Germany from Australia in 2014.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I find that there are massive differences between Australia and Europe regarding bike safety. When I learned to ride a bike, people told me, \u201cRide like the car drivers are trying to kill you and stay on the footpath as much as possible.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reality is that there is a huge culture of disrespect and antagonism towards cyclists in Australia. We also have <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/cities\/2015\/aug\/25\/sydney-australia-bike-lane-skeptic-cycling-duncan-gay-cycleways\">poorer quality roads<\/a> and fewer bike lanes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s little effort to police or prosecute drivers who open their car doors on riders, or drive unsafely around bikes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And, significantly, unlike places like Berlin and Amsterdam, few drivers are cyclists themselves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Helmets_are_a_barrier_to_micromobility_success\"><\/span><strong>Helmets are a barrier to micromobility success<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2014 the city of Dallas <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.texasmonthly.com\/the-daily-post\/adult-cyclists-in-dallas-are-no-longer-required-by-law-to-wear-helmets\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">removed the requirement<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for people aged 18 and older, as a means of encouraging more bike-sharing. <span>And it worked. C<\/span>ompulsory helmets make it harder to introduce a cycling culture.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, in Australia,<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"c-message_kit__gutter\">\n<div class=\"c-message_kit__gutter__right\" role=\"presentation\" data-qa=\"message_content\">\n<div class=\"c-message_kit__blocks c-message_kit__blocks--rich_text\">\n<div class=\"c-message__message_blocks c-message__message_blocks--rich_text\">\n<div class=\"p-block_kit_renderer\" data-qa=\"block-kit-renderer\">\n<div class=\"p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper--first\">\n<div class=\"p-rich_text_block\" dir=\"auto\">\n<div class=\"p-rich_text_section\">docked hire <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bikes<\/span> made up the first wave of micromobility<span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And yes, you needed a helmet. You could buy one cheaply at a nearby 7\/11 convenience store for $3.60 ($5 AUD), but these <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">spontaneous rides became difficult when there were no shops nearby.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Incidentally, it\u2019s the same for the current escooters in Australia, but the helmet comes locked to the escooter. A friend told me, \u201cI haven\u2019t got lice yet, fingers crossed!\u201d So maybe, there\u2019s hope yet.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-featured_img wp-image-1381424 js-lazy\" alt=\"escooter neuron helmets \" width=\"796\" height=\"453\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 796px) 100vw, 796px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/neuron-796x453.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/neuron-796x453.jpeg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/neuron-280x159.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/neuron-237x135.jpeg 237w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/neuron-475x270.jpeg 475w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/neuron.jpeg 976w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fshift-basics%2F2022%2F02%2F25%2Febike-company-wont-hire-helmet-wearing-cyclists%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: In Australia, escooter hires come with helmets. Image: Neuron\" data-title=\"Share In Australia, escooter hires come with helmets. Image: Neuron on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share In Australia, escooter hires come with helmets. Image: Neuron on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>In Australia, escooter hires come with helmets. Image: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rideneuron.com\/\">Neuron<\/a><\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-featured_img wp-image-1381424\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/neuron-796x453.jpeg\" alt=\"escooter neuron helmets \" width=\"796\" height=\"453\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/neuron-796x453.jpeg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/neuron-280x159.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/neuron-237x135.jpeg 237w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/neuron-475x270.jpeg 475w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/neuron.jpeg 976w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just for some bang for your buck, I\u2019m going to show you some rather embarrassing and hilarious helmet ads from my childhood:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" srcdoc=\"&lt;style&gt;*{padding:0;margin:0;overflow:hidden}html,body{background:#000;height:100%}img{position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;object-fit:cover;transition:opacity .1s cubic-bezier(0.4,0,1,1)}a:hover img+img{opacity:1!important}&lt;\/style&gt;&lt;a href=\" https:=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/Y4jpWJOkBL0\/hqdefault.jpg\" style=\"top: 50%;left:50%;width:68px;height:48px;transform:translate3d(-50%,-50%,0)\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This one\u2019s got a kinda metaverse meet Second Life vibe:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" srcdoc=\"&lt;style&gt;*{padding:0;margin:0;overflow:hidden}html,body{background:#000;height:100%}img{position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;object-fit:cover;transition:opacity .1s cubic-bezier(0.4,0,1,1)}a:hover img+img{opacity:1!important}&lt;\/style&gt;&lt;a href=\" https:=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/bg4FoU5_x_k\/hqdefault.jpg\" style=\"top: 50%;left:50%;width:68px;height:48px;transform:translate3d(-50%,-50%,0)\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apologies for the quality. I suspect the owner ripped them from a VHS cassette\u2026.<\/span>\n                        <\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/ebike-company-wont-hire-helmet-wearing-cyclists\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Can riding a bike without a helmet actually be safer?&#8221; I came across PedalMe cargo bike company last year, and was impressed. It provides a last-mile cargo and passenger ebike service. All of its riders are employed full-time, with pre-scheduled shifts and hourly pay (instead of the per-delivery income in the gig economy model).\u00a0 Sounds&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":409775,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/02\/Untitled-design-46.png&signature=495bcf4748133a093e3af2fefd4c077b","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-409774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/409774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=409774"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/409774\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/409775"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=409774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=409774"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=409774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}