Justin Tomlinson MP has today supported calls by the Bicycle Helmet trust Initiative (BHIT) about the need to highlight the difference cycling helmets can make in the event of an accident, especially amongst children.
Children account for more than a third of all cyclist hospital admissions and child cyclists are 23 times more likely to be admitted to hospital than child pedestrians. With more and more children being encouraged to cycle to school, it is important cycling safety and the benefits of wearing a helmet are raised.
Cycling helmets are made of a dense and crushable material which is designed to spread the force of an impact and absorb the energy that occurs during direct contact with a hard object or surface. This energy absorption helps to reduce the direct force to the head, reducing the severity of the head injury that may occur.
BHIT contacted Justin asking whether he thought children should wear cycling helmets. Justin threw the question open to constituents via an online poll on his facebook page, www.facebook.com/justintomlinsonmp . The results were fairly conclusive, with broad agreement that children should wear cycling helmets as they reduce head injury in the event of an accident. Where there was disagreement however, was whether the government should legislate to require children to wear cycling helmets by law or whether it should be left to parents to decide and education to encourage.
Justin Tomlinson MP said “I was pleased to see so many people engage on this issue and vote in my online poll. This clearly shows that child cycling safety is an issue that matters to fellow Swindon residents and the result of the poll clearly shows support for the idea that children should wear cycling helmets. What we need now is a more general debate on how this is best encouraged amongst young people so we can reduce the life changing injuries that cycling accidents can cause.”
You can find out more about the work of BHIT at www.BHIT.org
