C. F. Clarke 2015 sa:
This evaluation of the Australian cycle helmet laws finds they have seriously failed in many ways. 'Australia's helmet law disaster'184 sums up the outcome. The safety aspects of cycle helmets were overestimated and the negative health consequences of introducing legislation and discouraging cycling were not properly assessed. The actual risk of serious head injury when cycling is low. The societal health cost factor against the laws is calculated at 109, indicating they cause considerable harm. The ratio for serious injury for cyclists compared to pedestrians has increased from 1990 to 2008/09. The loss of civil liberty in having a personal choice for the individual is important. Fines for not wearing them and police involvement adds to social and legal problems. Children's health, safety and wellbeing are also negatively affected by the laws, with more discouragement than among adults. Children require more exercise than adults so the laws, which were primarily aimed at child protection when first suggested, most likely result in harming them more than adults. Using alternative approaches to improve safety is the better route, as recommended by the European Cycling Federation in 1998. Based on available evidence, helmet laws should be repealed because several
reports raise serious doubts whether helmet wearing improves safety overall and the resulting harm to health, environment and social consequences are considerable.
