If ever there was a deliberately-deceptive clickbait headline, this is it. Let's look at their overall conclusions:
1. A reduction in the number of cyclists on streets;
2. Financial struggle for popular bike sharing systems; and
3. More exposure among vulnerable populations to unnecessary interactions with police.
NONE of these support the clickbait headline. #1 and #2 say that MHLs reduce the number of cyclists. And #3 fails to control for "percent of populations who ride without helmets."
None of them say that a cyclist wearing a helmet is just as likely, or more likely, to get injured.
> The unfortunate truth is mandatory helmet laws simply don’t lead to their purported goal, which is to make streets safer.
No, that's never been the "purported goal." The goal is to protect people who already ARE cycling.
I agree, they don't do a fantastic job of justifying the title. However, #1 and #2 are related, and the article does try to explain why they cause less safety. More people biking means both fewer cars, and people driving cars are more aware of bikers.
> Safety in Numbers is a straightforward concept: More people on bikes creates safer conditions on our streets. The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), which represents professional planners from 81 cities from around the United States, pointed this out in their own pushback on NTSB’s recommendations.
Readit News
1. A reduction in the number of cyclists on streets;
2. Financial struggle for popular bike sharing systems; and
3. More exposure among vulnerable populations to unnecessary interactions with police.
NONE of these support the clickbait headline. #1 and #2 say that MHLs reduce the number of cyclists. And #3 fails to control for "percent of populations who ride without helmets."
None of them say that a cyclist wearing a helmet is just as likely, or more likely, to get injured.
> The unfortunate truth is mandatory helmet laws simply don’t lead to their purported goal, which is to make streets safer.
No, that's never been the "purported goal." The goal is to protect people who already ARE cycling.
> Safety in Numbers is a straightforward concept: More people on bikes creates safer conditions on our streets. The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), which represents professional planners from 81 cities from around the United States, pointed this out in their own pushback on NTSB’s recommendations.
If you follow the links in the article you'll come to some actual research about the topic https://www.bmj.com/content/332/7543/722.2.