The Negative Health Effects of Mandatory Helmet Laws

I did a research paper for a class on helmet laws. It is aimed at non-cyclists, and only looks at the public health issues surrounding the laws.

It seems to be common knowledge that wearing a helmet while biking is the smart, safe, necessary thing to do. Helmets are credited with reducing head injuries from cycling by 85 percent in the most optimistic study (Thompson, et al. 1471). With expected benefits of widespread helmet adoption so high, it is understandable that governments would be interested in legislation that makes helmets mandatory for bicyclists. But, despite the common assumption, mandatory helmet laws are not as effective or beneficial as they seem at first glance. Mandatory helmet laws should not be enacted because they are not the most effective way to reduce cycling deaths; additionally, they fail to differentiate between transport and sport cycling and therefore result in an undue burden on cyclists.

Public Spaces and the Good Life

Last Sunday I took a break from procrastinating on homework to go for a ride with some friends. Our plan was to go downtown, then ride along the river on the walk/bike path, but the river was swollen so the path was underwater. We decided to head to Rosa Park's Circle, which is the closest thing Grand Rapids has to a central square. The weather was perfect, so there were lots of people out biking and walking; actually, we almost couldn't find enough bike parking, which was a quite a change from normal. While I kept reminding myself of A View From the Cyclepath's warning to “Beware the cyclists of Spring,” and not take the increase in riding that comes with good weather as a sign of a permanent increase in mode share, the vibrancy of all these people being out and about in the city was amazing.

At Rosa Park's Circle, there were people just siting and enjoying the sun. one guy looked like he had fallen asleep while tanning: no shirt, no shoes, his head resting on his backpack. A few Rasta' looking people were playing reggae music out of a Marshal guitar amp. We locked up our bikes and pulled out a frisbee. The circle is right in front of the art museum, so there were nicely dressed people walking through who looked like they were going to an event in the museum. Families out for the day came through by foot and bike.

While we were playing frisbee, I couldn't help but think that this was the promise of public spaces. We had all come for different reasons, to do different things, but we were able to share this space and enrich it for each other by being there and being different. I don't usually listen to reggae, but it was the perfect mood setter for the day, and it without them it wouldn't have have as pleasant.

The broad theme of this blog is the good life, and my growth in what I understand that to consist of and how I can live it out. In light of that theme, my experience that day led me to think of the integral importance of public spaces to being able to live out a communal good life.

When I think of the places in which I feel most alive, it is almost invariably some form of public space. National parks, city parks, piazzas and pedestrian streets. The most overarching characteristic I can find is that there is usually a broad range of people doing a broad range of things. The exceptions to this are usually places that emphasize solitude and natural beauty.

The implications for me, as someone who is studying architecture and city planning, is that public spaces are the largest factor in the livability of a city. Obviously one can live a good life in a place with no public spaces, but from a communal standpoint, they are essential.

What are your thoughts? Have you had the same experiences with public spaces?

A Good Reminder

Thoughts On Bin Laden's Death

After seeing the varied reactions and ensuing discussions following Osama Bin Laden's death, I have some thoughts. When I heard the news, I was excited, if not ecstatic. Those who were mature enough to respond with sadness at the death of another human were right do so and I hope that I can mature enough to not rejoice over the death of my enemies. I believe that part of my reaction that was a manifestation of my sin nature, but I do think there is justifiable reason to be happy that he is dead.

Bin Laden has caused much misery in the world, and if he had been captured alive, should have been tried and put to death. I think that would have been much better than him dying in a firefight, both from a strategic perspective and in light of due process of law. Despite the less than ideal methods, I believe that he was justly deserving of death, and that the U.S. had the right as a legitimate government to punish him. I can't condemn the satisfaction or even happiness of those who set out to pursue justice, and after ten years have finally accomplished their goal.

I think, though, that any celebration must be tempered with the knowledge that he is a human being made in the image of God, who is now suffering the results of his damnation. We are no better than he is and fully deserve the same fate. He was a person like the rest of us, though what he did was undeniably evil. We should pray for his family who have lost a father, and for the families of those who were killed or injured in the firefight.

Though this was a victory for the U.S. and the west, we should not forget that there will probably be reprisals for Bin Laden's killing, and they will most likely be against those who had nothing to do with it, whether it is Christians or Americans in Pakistan, or anyone associated with the west anywhere in the world where there are those who are loyal to Bin Laden's cause and are willing to use violence.

Derek Webb said it best on Twitter; "don't celebrate death, celebrate justice."

Design & Walkability

Design is a large part of what makes life enjoyable for me. In this talk by Rob Forbes, he lays out examples of design that he sees in everyday public spaces. He notes that the cities that he goes to to find good high design are usually cities with strong pedestrian or biking cultures. He doesn't make any causal claims, and notes that those cities usually also have universities, which could explain the correlation. It is still interesting to note that the cities known for fashion, design, and architecture are are walkable and urban.

My thoughts on why this is are twofold. First, when you are not in a car, you are visible to others, but you are hidden if you are in a car. It does not matter what you look like, only what your car looks like. This can explain why pedestrians are often more fashionably dressed than drivers, despite the fact that there are less functional requirements than when you are sitting. Additionally, since everyone is driving along at high speeds, what buildings and streets look like is not really important because you will be by it in a few seconds. In contrast, when you are walking, biking, skateboarding, or scootering, you are acutely aware of the built environment because you are not ensconced in your own bubble.

More Proof That Sitting is Bad for You - As if You Needed It

The New York Times has an article on new results of studies on weight gain, and unsurprisingly it says that the more sedentary you are, the more weight you will gain. The new development is that the study showed that exercising did not offset the effects of sitting for the greater part of the day. It says, "Being sedentary for nine hours a day at the office is bad for your health whether you go home and watch television afterward or hit the gym."

I think this brings up some interesting questions about the health benefits of utility cycling. If the only change in lifestyle is that you pedal to get to work and back, there might not be large health effects, though if you are riding long distances I am sure it would add up. I think this shows why biking can't be presented as a cure all. I think that most people who start to bike become much more physically active in other areas of their life, so there is a shift to a healthier lifestyle, but there is a danger of over emphasizing the benefits which will lead to unrealistic expectations and disillusionment.

Falling

Portlandize recently wrote about his experiences crashing, and how he was surprised by how minor of an event it was. My experiences have been similar. All but one of the times that I have fallen while riding have been mountain biking, and it never really disrupted my ride. The one time I fell on the road I sprained my wrist, but that has been the extent of my biking injuries. I think that Dave has a good point that often we think of crashing as being a traumatic experience, with broken collarbones and hospital stays, but that is not usually the case.

Reclaimed Architecture

A provocative talk on the presupositions of the modern building industry, architects included. I had never heard anyone quote Nietchze, Sartre, or Plato while talking about architecture before.

Link Round-Up

I am on spring break in Seattle, and thoughts will be forthcoming, so in lieu of a real post, here are some interesting links to things I have been meaning to write on:

LA Weekly article on Stephen Box, a bike advocate who is running for the LA city council.

A proposal for a simplified urbanist zoning code.

A New York Times piece on NIMBYism in supposedly progressive places to development like bike lanes and BRT.

Finally, a look at the true financial costs of sprawl by new urbanist architect Steve Mouzon.

Madmen Supports Highspeed Rail

Meanwhile, Ohio's Governor is trying to redirect funding from a Cincinnati street car that is projected to spur $1.5 billion in new investment in the downtown. You can read about it on Streetsblog here.