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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 13 Hansard (4 December) . . Page.. 4681 ..

CYCLING AND INJURIES IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Data from matched surveys in NSW of child cyclists (under 16) in April of 1991, 1992 and 1993 are examined here. As the 1991 survey was done before the helmets law took effect for child cyclists on I July, the data indicate changes in their numbers from pre-law to post-law. There are no similar data for adults, as the helmets law took effect for them on 1 January 1991.

In April 1991, the count of child cyclists passing chosen sites was 6072, the figure used here to represent their number in 1990 and in 1990/91, the last pre-law calendar and fiscal years respectively. At the same sites in April 1992 and 1993, the counts were 3887 and 3478, declines of 36 and 43 per cent respectively.⁴⁵

Changes in numbers of child cyclists derived from the survey data are compared below with data for deaths and serious injuries as shown in Table 1.

1990 152 354 1037

1991 115 315 877

1992 97 -36% 316 -11% 836

1993 103 -32% 281 -21% 829

Table 1 includes 16 year-old cyclists. Though the matched surveys did not measure it, their numbers may well have declined more than for under 16s, as 16 year-olds are in the age group most averse to wearing helmets.^41,42

With no change in the risk of casualty, a decline in the number of casualties in proportion to the number of child cyclists would be expected, from 152 in 1990 to 97 in 1992 and 87 in 1993. If helmets were reducing the risk, the decline should be greater. As the actual numbers were 97 in 1992 and 103 in 1993, there is: no evidence that helmets did reduce the risk of casualty. Indeed, the contrary is indicated, even though random breath testing and other measures made the roads generally safer, as is reflected in the decline in casualties to other child road users.

Table 2 shows head injuries and other injuries to child cyclists before and after the helmets law. The numbers in brackets show what the numbers of injuries would have been if they had declined from 1990/91 in proportion to the number of cyclists.