I did something I never thought I would do

All my life, I have used my bike. I used it as a kid to go to school, and later to go to work and do the groceries. It is my favorite mode of transportation. No problem with parking, and often faster than a car, especially if you take into account traffic jams. Going by bike is healthier and daily exercise prevents obesity and many other diseases. Unfortunately, traffic can also be dangerous. In the Netherlands, we registered 684 traffic deaths in 2023. 39% of those were people going by bike while 28% were people going by car. 64% of the deaths were people older than 50 years old. Besides death, there are also many injuries. Over 50,000 bicycle victims had to visit the emergency room in 2021. The majority with superficial injuries or fractures, but about 11,000 suffered brain injuries.

Using a helmet can reduce the number of deaths and brain injuries by 30%. However it is estimated that in the Netherlands only 2-3% of the people use a helmet. Comparatively in Denmark, where they started promoting it over 10 years ago, more than half of the population wear a helmet. So why are the Dutch so reluctant to use one?

The Netherlands is famous for having more bikes than habitants, 1.4 bikes per person, and we use them extensively. Not for fun, but mostly for our daily transport. Being so used to our bike and the freedom it gives us, it is suggested that if a helmet were obligatory, people would not go by bike. The helmet is uncomfortable, where do you keep it, what about the hair and according to teens, you look like an idiot. Some organisations are worried that by not using the bike, it would affect public health. But are they really valid reasons? I must say until recently, I agreed and also said that I would never use a helmet. But with the recurring news of accidents, I changed my thinking. So last week I bought a helmet and started using it.

I must admit, it does feel a bit uncomfortable in the beginning, but that feeling disappears fast. Also, I had no people staring at me at. And since I already lack hair, I need not worry if it gets messed up, so I cannot really comment on that. I did, however, feel safer, and that made me enjoy my ride even a bit more. So wherever in the world you are and use a bike, use a helmet when you can. You will get used to it.