Pushbike helmets

[flappist]

While eating brekky on the beach this morning the conversation turned to pushbikes.
Firstly a mob of LCFs were causing their usual chaos by using the road rather than the bike track next to it.
Then an article in the Sunday Mail detailing problems with the BCCs city bike hire plot coming unraveled due to helmet liability problems.
Finally the general observation that there seem to be very few pushbikes around anymore compared to 30 years ago.
Hardly anyone seems to ride to work (or school). Gone are the huge pushy armadas at 4pm & 5pm as the workers spewed out of the factory gates.

I had a quick ask around as to why people either never have or stopped riding and almost everyone came back with the same answer.

HELMETS.

Now I remember when helmets were brought in for "safety" and the reduce the enormous road toll of pushy riders (that no one seems to remember but it was on TV so it must be true).
And I am sure there are less injuries now although I suspect that this is mostly because there are bugger all bike riders (other than LCFs).

It is most confusing that anyone can use a skateboard, skates, mobility gizmo, scooter, (insert wheeled device here), ride a horse or whatever without a helmet and if you want to ride your pushy in peak hour traffic wearing nothing but budgie smugglers as long as you have a lump of polystyrene foam on your head you are perfectly safe (from getting a ticket).

I used to ride my pushy to the shops to get milk or bread but I just stopped the day helmets were introduced mostly as a protest.

Very few places in the world make helmets compulsory and of those most are only for children.

Of course helmets are a safety item but should they be compulsory?
If they were made optional would people ride again and maybe become a bit more fit and less fat?

So here is the poll.....