Biomaterial Database

Cycle helmets--when is legislation justified? 1996

N C Unwin

University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

The issue of mandatory cycle helmets is highly contentious. The aim of this paper is not to argue for or against legislation but to suggest criteria on which the debate should focus. This is done by attempting to answer the question: 'What criteria must be met before cycle helmet wearing is enforced?' Consideration is given to principles, precedents and consequences and four criteria are suggested. The criteria are to do with effectiveness, personal liberty, public acceptability and the promotion of the public health benefits of cycling.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009049	Motorcycles	Two-wheeled, engine-driven vehicles.	Mopeds,Moped,Motorcycle
D011639	Public Opinion	The attitude of a significant portion of a population toward any given proposition, based upon a measurable amount of factual evidence, and involving some degree of reflection, analysis, and reasoning.	Interest Groups,Pro-Choice Groups,Public Opinion Polls,Group, Interest,Group, Pro-Choice,Groups, Interest,Groups, Pro-Choice,Interest Group,Opinion Poll, Public,Opinion Polls, Public,Opinion, Public,Poll, Public Opinion,Polls, Public Opinion,Pro Choice Groups,Pro-Choice Group,Public Opinion Poll
D002961	Civil Rights	Legal guarantee protecting the individual from attack on personal liberties, right to fair trial, right to vote, and freedom from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin. (from http://www.usccr.gov/ accessed 1/31/2003)	Due Process,Minority Rights,Equal Protection,Legal Rights,Voting Rights,Civil Right,Legal Right,Minority Right,Protection, Equal,Right, Civil,Right, Legal,Right, Minority,Right, Voting,Rights, Civil,Rights, Legal,Rights, Minority,Rights, Voting,Voting Right
D003068	Coercion	The use of force or intimidation to obtain compliance.
D005610	Freedom	The rights of individuals to act and make decisions without external constraints.	Liberty,Libertarianism,Freedoms
D006113	United Kingdom	Country in northwestern Europe including Great Britain and the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland, located between the North Sea and north Atlantic Ocean. The capital is London.	Great Britain,Isle of Man
D006259	Craniocerebral Trauma	Traumatic injuries involving the cranium and intracranial structures (i.e., BRAIN; CRANIAL NERVES; MENINGES; and other structures). Injuries may be classified by whether or not the skull is penetrated (i.e., penetrating vs. nonpenetrating) or whether there is an associated hemorrhage.	Frontal Region Trauma,Head Injuries,Head Trauma,Occipital Region Trauma,Parietal Region Trauma,Temporal Region Trauma,Craniocerebral Injuries,Crushing Skull Injury,Forehead Trauma,Head Injuries, Multiple,Head Injury, Minor,Head Injury, Open,Head Injury, Superficial,Injuries, Craniocerebral,Injuries, Head,Multiple Head Injuries,Occipital Trauma,Open Head Injury,Superficial Head Injury,Trauma, Head,Craniocerebral Injury,Craniocerebral Traumas,Crushing Skull Injuries,Forehead Traumas,Frontal Region Traumas,Head Injuries, Minor,Head Injuries, Open,Head Injuries, Superficial,Head Injury,Head Injury, Multiple,Head Traumas,Injuries, Minor Head,Injuries, Multiple Head,Injuries, Open Head,Injuries, Superficial Head,Injury, Craniocerebral,Injury, Head,Injury, Minor Head,Injury, Multiple Head,Injury, Open Head,Injury, Superficial Head,Minor Head Injuries,Minor Head Injury,Multiple Head Injury,Occipital Region Traumas,Occipital Traumas,Open Head Injuries,Parietal Region Traumas,Region Trauma, Frontal,Region Trauma, Occipital,Region Trauma, Parietal,Region Traumas, Frontal,Region Traumas, Occipital,Region Traumas, Parietal,Skull Injuries, Crushing,Skull Injury, Crushing,Superficial Head Injuries,Temporal Region Traumas,Trauma, Craniocerebral,Trauma, Forehead,Trauma, Frontal Region,Trauma, Occipital,Trauma, Occipital Region,Trauma, Parietal Region,Trauma, Temporal Region,Traumas, Craniocerebral,Traumas, Forehead,Traumas, Frontal Region,Traumas, Head,Traumas, Occipital,Traumas, Occipital Region,Traumas, Parietal Region,Traumas, Temporal Region
D006260	Head Protective Devices	Personal devices for protection of heads from impact, penetration from falling and flying objects, and from limited electric shock and burn.	Helmets,Device, Head Protective,Devices, Head Protective,Head Protective Device,Helmet,Protective Device, Head,Protective Devices, Head
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012935	Social Justice	An interactive process whereby members of a community are concerned for the equality and rights of all.	Food Justice,Common Good,Justice,Obligations of Society,Good, Common,Justice, Food,Justice, Social