§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has undertaken of the effectiveness of compulsory helmet wearing for motor cyclists.
§ Mr. ChopeA study carried out when compulsory helmet wearing was introduced in 1973 indicated that it would result in a substantial reduction in casualties. The number of motor cyclists killed in 1990 was lower than in 1973, but it is not possible to isolate the contribution made by helmet wearing. Comprehensive studies carried out in the United States have indicated that the fatality rate for motor cyclists is twice as high in those States which do not require helmets to be worn—or require wearing only by young riders—as in those states where helmets were required to be worn by all riders.