Helmets Attract Cars to Cyclists?

An avid cyclist, Ian Walker had heard several complaints from fellow riders that wearing a helmet seemed to result in bike riders receiving far less room to maneuver—effectively increasing the chances of an accident. ...[snip]... His findings, published in the March 2007 issue of Accident Analysis & Prevention, state that when Walker wore a helmet drivers typically drove an average of 3.35 inches closer to his bike than when his noggin wasn't covered. But, if he wore a wig of long, brown locks—appearing to be a woman from behind—he was granted 2.2 inches more room to ride.

Full article here.

HT

[KirkMcD]

First, these are bicylcists. I thought it was about motorcycles before reading the article.

Second, how did he measure the distances while riding?

[Mad Jay]

Originally Posted by KirkMcD

First, these are bicylcists. I thought it was about motorcycles before reading the article.

Second, how did he measure the distances while riding?

From the article

Walker attached ultrasonic sensors to his bike and rode around Bath, allowing 2,300 vehicles to overtake him while he was either helmeted or naked-headed

Originally Posted by KirkMcD

First, these are bicylcists. I thought it was about motorcycles before reading the article.

As far as I'm aware,cyclist is the correct term.

HT

[A Turtle Named Mack]

There is, of course, a huge opportunity for sampling error and test subject induced error. Particularly it seems to me that the fellow wanted to get results along these lines, and may have unconsciously altered the conditions as he rode in each mode to create the results.

Beyond that, there is the possibility that when riding with a bulky helmet on, it alters your sight and hearing. Particularly, is peripheral vision is partly obstructed, you tend to turn your head more to compensate, and that tends to make you steer to that direction a little. If you are moving side to side more in one mode than the other, you are going to get the appearance of cars getting closer to you when it is really you getting closer to them.

Or maybe guys on bikes wearing helmets look like either geeks or militant bike-rights types, and the car drivers are hazing them.

[Meka]

I also have to question how meaningful this data is. A couple of inches difference doesn't seem like much when (at least in my own biking experience) presence or absence of things like oncoming traffic and parked cars in the area of overtake can mean a difference of several feet in how close a car gets to me.

To a lesser extent, whether or not there are lines on the road also plays a role - many drivers tend to follow the lines, which is good if I'm towards the curb side of a parking zone, but bad if a car has to cross the double yellow to give me a safe interval.

And a slight hijack - to me, what's worse than getting buzzed by a car while I'm on a bike is getting tailgated by one.

[KirkMcD]

Originally Posted by Mad Jay

Walker attached ultrasonic sensors to his bike and rode around Bath,

I read the article three times and missed this each time. I think I need new glasses.

In my area, cyclist season is all year long......

[Latiam]

I don't have a problem with cyclists as a rule, but I do wish that they would choose to go up and down the "mountain" here (we're on the escarpment) on one of the many routes that have two lanes, at least during rush hour. Recently I've come across holdups in both directions, wondered if there was an accident ahead, and much later discovered a cyclist pedaling along was responsible for the holdup. In quasi-rush hour traffic it pisses me off. The opportunities to swing into the oncoming lane are very few, and there's not enough shoulder for them to ride there.
Another pet peeve is cyclists that don't follow the rules of the road. Just because you're on two wheels does not mean that you do not have to obey lights and stop signs. It makes it a guessing game for others. Is he going to stop? Can I go yet? It gives the good cyclists a bad name.
That being said, I still give them plenty of room and only THINK the nasty things about them.
ETA: We even have several sets of bike friendly stairs down the escarpment, where you can go down with your bike in a little trough beside you. At least, that's what my brother tells me. going up and down more than 100 stairs is a bit of a no-go for me - I have teh arthuritis in teh knees.

I have noticed that cyclist in my town who wear helmets are more likely to follow the rules of the road, ride in the direction of traffic, stop at lights, not ride on the sidewalk. People who don't wear helmets are much more unpredictable, weaving out of the bike lane, riding in the crosswalk, etc. It makes me feel more comfortable to see someone with a helmet and more willing to drive past them versus their unhelmeted brethren because it is less likely they will do something illegal.

The helmets are usually bright colors. Drivers are attracted to bright colors....

"Oooooo, shiny!" (blump-blump) "Oops!"

Also the bright colors make excellent targets for beer bottles....

This is the way I see it: If you flip over your handlebars and land head-first, the force could be distributed over your helmet causing it to break, or it could be distributed over your skull causing it to break. I'd take the helmet. If hair causes drivers to keep a distance then why not glue a wig on a helmet to make a hair helmet ala "Flight of the Chonchords". Since I bicycle commute the only down side is sweaty helmet head. My pet peeve is with drivers who don't use their turn signals. I have a rear view mirror and when I pass freeway entrance ramps I look to see who's going striaght or who has to get over to the right. They could get by faster if they had their turn signal on so I can swing to the left to let them pass on the right. But to use your turn signal you would have to put your cell phone down.

From Baja British Columbia aka california