co3l-i575191 s3.w+ .a0 cc? 1991 Pergamon Press plc NEWS, QUERIES & ANSWERS This section is intended as a forum for the exchange of ideas and information among professionals in the field, with notices of implant forthcoming conferences. Comments on papers in this and other journals are welcome, as well as fact and opinion relating generally to accident analysis and injury control. Contributions should usually not exceed 300 words, should have a brief descriptive heading, and may contain references. Tables and figures are usually excluded.
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AN ITEM FOR NOTES AND COMMENT-ACCIDENT ANALYSIS AND PREVENTION
On holiday this summer, we joined a bicycle tour in France. The members of our group were all from the United States and Canada, many over 35 years old, and with varied levels of both skill and physical condition. Among the many other cyclists travelling the same quiet roads, we were always easy to identify: we were the only ones wearing bicycle helmets.
A lot of earnest prose has been written about the benefits of suitable head protection for pedal cyclists, and I do not propose to add to the load now. Rather, I want to point out the absence of such protection among some of the most visible and popular cyclists in the world-the competitors in the Tour de France. Greg LeMond, the first American to win this race, wore a protective helmet on the final day of the race, but there is no consistent practice or policy about such headgear.
When professional hockey players began wearing helmets, a lot of children, parents, and officials found the practice more acceptable for local teams. Cyclists would benefit from a similar example: hats off (so to speak) to Mr. LeMond!