- Germany edition
- Change edition:
- France |
- Norway |
- Spain |
- Sweden |
- Switzerland
Ramsauer: helmet law for cyclists could be inevitable
Published: 19 Oct 11 15:54 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20111019-38307.html
Transport Minister Peter Ramsauer has said a new mandatory bicycle helmet law is likely to be introduced in the near future to reduce the number of head injuries in bicycle accidents.
- Car boss asks Merkel to rethink CO2 pledge (21 May 13)
- States to toughen laws on drunken cycling (21 May 13)
- Boy dies at Tropical Islands swimming pool (19 May 13)
“If the helmet-wearing rate of nine percent does not significantly increase to well over 50 percent in the coming years, then you almost certainly have to introduce a helmet law,” Ramsauer said in an interview in Berlin.
Roughly 400 cyclists die from head injuries annually across the country, according to government statistics, and about half of those are due to serious head injuries that may have been prevented by helmets.
Many German politicians have already said they’re open to a helmet law for young children. The pro-business Free Democratic Party has said there should be an education campaign to encourage better traffic safety and more helmet use.
The question of how to get cyclists to wear helmets – and how necessary it is to encourage them to do so – has been a stormy issue in Germany for years.
But some experts, including the German Insurance Association, says there are better ways to improve safety, such as improving roads and other infrastructure for cyclists.
“A helmet protects against head injuries before anything else and a helmet mandate certainly wouldn’t hurt,” Siegfried Brockmann, who conducts research on accidents for the association, told the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. “But a mandatory helmet law would have very little impact on the number of fatal accidents.”
The Local/DPA/mdm
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
Hollande praises tough German reforms
French President Francois Hollande, attending the 150th anniversary celebrations of Germany's Social Democratic Party on Thursday, praised the unpopular welfare and labour reforms by former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. READ () »
Keep your socks on – autumn is in the air
Much of Germany is heading for an autumnal weekend, with chilly temperatures an at times significant rainfall – just as May draws to an end and socks should be heading for the back of the drawer. Some areas will even see snow and frost. READ () »
Brewers: 'No fracking with our German beer'
A group of brewers has raised alarm that so-called 'fracking' for natural gas could jeopardize the legendary purity of German beer by contaminating the country's water supplies. READ () »
Ten German body parts
The German language has some rather colourful terms for describing parts of the human body. Turn to The Local List this week for a few anatomical alternatives. READ () »
Hipster Berlin dogs get meaty frozen yoghurt
Healthy dogs have wet noses, but cold and creamy canine noses may be a sign that they've been treated to a doggy frozen yoghurt made in Berlin. Rather than chocolate or pistachio, flavours include salmon and beef. READ () »
Germany tops world popularity poll
Germany is the most popular country in the world, according to a poll released on Tuesday asking people to rate the positive and negative influence of 16 major nations. READ () »
Dortmund's Götze ruled out of Wembley final
A hamstring injury has ruled Borussia Dortmund's Germany midfield star Mario Götze out of Saturday's Champions League final at Wembley against Bayern Munich – the club he will join next month after activating a release clause in his contract. READ () »
Grey seals return to German Baltic shores
The small population of grey seals on the Baltic Sea has increased significantly, with hopes rising that they may start breeding soon, conservationists reported on Wednesday. READ () »
- 23/05 Ten German body parts »
- 23/05 Hipster Berlin dogs get meaty frozen yoghurt »
- 23/05 Grey seals return to German Baltic shores »
- 22/05 Justin Bieber's monkey becomes 'German' »
- 21/05 The Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek dies at 74 »
- 20/05 20,000 Goths gather in Leipzig »
- 20/05 Pricey Reichstag visitor centre scrapped »
- 19/05 Did Merkel's politics hurt Germany at Eurovision? »
- 19/05 Wagner descendant slams composer »
- 18/05 Most Germans optimistic about the future »
- 23/05 A French Psy who made Cannes stars see double »
- 23/05 Diamond necklace 'worth €2m stolen' at Cannes »
More news from France at thelocal.fr
More news from Norway at thelocal.no
- 23/05 Minister: Stockholm riots 'not youth versus society' »
- 23/05 Firefighter to Stockholm rioters: I'll still help you »
More news from Sweden at thelocal.se
- 23/05 Geneva police raid sex parlours over 'tax fraud' »
- 23/05 Swiss diamond necklace 'stolen' at Cannes »
More news from Switzerland at thelocal.ch
See all ads | Join the Marketplace
-
British Corner Shop
British Corner Shop - The online supermarket for expats -
Shiply Worldwide Ltd
Shiply the Online Transport Market Place -
PsyShrink Frankfurt
The Expat Psychologists in Munich, Frankfurt and worldwide -
Chambervelt Rooselain & Cie Ltd.
Insurance and financial planning for English speakers in Germany -
Weiss Institut
Free yourself from Smoking addictions, Sugar craving and Alcohol addictions -
PsyShrink Munich
The Expat Psychologists in Munich, Frankfurt and worldwide
948 jobs available
562 new jobs this week
0 new jobs today
- Portfolio Selection Process Manager (m/f)
- Distribution Program Leader Europe (m/f)
- Risk Manager / Risk Controller / Quantitative Finance Analyst LUX (f,m) ( FH, Uni /CFA)
- Customer Service International (m/w)
- FINANCE DIRECTOR (m/w)
- SENIOR ANALYST (m/w)
- Senior Account Manager (m/f) SaaS / CRM Solutions
- Production Designer Hot Runner
- Application Engineer After Market Tooling
- Senior Consultant Business Systems m/f
- Apr/09 Touring Tempelhof – Europe’s Largest Historical Monument
- Apr/09 Spring in Berlin 2013 – Where, What Why and When!
- Mar/12 Living Like a Local – Tell us what you think and win a weekend in Berlin!
- Feb/04 Escaping the City – Our Recommended Suburban Getaways
- Feb/04 Berlin Tegel Airport Transfers – How to get into the City
Dating
Looking for your own blonde bombshell? Or is the strong, silent type more your
style? Find a German sweetheart here.
Weather
"After clouds comes clear weather," say the Germans. But what about after that? Find out in The Local's weather
section.
Blog
German stuff that's distracting us today.
Noticeboard
Whether you want to buy, sell, hire, announce or promote something, here's the place to do it - completely free of
charge.
Discuss
Debate the news, ask for advice, make friends - or just let off steam.
Register now for:
> Free use of noticeboard
> Special discounts
> Weekly news roundup
> Unlimited use of discuss
- Food trucks – meals on wheels
Small mobile restaurants are starting to catch on in Germany and they are often far more than your average snack wagons with Currywurst and Pommes. - “Preserve the proven, shape the new” – the International Bach Academy in Stuttgart
For more than thirty years, Helmuth Rilling shaped the international Bach Academy; now he is succeeded by Hans-Christoph Rademann. - ‘Open Mike’ – Fireworks with the Buddha
The Berlin ‘Open Mike’ entered this year its twentieth edition. - On the Stage, the Spoken Word Prevails
In January 2013 the annual meeting of the Dramaturgical Society took place in Munich; its theme: “Speaking on Stage – and about Theatre”... - The Magician of Images – Klaus Ensikat
With the technique of an Old Master and subtle humour, the award-winning graphic designer and illustrator Klaus Ensikat has for fifty years produced ingenious illustrations for literary classics and children’s books....
- So You Want to Be an Artist
The tradition of hands-on training in the arts is alive and well in Germany. Interested in studying visual, performance, or sound arts? Keen to pursue graphic and product design, textiles, or typography? Germany is home to many exceptional art schools as well as a rich history of excellence in and support for the arts. - Frankfurt's Skyscrapers: A Guide
Frankfurt is known for banks and skyscrapers. So what is behind the colossal glass, steel, and stone facades of the city’s buildings? Meet Frankfurt’s tallest. - Conference - Pioneers on Dual Training Abroad
Germany‘s system of dual training is one of the foundations of its economic strength. - The all-German final in Wembley
Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund are playing in the final of the Champions League at London’s Wembley Stadium. - German first feature film in Cannes
A directorial debut from Germany makes it to the competition “Un Certain Regard” at the famous film festival on the Côte d’Azur.
- Theatre festival between the Saar and the Mosel
The Festival Perspectives in the German-French region around Saarbrücken is staging European theatre, dance and music productions. - The European Year of Citizens
2013 is the European Year of Citizens. - Europe Day, Robert Schuman and Class 4a
Enthusiasm for the idea of Europe – in the 60th European Competition, schoolchildren from Germany show what this could look like. - Relief organizations
The portals presented here provide information on the help programs offered by different organizations.
- ADMINISTRATION COORDINATOR (German and English proficiency)
- Design Engineer Aerospace in Toulouse
- Design Feasibility Engineer / Craftsmanship Engineer (m/f)
- Instrument Developer in Research and Development (m/f)
- Java Developer (m/w) for Search Engine (Lucene)
- Junior/Senior Controller (w/m) Service/Vetriebscontrolling
- Patent Attorney (m/f)
- Praxisstudent/-in Fleet Management Project
- Product Manager / Engineer (m/w) for our Search Engine
- Research Scientist, Scouting HVAC, Building Technology & Energy Management
- 19/05 Car Boot Sale Herford
- 17/05 paid internship
- 17/05 Stop Smoking & Addiction Support
- 17/05 Florida resident seeks job in baden Baden Germany
- 17/05 Berlin Writing Group
- 17/05 cheap car hire
- 02:37 What do you like about the German public schools?
- 00:37 How to find a responsive doctor for chronic pain
- 00:28 After Work Queer Beer - everyone is invited.
- 00:16 Problems getting mail sent from the US
- 00:14 EU will protect us from rogue olive oil
- 23:31 Getting a private health insurance cover pregnancy
- 23:08 Boardgaming hobbyists wanted
- 22:48 Hiking in Rhein-Main-Gebiet
- 22:32 Saturday Tennis at Hirschau - Englisher Garten
- 22:03 Munich babysitters available
Start trading shares, equities, forex, etc. No commission on equities; Low min. margins. Apply for a CFDs account now!
'Charming, old, beamed cottage for holiday let in Jesus Pobre, Alicante, Spain
www.littlehouseinspain.com/
Professional and qualified consultancy on all insurance and finance matters in Germany, Telephone: +49 2163 571 1740, Email: bg@albatross-assurance.com
www.albatross-assurance.com
Visiting Berlin anytime soon? Book your hotel in Berlin here.
For home-from-home holiday accommodation, search for a Berlin apartment to rent.
Your comments about this article:
While I am against a mandate for helmets, I live in Berlin where cycle lanes are ubiquitous. People ride their bikes wantonly and if I was driving and hit one, I'd hope they had a lid on when careening into my windscreen.
but I do know that mandatory helmet usage reduces the number of peoples getting on bikes, and reduces the usefulness of newly introduced casual use city-provided bikes (since most people don't walk around carry a bike helmet with them).
Would be a tragic thing if they were to introduce this to Germany!
I heard he just bought a helmet factory for his son.
With a car the speed is so much greater. so a shunt comes with a much higher G force potential. A bike helmet is good for very low speed impact. In order for a bike rider to protect themselves from a car. They would have to use a full on motorcycle helmet. The best alternative is to require helmets for minors.
I had a cyclist cut me up on Tuesday evening, he just pulled out without even looking to see if he was about to die or not. Once I'd brought my (Lkw) truck to a stop I realised why he hadn't known just how close he came to keeping all them squashed bugs on the front of my truck company, was that he was deaf, well he had Ipod earphones in and was probably listening to some dumb dumb dumb music.
Other than lights, my biggest issue with bike riders is their use in winter. If there is snow or ice on the ground, do not use a bike! I don't need you hitting a patch and wiping out in front of my car. I don't want to run over someone.
Helmuts are not going to do anything for a motor vehicle - bicycle accident. Physics says the car wins.
I bought a helmet because it made sense, and to be an example to my son, it follows his logic that if I don't wear one, why should he?
I am for a law, it will save lifes and in the very least, give the younger generation not just an example, but a living parent.
I don't buy the theory that people will now drive recklessly because they feel safer (did seat belt law translate into more fatalities?), nor that another law means we can expect laws on when to go #2, both BS points.
If you visit Karlsruhe, and see one (perhaps goofy looking) guy with a helmet, that will be me. Call me revolutionary.
Some biomechanical engineers have argued that the helmets may reduce the head trauma, but the cost is an increase in spinal column injuries, given that riders head mass has been increased with the use of a helmet, and therefore the torque applied to the spinal column in accidents are greater (about 30 percent greater).
What is known about mandatory helmet laws is that bicycle use is reduced. In Australia it is estimated that 1/3 of the population that used bicycles ceased to use them after the law was enacted. Head injury rates when adjusted to general population made a small but statistically insignificant reduction (within the margin of error).
The concept that citizens democratically decide on their own matters still is foreign to Germany and a threat to its established political elite.
The freedom of choice, let the adult rider decide.
I personally think that wearing a warm coat, gloves and a hat in winter is common sense, so there should be a law requiring that each person do the same lest she catches pneumonia or something. I also think it's sensible not to walk around barefoot or, say, wear high heels when walking on a cobbled street, so there should be a law obliging all citizens to wear plain sensible shoes at all times when outdoors. Oh, and I think avoiding alcohol is healthy and saves lives, so there should be legislation outlawing all alcoholic drinks, and tobacco while we're at it. At the end of the day, domestic accidents claim many more lives each year than accidents on the roads. Therefore, to save lives, there should be a law forcing everyone to spend at least a certain amount of time out of their domicile to decrease the risk... see where we're heading at?
@ Toemag - love the sarcasm.
@ JDee - I totally agree with your comment.
Your last sentence sums it up.
I live in a remote area of the Palatinate forest. It seems the narrow road to my village has been over run by bikers in their racing gear on multi thousand € pinarello bikes. I have been stuck behind a group of these people for more than a kilometer solely due to the fact they were riding four bikes wide on a public road. And didn't care one wit that they were blocking traffic.
But beware some of the comments wanting a bike test and license the state would love that,each one must have a photo and is only valid for two or say five years and naturally there would be a small cost to get one ,renew one ,change the address on one ,and any other money spinning thing they could think of .