Queensland parents have been slow to adopt front-mounted bicycle seats for children despite them being the safest option. Only 1 in 100 customers purchase these seats due to a perception they are less safe than rear-mounted seats. However, bicycle safety experts say front seats provide children with a more stable ride and allow parents to engage with and guide children more easily. While already popular in Europe, the seats are gaining approval in Australia through new safety standards and procedures.

1. thesundaymail.com.au NEWS 9
Looking
forward
to safer
Stack
kids’ ride
Jackie Sinnerton
SYLVIA Vincenc of South-
port and her three-year-old
hat here
to stay
daughter, Charlie, are fans of
the front rider seat. But they
are in the minority.
Despite it being the safest
way to carry children on a
bike, Queensland parents
have been slow to warm to
the handlebar child seat.
‘‘Only one in every hun- Kelmeny Fraser
dred customers seek out the Consumer affairs COMMENT
front-positioned seat,’’ said BEN WILSON
Paul Bowden, the manager at QUEENSLAND’S tough bicycle hel- Bicycle Queensland
Lifecycle bike shop on Petrie met laws are here to stay after a report
Tce, Brisbane. ‘‘They tend to found any relaxation could increase THE research is strong on the
be attracted to the ones fitted head injury rates by 50 per cent. benefits of helmets. It is simple,
behind the rider. I think there The Sunday Mail can reveal the State helmets are reducing the trauma
is the perception they (front Government secretly commissioned a of head injuries.
seats) may not be so safe.’’ $34,000 study into potentially scrap- Australia is one of the only
But Kidsafe Queensland ping compulsory helmet laws ahead of countries in the world with
chief Susan Teerds said rid- the roll-out of Brisbane’s controversial compulsory helmet laws and it is
ing in the front position CityCycle scheme and the release of a quite ironic, with the nanny state
meant not only would child- report questioning the effectiveness of debate going on about cigarettes
ren have a more stable ride helmets in preventing injury. and gambling at the moment.
but it was more stimulating. The confidential study by Queens- There can be parallels drawn
‘‘An adult can talk to them land University of Technology’s but at the end of the day the
and give them guidance as to Centre for Accident Research and majority of people are quite
how to behave on the Road Safety examined whether cyc- happy to wear helmets.
journey,’’ she said. lists off-road or in 40km/h speed zones It is like saying let’s remove
The front carrier was al- should be allowed to ride helmet-free. seatbelt laws and tell people to
ready a hit in Europe, es- Any such relaxation would throw a drive more carefully so you won’t
pecially Holland, and Ms lifeline to the struggling CityCycle have an accident.
Teerds expected Australia scheme after speed limits in the CBD At the end of the
would soon catch on. were reduced to 40km/h in 2009. day, you are safer
‘‘It has taken a while for Helmet laws are seen as the key with a helmet on.
the seats to go through the roadblock for the struggling scheme, Designs have
vigorous safety procedures leading to talk about the introduction improved a lot
in Australia. But they have of helmet vending machines. in the past 20
Australian Standards ap- Exemptions from Australia’s years.
proval. If they have the 20-year-old helmet laws for all adults
Australian Standards sticker, was also considered in the State
(they’re the best option) pro- Government-commissioned report. Annastacia Palaszczuk said the report
viding all the safety Documents released under Right to showed helmets reduced the likeli-
measures are in place.’’ Information laws show researchers hood of head injury by 60 per cent.
Children’s legs must be were asked to look at benefits and But Bicycle Queensland’s Ben
secured, a five-point harness disadvantages of compulsory bicycle Wilson said it was unlikely to stem
must hold them in, and the helmet laws and examine ‘‘evidence to debate over helmet laws, with the
chair and helmet must have support a segmented approach to subject set to heat up ahead of the Asia
been expertly fitted. Also the mandatory helmet legislation’’. Pacific Cycle Congress in Brisbane in
adult rider’s legs need to Debate about the worth of helmet September.
have free movement. laws and concerns about the impact on Helmet critic Dr Chris Rissel, who
Ms Vincenc said the front public bike hire schemes triggered the triggered the debate with a report last
seat felt more stable and was Up front: Sylvia Vincenc study, according to documents. year questioning the effectiveness of
more stimulating for Charlie. and Charlie, 3, lead the way The report was kept secret until helmets, will speak at the conference.
‘‘The other good thing is in using the new child seat. early this month when it was released CBD Bicycle User Group co-
when they’re smaller, they to Brisbane cycling group CBD Bicycle convenor Paul French wants exemp-
Picture: Glenn Hampson
can use the little tray/rest to User Group via an RTI request. tions for cyclists riding off-road, saying
have a nap,’’ she said. A spokesman for Transport Minister adults were being treated like children.
JUNE 19 2011 Page 9
ST