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  • Research before lawBicycle helmet research before law enforcement in Western Australia
    
    
  • Bike hire failureFailure of bike hire schemes in Australia
    
    
  • Helmet law spinExplains research errors among
    pro-law academics
    
    
  • Government deceitGovernment turns a blind eye to helmet law results
    
    
  • Prison penaltiesRead about the first West Australian imprisoned for riding a bike
    
    
  • Football helmetsThe dangers of football helmets
    
    
  • Second-hand helmetsThe dangers of second hand helmets
    
    
• Cyclist numbersDetails of cyclist numbers in Western Australia before and since helmet law enforcement
  
  
  • Cycling participationCyclist numbers in Western Australia plunged after helmet law enforcement
    
    
  • Australia 1986-2011Compare 1985/86 bike riding participation with 2011
    
    
  • Australia 1986-2013Compare 1985/86 bike riding participation with 2013 collapse
    
    
  • Australia 1986-2015Compare 1985/86 bike riding participation with 2015 ACP survey
    
    
  • Australia 1986-2017Compare 1985/86 bike riding participation with 2017 ACP survey
    
    
  • Australia 1986-2019Compare 1985/86 bike riding participation with 2019 ACP survey
    
    
  • Australia 1986-2021Compare 1985/86 bike riding participation with 2021 ACP survey
    
    
  • Australia 1986-2023Compare 1985/86 bike riding participation with 2023 ACP survey
    
    
  • Child cyclingHow the helmet law discourages healthy cycling by children
    
    
• Cyclist injuriesDetails of cyclist injuries in Western Australia before and since helmet law enforcement
  
  
  • Numbers injuredWA cyclist injuries increased despite fewer cyclists after helmet law enforcement
    
    
  • WA injury summaryA summary of Western Australia cyclist injuries before and since helmet law enforcement
    
    
  • WA injury severityHead injury severity before and after helmet law enforcement
    
    
  • WA cyclist fatalitiesCyclist fatalities in Western Australia before and after legislation
    
    
  • Accidents 1987-1996Bicycle crashes and injuries from
    1987 to 1996
    
    
• Australian state resultsAnalysis of pre and post law participation and injuries in different jurisdictions
  
  
  • New South WalesPresentation of participation and injury results in NSW
    
    
  • VictoriaPresentation of participation and injury results in Victoria
    
    
  • QueenslandPresentation of participation and injury results in Queensland
    
    
  • South AustraliaPresentation of participation and injury results in South Australia
    
    
  • Western AustraliaPresentation of participation and injury results in Western Australia
    
    
  • TasmaniaPresentation of participation and injury results in Tasmania
    
    
  • Northern TerritoryPresentation of participation and injury results in the Northern Territory
    
    
  • 1999 analysisImpact of the helmet law in different Australian States
    
    
• Australian healthRead about Australia's health crisis caused largely by lack of exercise
  • Public health impactFat Australia punishes cycling exercise
    
    
  • Australia's obesity crisisPress clippings concerning the obesity crisis in Australia
    
    
  • Social impactSocial and health impact of bicycle helmet laws in Australia
    
    
• New ZealandImpact of bicycle helmet law in
  New Zealand
  • New Zealand resultsExamine injuries and participation before and after helmet legislation
    
    
  • New Zealand injury ratesCompare cyclists with pedestrian and other road user injury trends
    
    
United StatesImpact of bicycle helmet law in the United States CanadaImpact of bicycle helmet law in
Canada England, IrelandSpotlight on the bike helmet law debate in England and Ireland Web linksA comprehensive link directory for websites concerning bicycle helmets ContactIf you have a query, send a message.

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What research into road crashes and patterns of bicycle crashes did the government of Western Australia consider before it enacted mandatory bicycle helmet laws in 1991?

Such research was scarce, the primary West Australian report at that time being Bicycle Crashes in Western Australia 1985-86 (CR56 September 1987), analysed by Travers Morgan Pty Ltd and commissioned by the West Australian Government bicycle promotion unit, Bikewest, in association with the Federal Office of Road Safety.

This survey report was based upon hospital records during 1985/86, and upon a questionnaire sent by Western Australia police to all cyclists and motorists who had been involved in an accident during that timeframe.

The questionnaire had 513 respondents, among whom 46 were wearing helmets at the time of their accident and 463 were not.

CR56 noted that cycling popularity had been growing strongly in Perth - a trend that continued until helmet law enforcement in 1992.

Below is the report's only brief reference to helmets in Chapter 8 (Injury Characteristics p35). This was the best local research available to Western Australia legislators in 1991 when they decided to force cyclists to wear helmets:

The government of Western Australia did no further research into bicycle injuries or helmet efficacy before enacting mandatory bicycle helmet legislation in 1991.

As confirmed by a 1995 Legislative Council Select Committee of Inquiry, the law was introduced for one reason only... the Federal Government in Canberra had threatened to cut road funding if the law was not introduced.

See History of helmet law in Australia.

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