THE cycle helmet debate has now been going for more than 15 years and one important point to consider is that helmets incur more impacts due to their extra size compared to a bare head.

In impact tests, helmet use increased rotation of the head that can lead to diffuse axonial injury, a serious form of brain injury.

With more than 100 reports on helmets, only one report relates to helmets having more impacts and readers can obtain a free copy from colin@vood.freeserve.co.uk

Clive Appleyard (Letters, October 21) refers to "personal choice" and the bible gives us the example of David deciding not to wear armour or a helmet when fighting Goliath.

Removing choice has done harm in several ways. In Australia, for example, cycling was discouraged overall by more than 30 per cent and by over 90 per cent for girls cycling to high school following their helmet law.

Thousands of fines were issued in one year for not wearing them with some people being imprisoned for non-payment. British children have been expelled from school for not wearing them.

People doing less exercise by not cycling - and probably using cars more and increasing global warming - spreads the damage helmet promotion does across the world.

Providing misleading information to the public, as the Department for Transport does, is another example of helmet promotion causing harm.

Colin Clarke,

The Crescent,

Stamford Bridge,

York.

Updated: 11:02 Wednesday, October 27, 2004