THE article "School's road safety push" (April 7) made me think how little people know about helmet effects. The European Cycling Federation wrote in 1998: "The evidence from Australia and New Zealand suggests that the wearing of helmets might even make cycling more dangerous."

A bell should immediately ring, warning that something is seriously wrong when Europe's leading cycling body publishes such a statement after considering the detailed evidence over a period of time.

Rotation of the head plays a major part in brain injury and with helmets being larger than the skull they incur more impacts resulting in higher turning forces.

This increases the risk of "diffuse axonal injury" which can be serious or even fatal. On the other hand helmets may help in preventing a fractured skull for example.

This year the Department for Transport corrected two errors in its published report on cycle helmets after I had pointed out the mistakes, so even the reports referred to in Parliament can be misleading.

If teachers or others wish to have a presentation of the evidence, they are welcome to contact me.

Colin Clarke,

The Crescent,

Stamford Bridge,

York.

Updated: 11:01 Saturday, April 10, 2004