Wearing a shared helmet is better than no helmet: expert weighs in on bike share health concerns
Posted July 25, 2016 6:59 am.
Last Updated July 25, 2016 7:00 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Does the thought of wearing a helmet someone else has just used make your skin crawl?
Vancouver’s bike share program launched last week and each bike comes with a helmet to comply with the city’s mandatory law.
Program officials say the helmets will be cleaned every day, but that might not be enough for some the more germ-averse among us.
But Dr. James Lu with Vancouver Coastal Health Officer tells us you have nothing to worry about.
“It’s not really a big deal. Is it something that will make people squeamish? Yeah, I think there’s a bit of that perception issue, for sure.”
Lu says riders simply have to make a choice. “Do you want to risk your head being cracked open? Or having your squeamishness prevent you from using your helmet?”
He adds safety wins, hands down. Plus, he says your chances of getting lice or anything else like that are small.
You could also bring a sanitary wipe, a hair net, or even your own helmet.
