Cycling TV Journalist Orla Chennaoui Defends Her Choice Not to Wear a Helmet
For some, wearing a helmet when riding a bike is an obvious choice. It’s a form of protection in the event of a crash or a fall—and at the very least, it makes them feel safe. But for others, wearing a helmet in bike-centric cultures seems unnecessary.
Popular GCN and Eurosport commentator Orla Chennaoui, 44, recently spoke out about not wearing a helmet when she commutes around her home in Amsterdam. Some might recognize her as the outspoken journalist in Netflix’s Tour de France: Unchained. She recently wrote an article for Rouleur where she discussed receiving “disbelieving, disappointed, disparaging” comments whenever she posts photos of herself riding helmet-free.
Chennaoui posted a photo of the article on social media and clarified that she only rides without a helmet on her “upright back,” meaning her commuter bike. “I am often asked why I post pictures riding my upright back around Amsterdam without a helmet. I have full respect for anyone who wears a helmet, I always wear one on my road bike, and I perfectly understand the arguments for.
“The counter argument for looking at the wider health implications of encouraging more people to get on their bikes however, is a lot more nuanced and, sometimes, difficult to understand.”
In the Rouleur article, Chennaoui talks about the culture of cycling in Amsterdam, “Cycling here isn’t a ‘thing’. It isn’t a decision to be made, a lifestyle to flaunt, it simply is. Going on a night out and wearing heels? You ride. It’s blowing a gale and you’re running late for a work meeting? You ride. You grab your bike keys, zip up your raincoat, and go.”
She goes on, responding to those who question riding without a helmet. “In countries where helmets are made mandatory, bike use decreases. One of the most common examples is Western Australia, where the use of bicycles dropped by about 30 percent since the introduction of such a law. Is it because it suddenly adds one small obstacle to your journey? Possibly. More likely it’s because the obstacle points to danger.”
Chennaoui also cites evidence that wearing a helmet exposes people to greater risk. She points to a much publicized recent study showing that people see cyclists and those who wear helmets and cycling gear to be less than human. And that when those same people dress in everyday clothing, motorists give them more room and more respect.
According to Road.cc, the research comes from Mark Limb of Queensland University of Technology and Sarah Collyer of Flinders University, and was published in Volume 95 of Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour.
“Noting that efforts to increase cycling uptake are hindered by negative attitudes towards cyclists, the survey asked 563 people their views on cyclists and attempted to provide empirical evidence that explains these dehumanizing perceptions.
Of 563 people surveyed, 30 percent considered cyclists less than fully human, and the researchers looked to evaluate how wearing helmets and other safety clothing may affect the way cyclists are viewed.”
On social media, Chennaoui responded to several comments from people who clearly didn’t read the entire article, in which she advocates for better infrastructure so that people can actually be very safe riding bikes without helmets at slow speeds. She also urged others not to engage in negative comments on her posts. Instead, she encouraged them to reach out to their local politicians and advocate for more cycling safety initiatives.
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