New research reports cyclists wearing helmets perceived as less human than those without
Posted on in Cycles News
New research from Queensland University of Technology and Flinders University in Australia reports that cyclists wearing helmets or high-visibility clothing are dehumanised more than those without — with 30% saying they considered those riding bicycles as less than fully human.
Those wearing helmets were perceived as less human compared to those without, while cyclists with safety vests and no helmets were perceived as least human.
The study was conducted in Australia where mandatory helmet laws exist.
The researchers concluded that dehumanisation related more to visible safety gear than obstruction of hair or eyes and the perceptions of dehumanisation also varied based on respondent gender.
On the same lines, cyclists wearing a cap were viewed as more human than those wearing a full helmet.
"Our findings add to this growing research, suggesting that cyclists wearing safety attire, particularly high-visibility vests, may be dehumanised more so than cyclists without safety attire," the study concludes.
"As dehumanisation has been found to be predictive of hostile and aggressive behaviour (Kteily & Landry, 2022), our finding highlights a potential conflict around the perception and utility of safety gear such as high-visibility vests; although designed for safety, they may inadvertently increase levels of hostility and aggression towards this group of vulnerable road users."
