Community Corner
Do the New Bike Helmet Ads Go Too Far?
Are the ads, featuring battered and bloodied cyclists, an effective way to communicate the need for helmets, or do they turn people off to commuting by bike?
Boston's new ad campaign promoting bike helmet use has been the talk of the web this week. The ads, featuring graphic images like a young man with a bloodied face, are designed to show people the consequences of riding without a helmet.
Not everyone thinks that's the best way to get the message across. Bostonrider.org, the Hub's go-to blog for cyclists and anyone interested in city transportation issues, thinks the ads would scare would-be cyclists from even trying.
Universal Hub weighed in as well, saying the ads hot you like a two-by-four to the face. And nationally, Atlantic Cities picks up on the controversy as well, asking whether such shaming campaigns are ever effective.
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What do you think? Does a little fear act as a motivator? Or are the ads too graphic to make their point? Is this public shaming or an earnest attempt to change public attitudes? Tell us in the comments below.
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