Citi Bike planners didn’t use their noggins when it comes to helmet policy, a new study charges.
Out of nearly 5,000 Citi Bike riders, 89 percent failed to wear helmets because the protective gear isn’t available at docking stations, according to the report in The Journal of Community Health.
“NYC’s bike-share program endorses helmet use, but relies on education and persuasion to encourage it. Our data confirm that, to date, this strategy has not been successful,” according to study co-author Dr. Corey Basch, who said the situation represents a public- health risk.
Just 3 percent of cyclists wore helmets at the Christopher Street/Greenwich Avenue station in the West Village, the fewest in the city.
The most — 29 percent — wore helmets at the Vanderbilt Avenue/42nd Street station in Midtown, according to the researchers, who observed the city’s 25 busiest stations between May and July of last year.
A Department of Transportation spokesman said there have been no fatalities since the program launched almost two years ago.