Quote:-          "Several studies in the past have looked at so-called 'risk compensation', suggesting that people might drive differently when wearing seatbelts, or make more aggressive American football tackles when wearing helmets. But in all those cases, the safety device and the activity were directly linked -- there's a certain logic to sports people being more aggressive when wearing equipment that is specifically intended to make their sport safer. This is the first suggestion that a safety device might make people take risks in a totally different domain."

Previous studies from Ian Walker have also hinted that safety equipment might not be as effective as many people assume. He has suggested that high-vis clothing does not stop drivers overtaking cyclists dangerously and that wearing a helmet might make drivers pass cyclists closer when overtaking.

Dr Tim Gamble expands: "All this is not to say that people shouldn't wear safety equipment, but rather to say that the whole topic is far more complicated than most people think. We need to be mindful of the unintended consequences which might exist and not just apply 'common sense' when it comes to addressing safety concerns.

"If feeling protected does make people generally more reckless -- which is what these findings imply -- then this could affect all sorts of situations, perhaps even how soldiers make strategic decisions when wearing body armour. This all suggests that making people safe in dangerous situations isn't a simple issue, and policy makers need to remember this. Countries that have tried to solve the issue of cycling safety by making bicycle helmets compulsory, for example, might want to ask whether this is really the right approach for making people safe."