Bradley Wiggins Sparks Helmet Debate

[Cyclezee]

Following the tragic death of a cyclist yesterday Bradley Wiggins made the following comments at a press conference:
"It's dangerous and London is a busy city and a lot of traffic. I think we have to help ourselves sometimes.

"Cycling is a dangerous sport. I know there are a lot of people out there who ride bikes who abide by everything, the laws the lights and things.

"But there are a lot of cyclists as well who don't help themselves, riding along with no helmets on, iPods on, this, that and the other on those Bojo things.

"There's got to be laws that protect both parties. Things like legalising helmets, making them the law to wear. They shouldn't be riding along with phones and iPods on, shouldn't be riding without lights."

"It's dangerous and London is a busy city and a lot of traffic. I think we have to help ourselves sometimes.

"Cycling is a dangerous sport. I know there are a lot of people out there who ride bikes who abide by everything, the laws the lights and things.

"But there are a lot of cyclists as well who don't help themselves, riding along with no helmets on, iPods on, this, that and the other on those Bojo things.

"There's got to be laws that protect both parties. Things like legalising helmets, making them the law to wear. They shouldn't be riding along with phones and iPods on, shouldn't be riding without lights."

"It's dangerous and London is a busy city and a lot of traffic. I think we have to help ourselves sometimes."Cycling is a dangerous sport. I know there are a lot of people out there who ride bikes who abide by everything, the laws the lights and things.
"But there are a lot of cyclists as well who don't help themselves, riding along with no helmets on, iPods on, this, that and the other on those Bojo things.
"There's got to be laws that protect both parties. Things like legalising helmets, making them the law to wear. They shouldn't be riding along with phones and iPods on, shouldn't be riding without lights."

I know this is a highly contencious subject and has raised passions on the forum previously, how do members feel now?

My personal choice is to wear a helmet.

What ever your choice please stay safe out there.

 

[smudger1956]

This is going to be a good debate,well done for high lighting John.
My initial reaction of compulsory wearing of helmets from a callous point of view...is there are not enough injuries or deaths yet, once someone in the HM Government number crunches the cost to the health service and comes up with an unacceptable cost figure, legislation will soon follow with a disproportional price rise in cycling helmets.

As for wearing a helmet, I do always.

 

[PJM]

Personally I alwyas choose to wear a helmet. Obviously the vast majority of recent cycling deaths publicity relate to lorries not seeing cyclists in their blind spot at junctions. I would be interested to know what the statistics are for the physics of the accidents causing cyclist deaths. I had the unpleasant task of investigating the death of an elderly female cyclist who chose to cross a very busy road by walking her bike across. Rather than use the light controlled crossing she walked passed a barrier then back on herself. She then crossed literally in front of a very large concrete mixer stopped in traffic. Having sat up in the cab it would of been impossible to see her. The lorry had a variety of mirrors but she was in a blind spot when he moved forward. He was found not guilty at Court. Very tragic but reckless on her part. Very much as surviving on a motorcycle its no good bleating about it after the event. Consider defensive riding as a pre requisite for survival. No politics but just good common sense.

 

[amigafan2003]

Thanks Bradley

Personally, I don't wear a helmet on my commute - but on 7 miles out of 9 mile are on the road. not that a helmet would do any good if I got hit by a car anyhow (IMO).

I do wear a helmet when I go off road - simply because I fall off a alot at speeds where a helmet is effective in preventing injury (upto 12 mph).

Light's I agree with - but because it benefits all road users. Cars can see you, pedestrians can see you etc. Wearing a helmet doesn't benefit other road users.

Overall, I'm against additional legislation - there's too much interference by the government already.

 

[funkylyn]

Oh....NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.......are you feeling bored today John ? .....thought inciting us all to riot would be entertaining ?
Not that Im complaining, this should be good she says.... sat back, coffee in hand.......

BUT...seriously......when cycling its NO helmet for me, however I do take normal precautions in traffic, ie I would never position myself in the blind spot of ANY vehicle, far less a concrete lorry, and to be fair, Im not exactly driving in heavy city commuter traffic here around sleepy Ilminster.

But lets be honest, if you are going to be hit by one of those I dont think your helmet would be much help would it !
I cycle with my iPod in, on a cycle path, but take one earpiece out if anywhere near traffic, and if I ever felt the need to cycle in the dark, which so far has never appealed, then obviously I would use my lights.

I hope they dont attempt to make helmet wearing compulsory......I am an adult and quite capable of assessing risk and making a decision accordingly without the govt interfering and trying to tell me how I can ride my bike....I just wish 'people' would let us get on with living our lives without trying to legislate us from bloody cradle to grave, the older I get the more it is DOING MY HEAD IN !!!!! .................

Lynda

 

[blanche_aline]

I know only the numbers for Switzerland, but they are impressive... the quote of ppl. wearing helmets went from 5% in 1994 to over 40% in 2011 and this is the result of quite drastic campaigns... (here for example a TV-spot... SUVA Werbung Velohelm Commercial - YouTube )
What most people forget, the vast majority of accidents is self-inflicted (here 80 to 20%) and there head-injuries are by fare the most frequent severe injuries.

Right now, the campaigns focus more on awareness (i.E. no earphones, riding by the rules etc..) and on e-bikers, because accident frequency is uncommon high for them

 

[Goryl]

Hi,

I wear an helmet. Although I completely agree that it won't help much if I am hit by anything heavy or at speed... I just think it cannot do much harm either and it can be very useful for "light" accident.

As far as I know, there are no evidence that helmets really save lives...

What is needed though, is not legislation, it is improvement on the road. It feels a bit middle age in some places of London... There are intersections with huge potholes.

Have a nice day and ride safely

Goryl

 

[timidtom]

I haven't seen a complete text of the interview - I wonder if this is the part highlighted by the motoring lobby? It certainly smacks of a 'blame the victim' frame of mind. Imposing an obligation to wear helmets would be seen by some as tackling the problem without actually improving anything - a typical political solution.
Tom

 

[Cyclezee]

Can I just make it crystal clear that I am in no way suggesting that a helmet is going to offer protection if you are hit by a 20 ton truck or other vehicles on the road.

What I would say is that wearing a helmet improves your survival chances or risk of serious head injury when falling off a bike and hitting your head on any hard object.

 

[Hero Eco]

I tend to wear a helmet for my 13 mile commute and when off-roading but don't think it should be made compulsory. If it were made compulsory I genuinely think it would reduce the amount of people cycling, put people off cycling and almost kill Boris bikes overnight.

The media love a good knee jerk reaction, as pointed out above most cycle deaths in London are from being run over by a lorry or other vehicle where a helmet would not have made a difference. We need to tackle the real cause here rather than making helmets compulsory and thinking we can solve all our issues by making someone wear a helmet is short sighted (IMO).

 

[the_killjoy]

I think that the greatest risk is posed by IPODs, whether worn by drivers, pedestriand or drivers, and how often have you seen someone walk across the road/cycle track infornt of you because they are too busy texting on their mobile.

 

[NRG]

Oh no not again! Why John WHY!!!

I saw the article but refrained from posting, we've been here before and it got us no-where, if anybody's interested use the search function, lets not re-hash old arguments 'cause nothing has changed since the last circular debate.

 

[DJH]

I think that the greatest risk is posed by IPODs, whether worn by drivers, pedestriand or drivers, and how often have you seen someone walk across the road/cycle track infornt of you because they are too busy texting on their mobile.

Quite agree, I don't know how you can cycle without having all your senses as fully alert as possible.

 

[carpetbagger]

i wear a helmet. Having come off my bike and injuring my leg i am sure that if my head had hit the road it could have caused a serious injury.

 

[jazper53]

I respect peoples right to wear a helmet, and would like people to respect my choice not to. There are to many laws infringing on peoples right to choice.


ps I would like to ban sideburns

 

[Cyclezee]

Oh no not again! Why John WHY!!!

I saw the article but refrained from posting, we've been here before and it got us no-where, if anybody's interested use the search function, lets not re-hash old arguments 'cause nothing has changed since the last circular debate.

This is more than a helmet debate NRG, it is about cycling safety in general and has a wider audience as a result of Bradley Wiggins comments.

 

[carpetbagger]

it would be better if they made people ride a bike as part of the driving test,that might open up the eyes of some of the increasing number of imbeciles who now drive.

 

[Hero Eco]

it would be better if they made people ride a bike as part of the driving test,that might open up the eyes of some of the increasing number of imbeciles who now drive.

I have thought this many a time!!

 

[NRG]

This is more than a helmet debate NRG, it is about cycling safety in general and has a wider audience as a result of Bradley Wiggins comments.

Its will boil down to the same old arguments John which also included cycling safety in general.

 

[Mike63]

Quite agree, I don't know how you can cycle without having all your senses as fully alert as possible.

...why not ? .......lots of motorist's do it all the time