No I really don't need a cycle helmet... or do I?

Sixty-five years ago, when the roads were so much quieter and before the advent of cycling helmets, my twenty year old cousin was found on the ground. His unprotected head against the edge of the kerb, his bicycle between his legs. He had sustained a fractured skull and died on the operating table. If he had had the advantage of a cycling helmet he probably would have survived this tumble, no other vehicle involved.

We had to have public liability cover for horses-it should also be compulsory for cyclists

I agree Katek that cyclists should be properly licenced with stiff fines and points if they don't have one. Anyone can jump on a bike and whizz along the pavement. I've seen some really dangerous pavement cycling. Then what if they knock over a pedestrian resulting in serious injury? They are not insured. It's a very complex situation because of the ease of using a bike, and those e-scooters also whizz along pavements.

Chestnut

I agree Katek that cyclists should be properly licenced with stiff fines and points if they don't have one. Anyone can jump on a bike and whizz along the pavement. I've seen some really dangerous pavement cycling. Then what if they knock over a pedestrian resulting in serious injury? They are not insured. It's a very complex situation because of the ease of using a bike, and those e-scooters also whizz along pavements.

Yes, those e- scooters, they’re everywhere. You need eyes in the back of your head when driving.

I worked for a head injury service for many years - take it from me, you need to wear a helmet!! Get one right now!!!

You have to here, no matter how young. It is a legal requirement. I agree with licences once the cyclist is a certain age because they use the road, they get bike lanes specially assigned to them and the rest of us have to hang back and leave a lot of space whilst we overtake them which causes many traffic delays.

With all the new rulings about giving bicycles a lot of room when passing them (which I’ve always done anyway) it took me ages to get past a line of cyclists which consisted of adults, children and one of those imo dangerous trailers with a baby in. But it horrified me that not one of them was wearing reflective clothing or helmets. Safety works both ways.

It should be mandatory for cyclists to wear helmets as I believe is the case with motorcyclists. I realise the latter are likely to travel at far higher speeds but as has been demonstrated here it doesn’t take much of a knock for a cyclist to suffer a fatal or catastrophic head injury. It has been mandatory to wear a seat belt for years and we all accept that. What’s the problem with cycle helmets? Vanity? Dignity? Someone who has suffered a life changing brain injury rendering them totally dependent on others for everything has neither.

I never forgot the face of a young family member, a newly qualified doctor, after his first shift in A&E. A young man had been brought it, fell off his bike, hit his head in a kerb and that was it. Stone dead. Had been happily on his way to meet friends and then just gone! I made such an impression on the young doctor. He always wore a helmet.

Sorry. Lots of typos! Please excuse.

Aveline

I never forgot the face of a young family member, a newly qualified doctor, after his first shift in A&E. A young man had been brought it, fell off his bike, hit his head in a kerb and that was it. Stone dead. Had been happily on his way to meet friends and then just gone! I made such an impression on the young doctor. He always wore a helmet.

Exactly.

We saw head injured cyclists all the time, and I could not help feeling sometimes that it would have been better had they died - sounds cruel, but some of them lost their personalities, their sight, their ability to speak, their mobility, their ability to control their tempers which led to marriages breaking down, their hearing - well, I could go on - anything that is controlled by the brain could go. And often the personality changes were the most difficult to deal with - and things like losing the ability to think through actions, such as getting dressed in order. All things that kept people out of the job market and on benefits and lost to their families and the chances of marriage and children for the rest of their lives.

Sadly, so often these were young people with their lives ahead of them. I cannot stress too strongly how important it is to wear a helmet. On a par with wearing a seatbelt in a car.

Luckygirl3 When my parents realised the extent of the head injury my sister received in her accident and realised the 'life' that might lie ahead for her if she survived. She said she did something she could never imagine she could ever do - pray for the death of her own child as the best and kindest outcome.

I’d say yes you do,

Oh M0nica how desperately awful. Your poor mum. Poor family.

Yes do, unfortunately, we live near the Coast to Coast cycle route and I have seen and heard the results of some nasty tumbles.

It's important to realise that devastating injuries can still happen when someone is wearing a helmet, too.
I know of someone left with epilepsy, blind, all kinds of problems, who was wearing one.

M0nica

Luckygirl3 When my parents realised the extent of the head injury my sister received in her accident and realised the 'life' that might lie ahead for her if she survived. She said she did something she could never imagine she could ever do - pray for the death of her own child as the best and kindest outcome.

Sorry my post touched such a raw nerve - but I really wanted to get across how very important a helmet is. Cyclists are so vulnerable in these days of busy roads - it is madness to cycle without one.

it's a bit health and safety gone mad - words fail me.

I have a friend who spent nine months in hospital following a cycle accident - he wouldn’t have survived without his helmet.

MayBee, those baby trailer things give me the heebeejeebies. Roads now are so busy. I'm not a driver, but even as a car or bus passenger, I can't even look at those things with little children inside and cars whizzing past.

Luckygirl Nothing to be sorry for. People like OP need to realise what these accidents do to families, and these are the decisions real people find themselves having to think about.

People more generally need to think about it. I saw a young family out cycling this weekend. Both children wearing helmets, father without one. His head is as breakable as the childrens. If anything happens to him, the family will probably be left in poverty. Why do not people THINK?

It's protecting the cyclist from the crazy people on the roads, and there are so many more of them now than 50 years ago. Not just cars, but also escooters (which are illegal except in trial areas), lycra-clad cyclists doing 20+mph - I assume that's not you, Mrskipling - pedestrians who walk out onto road/footpath without looking because their phones are so interesting etc.

Katek

We had to have public liability cover for horses-it should also be compulsory for cyclists

Too often, children only wear token helmets, perhaps something off a market stall or second hand which went with the second hand childs bike.

Also people do not know how to wear a cycle helmet properly, so it is at its most protective

I will replace mine next year, it has never been bumped and cost a lot but I will make sure to destroy it. The materials can lose structural integrity. This is what knowledgeable people do, they destroy the helmet so no-one else is put into danger. Cycle helmets should be replaced every 3-5 years

Regarding the insurance, my ex-hubby had a bike accident whilst not wearing a helmet, totally his fault and obviously he came off worse but the car driver was able to claim off our house insurance for the damages.

I think it’s totally irresponsible to not wear a helmet and I really don’t understand the ‘It won’t happen to me’ mentality.
I have nursed far too many patients of all ages whose lives were irreversibly wrecked by horrendous head injuries from a cycling accident.
So please think about it and have consideration for the people who will be devastated by your refusal to wear a helmet when you have an accident and those who spend their lives caring for you because of your decision.