just when we all thought we had a new cycling hero to admire, turns out he’s an ignorant **** happy to shoot his mouth off

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45312756

I have no idea what else he might have said, but nothing in that story screams “ignorant **** happy to shoot his mouth off”. Not saying he’s right, but those don’t seem like unreasonable opinions.

There is a massive difference between ‘why wouldn’t you’ and ‘you must’.

im firmly in the why wouldn’t you camp. Making it compulsory would discourage cycling, and put more people at risk I reckon, as drivers would assume that cyclists were now safe, so would take less care around them

im firmly in the why wouldn’t you camp

So am I, but that doesn’t make anyone who disagrees with me “an ignorant **** happy to shoot his mouth off”.

Maybe not, but he must realise that the public, and its elected representatives, might well think ‘well if even the best cyclists in the world think that everyone must be compelled to wear a helmet, then the average joe needs protecting, especially with how many cyclists are killed ever year’

even in the bbc article it give links to cycle licenses etc mid story…

Re the attitude I agree with Hols.

However, having had two helmet splitting accidents in my life I’m for the compulsory camp.   I’d never let my kids cycle without a helmet, and I don’t really understand – but am happy to have it explained to me – how wearing a helmet causes a driver to be less cautious of cyclists .

It doesn’t take much intelligence for a driver to understand that any bike/car/ground interface can by hurty to a cyclist, I cant believe the wearing of a helmet radically changes that perception .

It doesn’t take much intelligence for a driver to understand that any bike/car/ground interface can by hurty to a cyclist, I cant believe the wearing of a helmet radically changes that perception .

Ever seen even this kind of story?

’the cyclist, who wasn’t wearing a helmet, died after a lorry crushed his rib cage and lungs, killing him instantly.’

followed by the usual barrage of ‘make helmets compulsory’ or ‘he wasn’t wearing a helmet, he deserved it/it’s his own fault/he was asking for it’

would be a million times worse we it made compulsory. Cycling isn’t dangerous, getting hit by cars/trucks is dangerous. Why are we pushing the responsiblity on to the cyclist?

I get that.

My perspective is of a head injury . We should help protect ourselves from that.

Irresponsible or unsafe driving is the drivers responsibility and not mitigated by the wearing of a helmet .   I’ve often thought that an aspect of cyclist safety should be included within the Driving Test .

I wasn’t suggested wearing a helmet excuses drivers of anything .