Remember kids... always wear a helmet. (The almighty bikeradar helmet thread)

I am no longer directly involved in these situations but as I understood it when I was:

They are neither responsible nor liable for pupil journey mode to & from school.

They can advise on what they feel is best practice but shouldn't (mustn't?) discriminate based on peoples preferred option for the journey. Detention would be discrimination in this case IMO.

The only power they do have is to refuse to store bikes/scooters on school premises.

Now I'm an adult I cycle with a helmet because wingmirrors hurt.

How tall are you?

...or how short?

Schools should give free helmets (super cool ones) to the kids if they want to impose sanctions like that. Make it an incentive, not the other way around.

Wrong.

They have no business punishing pupils for what has nothing to do with them.

Least of all for half-baked, ill-informed diktats.

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Including free helmets?

Still wrong.

Helmets have nothing to do with being a safer cyclist: a helmet makes no contribution to your safety until you are involved in an incident (and even then, not necessarily so).

Better to avoid being in an incident, no?

If they were genuinely interested in encouraging better (ie safer) cycling, they would be offering free cycle training, not bullshit.

It also worth noting that they (AFAIK) don't have anything to says about parents driving their kids to school.

If they were genuinely interested in encouraging better (ie safer) cycling, they would be offering free cycle training.

That would be my number one suggestion too.

Ha.

Would the school taking on a major building project of building a 2nd school and so filling the local roads with HGVs impact the kids safety? But problem solved if they force them to wear helmets right?

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-residents-new-finham-park-7891657

But yeah residents groups are slow so outrage in paper(early oct) takes a month to plan a proper meeting about it(early nov) another month for the school to get messages and act(now). Sounds like the kids from the original school are going to get all sorts of shit dumped on them as the teachers and staff strive towards the goal of opening school 2.

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If a helmet makes a person feel safer then it is a bad thing, because
a) they will take greater risks
and
b) they probably aren't any safer
And yes, we have bikeability training now. Where have you been since 2006?

It's not money well spent if it could've been spent on something else that works better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPcy45EuGcI

Topical from the .gifs thread:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9VoLCO-d6U

@lazybeard "I am no longer directly involved in these situations but as I understood it when I was:

They are neither responsible nor liable for pupil journey mode to & from school.

They can advise on what they feel is best practice but shouldn't (mustn't?) discriminate based on peoples preferred option for the journey. Detention would be discrimination in this case IMO.

The only power they do have is to refuse to store bikes/scooters on school premises."

this is legally true^^^^^^^^^^^^- fact is many heads feel themselves to be responsible for the school journey, at same time arent prepared to take on the pavement parking that occurs at their gates (especially younger head teachers that spout bollocks about 'parental choice' and so on) If they have grown a pair- the reality of school gates in this country is decided by heads and their site rules, ' no drop off zone- emergency and disabled parking etc' diplomatically approach and inform them they arent responsible and wearing a polystyrene lump aint gonna save their kids lives, despite what headway say

Just write to them outlining the flaws in their logic. It's probable that they just haven't had the helmet debate explained by someone who has taken the time to understand it properly.

If that doesn't work try to get one of the governors on your side.

http://www.lep.co.uk/news/local/preston-cyclist-catches-crash-horror-on-camera-1-6997118

“If I hadn’t been wearing one I wouldn’t be here today. Any cyclist who goes out without a helmet telling his wife and children he loves them is lying.”

^ He's lucky the camera didn't get jammed into his brain.

Although it doesn't even look as though he hit his head...

And in true victim blaming style - why didn't he just slow down for the car that was already emerged into the road directly in front of him?

Calling out bad cyclists thread >>>>>>>>>>>>>

why do you hate your children!?

Head saying kids commuting without helmet will get detention is IMO as absurd as saying that the staff will be patrolling local area in the evenings or weekends/holidays looking for kids cycling without helmets or playing football without shin guards and giving them detention.

According to the report, one of his injuries was smashed teeth. Tricky to do if your head doesn't hit anything.

He should have worn another helmet over his face, in that case.