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

Sadly it wasn't as simple as that. I was going along a quiet road on my drops at about 20 mph when he suddenly stepped out without looking from between some cars. I had time to shout, try and go behind him and try and grab my brakes. Sadly my shouting made him stop and step back into my redirected path. My helmet hit his face. 15 stone at 20 mph. He came off worse. My helmet saved me from any head injury. No bruising; no headachess. Unfortunately, I was thrown backwards off my bike and landed yards down the road on my hip. Almost two weeks later I am still suffering from heavy bruising but at last it is easing to allow me to ride comfortably and to sleep. My head and my bike are unimpaired, for which I am very grateful. The pedestrian had a bleeding face which, no doubt has since swollen up. He might have concussion but I hope that my helmet absorbed a good deal of the force. He claimed, initially, thathe had been looking; a claim that failed to pass the test of "why did you step out then?"

The moral of the story is that one cannot always control events. Other people's idiocy can harm you. A helmet can save you and has saved me.

Couldn't agree more - you have to put everything in your favour as a cyclist.