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@Skülly
Some school friends of mine, two sisters, one in the year below me and one above, lost their father to a degenerative brain problem precipitated by a fall from a bike. This is in Milton Keynes, where there is a dedicated cycle path system that is entirely seperate from the roads. He used to commute to his academic post at the O.U. from Stony which is a good distance there and back, something like 18 miles a day. Once he'd taken the fall, not associated with any other vehicles but an unlucky accident, it took him about 6 years to crumble from a bright active academic to a helpless 'vegetable' before passing away. this was during their teenage years when they really could have done with the support of both parents, rather than their mum having to struggle to support them financially and care for them and their dad.
His daughters used to really hassle me about wearinga helmet. Whenever I think about this issue, their sadness reminds me that it is worth doing. Perversely, I have still managed to avoid wearing one til now.