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

You're obsessed skydancer. Why didn't you point out the sunglasses and the cycling shoes and the lycra, oh and the gloves... on a coach.... tutut

Backtracking a bit ...

I was at the local playground with my son a few weeks ago; a mother and her son came along, with him on a trike and wearing a helmet, and the helmet stayed on as he played on the playground stuff, which seems quite normal to me.
As the kid was crossing a planky-bridge thing about 6 feet up, the mum said "remember now, you're twice as safe because you've got your helmet on".
Ignorance is bliss.
The mum isn't aware of the risk of strangulation from kids playing about with a helmet on. There are at least 14 documented cases of death by helmet strangulation around the world. Australian doctors advise against letting kids wear helmets in playgrounds, a Swedish doctor commented: "We know we have killed, but we can't show we have saved anyone".

You're obsessed skydancer. Why didn't you point out the sunglasses and the cycling shoes and the lycra, oh and the gloves... on a coach.... tutut

Sunglassess are a must to reduce the glare coming through those big windows.
Cycling shoes have a nice solid base that prevents you scrunching your foot up under the seat in front and causing an injury
lycra is comfortable whereas loose clothing could knock over someones coffee when you walk past them to go for a pee
gloves prevent you burning your hands on thin hot cardboard coffee cups

all pretty sensible stuff really.

You're obsessed skydancer. Why didn't you point out the sunglasses and the cycling shoes and the lycra, oh and the gloves... on a coach.... tutut

The items you mention Vee Vee are clothing.
There are people now in LMNH in cycling shoes, Lycra and I am wearing shades (well optical specs). No one is sitting here in a helmet (despite the wheels hanging precariously above our heads ;)

a Swedish doctor commented: "We know we have killed, but we can't show we have saved anyone".

Now there's a quote that could be used horribly out of context.

The items you mention Vee Vee are clothing.
There are people now in LMNH in cycling shoes, Lycra and I am wearing shades (well optical specs). No one is sitting here in a helmet (despite the wheels hanging precariously above our heads ;)

I've sat in LMNH whilst wearing a helmet.
Conversely, I've also descended in the Alps whilst not wearing one.

That is simply because the appropriate greeting for you is a punch or slap. You are more likely to see someone you know at LMNH, so the helmet mitigates some of the risk.

This is why James always wears a box.

the one on his face? i thought that was cos he's an ugly bastard.

If the thing on the closest seat on the left is a helmet there's actually more helmets than people!

Which? is running an article "Should cyclists be legally required to wear helmets?"

You can vote and add your comments here.

http://conversation.which.co.uk/transport-travel/bike-helmets-cycling-compulsory-law/

No is winning by a long way! Some folks were good enough to let us all know that they are not sure.

No, Bradley, no......

No, Bradley, no......

BBC (Radio 1 at least) linking the Olympic bus/cyclist death to Wiggins calling for compulsory helmets. Someone is being really stupid here, deliberately or otherwise.

I'm surprised that he, of all people, has made the knee-jerk statement that a helmet would've saved the poor guy. For all we know, he may have been wearing one, it's too early to cast assumptions. What this does do is set back the whole issue, given wiggo's new hero status.

I think he's been taking out of context about the whole thing.

He was talking about lot's of other things cyclist do, and more brining to light that people do nothing to help themselves a lot of the time, as seen in the 'calling out bad... thread'

So Bradley is "calling for laws to protect cyclists." Sounded like a victim-blaming rant to me. He admitted he hasn't cycled in London for 15 years - he knows nothing. This is a catastrophic sequence of events. RIP poor cyclist (who might have been wearing a helmet.)

Did BW actually make a fresh quote or did they just reuse this one from last month...?

http://www.thefootdown.co.uk/2012/07/12/bradley-wiggins-fred-perry-interview/

Cycling is fantastic, it’s healthy and everything but people have to help themselves a little bit as well and they have to realise sometimes that they are on the road on a bike and there is a certain amount of responsibility they have to take like wearing a helmet, not wearing an iPod and all those things. I think certain laws may have to be passed as well, maybe having a rear light, wearing a helmet, once cyclists start helping themselves like that then they’ll have more protection and rights against drivers. If someone gets killed in a bus lane on a BoJo (Boris Bike) with no helmet and their iPod on then they haven’t really got a leg to stand on.

They have audio, which would suggest it didn't come from the foot down, presumably?

Did BW actually make a fresh quote or did they just reuse this one from last month...?

http://www.thefootdown.co.uk/2012/07/12/bradley-wiggins-fred-perry-interview/

That was the quote they used. Probably got the audio from that interview and have now linked them to this bus crash as if he was responding to it.

Re. the BBC Radio London phone in this morning, I think Gabby Roslin is doing a good job of suggesting this is a much broader issue than helmets = reduction in deaths and that the responsibility is shared by all road users.

However it doesn't surprise me to hear that most of the people they are vox popping say helmets should be made compulsory.

It does seem like a very sure-footed link between the collision last night and helmets. I'm wondering what the press knows that we don't with regards to this latest tragedy.

Be interesting (in a way) if helmets are made compulsory and the RTA rate stays the same or rises, to have the same discussion, and see what the reaction is then.

Indeed. After all, I don't think research has ever shown a reduction in deaths places where it is compulsory such as Australia.

It has resulted in a reduction in serious brain injuries though, at least that's my understanding.

I heard Lord Bradlety of Wiggins, I am afraid he did say he wanted compulsory helmets.

Yes , BBC London was fair.

Lets hope this blows over.

I think this might excuse his comments
"Well what a day, blind drunk at the minute and overwhelmed with all the messages, Thank You everyone it's been emotional X" (from Twitter)
Given that he and his son rode on the Champs Elysee helmet less (which I thought was a bit of a statement) I am amazed he supports compulsion