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

"I passed my test first time at 16/17, years and years back. A good mate only passed his two years ago in his 30s, after seven (7!) attempts. I'm a safe, conservative (driving style!) and cautious driver these days, not like I was when I was 17/18 and ragging in it around in a shitty Fiat Panda. But I would struggle to have passed his test, though, I think.It has gotten waaaay harder /csb."

Do you even drive?

I passed first time aged 17 in '94 but am the safest driver as I always wear a helmet and hi viz jacket. Even have one of those sticky out flags on the works van to prevent close overtakes.

I passed my test first time at 16/17, years and years back. A good mate only passed his two years ago in his 30s, after seven (7!) attempts. I'm a safe, conservative (driving style!) and cautious driver these days, not like I was when I was 17/18 and ragging in it around in a shitty Fiat Panda. But I would struggle to have passed his test, though, I think.It has gotten waaaay harder.

Meh.

I'm old so passed before the theory bit existed. My pal recently passed and told me the theory was hard. I had a go. It was pimps*.

I wasn't even wearing a helmet and laid down 40 out if 40. Boom.

I also passed before there was a maximum number of minor errors, so long as you didn't make the same mistake 3 times. I scored 23 which the examiner said was the most he'd ever awarded. Win.

• kids still say pimps, yeh?
  

Passed my test at 18 and was a maniac before passing (when driving around with my mate in the passenger side) and was a maniac straight after for many years.
I would say I should not have been driving at 18.

The only factor about my driving that was better than average was around cyclists as I have ridden on the roads since about 5 years old. Even at 18 and as a self confessed maniac I treated cyclists better than 99% of drivers treat me on the road.

I passed my HGV 1 test second time around, the examiner fell asleep.

Also drivers who passed before the hazard perception test might not be aware how to react around vunerable road users?

Recently I had the pleasure of a speed awareness course and most people on there really had no idea how to drive around motorbikes and cycles it was pretty scary. Really varied cross section of people too, not just drivers wet behind the ears.

It was actually a little depressing and somewhat terrifying how virtually none of them knew anything about the highway code, signs and speed limits

I wore a helmet during the course

Might be an idea to reduce the maximum allowable number of penalty points to 3 for the first 5 yeas of driving, but that said people would just drive when disqualified- it's, like, a human right to drive you know?

Should I wear a helmet when I ride my bike?

Insta-ban™ anyone who fucks up.

Back to helmet-on-helmet..

First thing I did on my driving test was roll backwards on a hill start. Skidded a fair bit on the emergenc stop.

I haz hill start assist and ABS on my current vehicle, could probably pass a driving test :-)

Do you even drive?

Eh?

Meh.

I'm old so passed before the theory bit existed. My pal recently passed and told me the theory was hard. I had a go. It was pimps*.

I wasn't even wearing a helmet and laid down 40 out if 40. Boom.

I also passed before there was a maximum number of minor errors, so long as you didn't make the same mistake 3 times. I scored 23 which the examiner said was the most he'd ever awarded. Win.

• kids still say pimps, yeh?
  
  

Theory wasn't around when I did it either. I dunno, my mate failed for reattempting a manoeuvre because when he's nervous he becomes a bit of a perfectionist. When I did the test, I explained why I shouldn't have done something I had in fact done and the examiner said 'okay, as long as you know' and passed me.

Remember kids... always wear body armour.

Dicks.

Sounds reasonable.

Has http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/helmet-company-is-misrepresenting-dangers-of-cycling-says-lawyer/013638 been shared? Much more reasoned.

Forget just a helmet, Canadians say we cyclists should wear body armour as well.

http://road.cc/content/news/93300-canadian-study-suggests-road-cyclists-should-wear-body-armour-well-helmets

I plan to dress like this from now on.

Don't forget to actually wear the helmet... and ride on dedicated cycle lanes only.

I plan to dress like this from now on

Fixed!

How'd you get a pic of me in my Lycra?

"the cyclists sampled were just 2.2 percent of 11,772 admissions with severe injuries in the study period. The majority of the other 97.8 percent were probably pedestrians or motor vehicle occupants so it’s curious that the researchers chose not to direct their attention to the road users who might most benefit from being studied"

No 1 rule of news: never let bad statistics get in the way of a good headline.

Oh ffs:-
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/48526