Powered pedal cycle in collision

[Footie]

Just seen a Teletext report of an accident in St Agnes, 61-year-old cyclist, riding a silver battery-powered pedal cycle in collision with an Initial City Link delivery van.

Teletext West Country News - Cyclist hurt in crash

Hope he's ok - However, it sounds serious.
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[rooel]

Not the cyclist's fault according to this report:

"St Agnes cyclist critically injured


By Jessica Tooze »

A cyclist is in a critical condition in hospital after he swerved to avoid a delivery van in St Agnes.

The 61-year-old was cycling along Quay Road at around 1.20pm on Tuesday, August 19 when he was forced to avoid an ‘Initial City Link’ van.

The man sustained a head injury and was taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital."

[Django]

That is where member Jeanette Morgan lives but the article stipulates a he, which in one sense at least is a relief. Let us hope for a full recovery.

[Intex]

Was he wearing a helmet ???

[frank9755]

Let's not turn this into a helmet crusade, please.

[rooel]

I too would be interested to know if this cyclist was wearing a helmet, but not with a view to crusading in favour of them: it would be useful if all news reports of collisions and injuries involving cyclists stated whether or not a helmet was being worn. This would demonstrate to the public that a)helmet wearing does not prevent accidents (an incredible assumption made by many who have asked me why I do not wear one), b) they provide no protection whatsoever to 95% of the cyclist's body (an obvious fact to which many seem oblivious), and c) they provide very little additional protection to the small part they do cover.

If such information was widely available it would help to counteract the propaganda in favour of wearing helmets which actually has a detrimental effect on cyclists' safety: most motorists on seeing a cyclist ahead, wearing a helmet, and recalling the propaganda, subconsciously assume that the cyclist is just as well protected as they are in their tin box and overtake recklessly, while others, a self-righteous minority, perhaps, decide to teach the cyclist a lesson for ignoring the propaganda and pass in a similarly reckless manner.

There is, fortunately, a third category, who on seeing a cyclist ahead, bare-headed, drive extra carefully in his or her vicinity, something I have proved if only anecdotally, by sometimes wearing a cap, and sometimes not. Even a woolly bonnet suggests to some motorists that a cyclist is "protected", whereas a bare head suggests vulnerability. Bareheaded female cyclists with long hair, (or males who don a long blond wig) will notice this effect most, as the male motorist, obeying a primeval instinct, will often regard the female (or apparently female) cyclist as weak and in need of care and protection.

[Mussels]

Or an anti helmet crusade.

[flecc]

Can I turn it into a "don't care either way" crusade, the voice of apathy raised?
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[rooel]

Agreed, Mussels and Frank9755. I certainly would not want to hi-jack this thread concerning another's misfortune for a crusade either in favour of or against helmet wearing, but I think you will gather from my post above that I think it is time to counter the propaganda in favour for the reasons stated, coupled preferably with a campaign for effective physical separation of cyclists from motor traffic.

Instead of politicians on bikes taking photo calls all piously wearing helmets for fear of what the tabloids will say if they don't, I would prefer to see them posing on the few segregated facilities we have, to send out a message to cyclists - and local and national highway authorities - that the only effective way to separate cyclists from motor vehicles lies not in the insertion of a few centimetres of glossy polystyrene between them, but by way of kerbs, bushes, fences, walls, etc, coupled with priority for cyclists at all junctions.

And, flecc, because of the dangers posed by the propaganda, I do not feel we can adopt a don't-care-either-way approach.

[Encantador]

I am 6ft 5in tall and over 19 stone and cars seem to avoid me like the plague, with helmet or without, obviously don`t want their nice shiney tin boxes damaged too much.....