He called for legislation to be introduced to require riders to wear a helmet, similar to that in force in Mrs Greenway’s native New Zealand.
Fuck off already. Okay, yes, he is grieving for the loss of his wife. Maybe a helmet would have made a difference, maybe not. But that’s not the point. Bad cases make bad law and a grieving relative is not the best person to decide something as profound as law. That needs to be done in a dispassionate, evidence-based approach. And no law should be passed that saves us from ourselves – helmet laws, seat-belt laws, the lot – and certainly not because a grieving relative wants to use it to salve their loss. They are examples of bad law. The law should be there to protect others from our behaviour, not ourselves from our own actions – that is for us to decide. And when it comes to such things as helmets, it is up to us to decide the risks and act accordingly. So, grieving or not, Rufus Greenway can fuck right off and take his totalitarian tendencies with him.
I always wear a helmet when cycling but I agree with you that nobody should be made to. I have been knocked off my bike once when a car turned right across my path. In that particular instance the fact that I was wearing a helmet almost certainly saved me from serious injury, I’m pretty sure that I would have sustained a fractured skull.
If you take part in triathlons or organised cycle rides you have to wear a helmet. In those specific cases I agree that it should be compulsory to wear one. The organisers have to be able to show that they have done everything in their power to ensure the safety of competitors.
I don’t wear one. But then, I ride very little on the road and am prepared to take the risk. That should always be my choice – and certainly not the choice imposed upon me by a grieving husband.
As for sporting events; their gaff, their rules. No problem with that.
That link to the Guardian story….
It looks like she’s taking a selfie while cycling at night in an urban environment and two out of the three bikes behind her are showing no front lights….
I wonder if her bike had lights….
As a car driver I have a score of night time unlit + black clad cyclist near misses that’s getting close to double digits – the issue of crash helmets is well down my priorities ..
Amazed she doesn’t have earbuds in.
fwiw I do use a bicycle for getting about in town.
I remember one time following a cyclist in my car. This wasn’t one of your Lycra Louts, it was an older guy not cycling particularly fast, dark gear, no lights. As I was approaching he turned right, no rear observation, no signal, just turned. When I cycle in traffic I am acutely aware of everything that is going on around me. I wear bright clothes and, now that I have to ride in the dark, I am using high intensity USB charged lights. I consider that urban cycling is potentially dangerous and I am always riding defensively and watching out for other people’s mistakes. So it baffles me how people like this guy are still alive.
Regarding bike lights, nowadays they are so cheap to buy and operate that there is really no excuse for not having them not that there ever was of course. Years ago they used to cost a small fortune in batteries to keep them going. Now, a combination of improvement in battery life and low energy LEDs mean that batteries last for ages. Re-chargeables are more expensive and you need to be organised to keep them charged up but are much brighter.