Compulsary bike helmets?

[BigRed]

This becomes a very complex question, with regard to the Boris helmets, it reminds me of Thailand, where they have started enforcing the requirement for helmets on motorbikes over recent years. There is a big trade in motorbike taxis in Bangkok as the traffic jams are horrendous, so the passengers are allowed to ride without helmets

There's a lot of theories about helmets and safety in cycling, ranging from the rider getting too confident to drivers concluding that the lycra clad idiots with wrap around glasses and helmets deserve what they get.

In reality these days a helmet is only useful when striking a relatively sharp solid object like a curb. I've always felt lorry drivers should be in a glass cab protruding well in front of the vehicle to aid visibility

[bobspud]

A couple of girls have developed a safety bag that riders where like a dog collar. In the event of the cyclist being unseated it pops up like an air bag round their head...

But from what I see of most cyclists it's not a crash helmet they need more an ice hockey kit...

[SueEllen]

A couple of girls have developed a safety bag that riders where like a dog collar. In the event of the cyclist being unseated it pops up like an air bag round their head...

But from what I see of most cyclists it's not a crash helmet they need more an ice hockey kit...

If you are 16 and ride with headphones in or using your phone, with poor road awareness , a poor road position and are wearing clothes that make it hard for a driver to see you, wearing a helmet will do SFA to help.

[doodab]

The long term solution is to make all drivers ride a bike on the road 1 day a month and vice versa to encourage a bit of mutual understanding.

[BrilloPad]

There was a study into the introduction of compulsory bike helmets in Australia.

The accident rate went up after introduction. The theory being people felt safer, so took more risks.

So the car drivers who try to run me over are doing me a favour by making me feel less safe?

[BrilloPad]

I've always felt lorry drivers should be in a glass cab protruding well in front of the vehicle to aid visibility

I have always found lorry drivers to be very considerate. Its women who are usually the worse. Though they are not as bad as pedestrians.

[bobspud]

So the car drivers who try to run me over are doing me a favour by making me feel less safe?

Do they try and run you over or are you getting in the way? Its a serious question. When I drive into London I follow the M4 down through Earls court and then down the Thames. They have very clearly marked a nice blue Cycle lane down most of it so you would think that keeping cyclists safe from my rotten car would be simple. Nope every set of traffic lights there is the standard arsehole in lycra and silly hat straight in the middle of the two motor lanes because they want to get past the slow cyclists that are clogging up the blue lanes... Now what's going to accelerate faster? the dickhead on the bike or the frustrated dickhead in the car? What then follows is a situation where the car driver waits off as patiently as possible expecting lycra dick head to get past the nursery cyclists then use the blue lane... Like that ever happens, instead now lycra dickhead thinks hes ok to be in the middle of the road he clogs up the traffic instead... and thats when they get a sudden feeling that they are being run off the road.

[BrilloPad]

Do they try and run you over or are you getting in the way? Its a serious question. When I drive into London I follow the M4 down through Earls court and then down the Thames. They have very clearly marked a nice blue Cycle lane down most of it so you would think that keeping cyclists safe from my rotten car would be simple. Nope every set of traffic lights there is the standard arsehole in lycra and silly hat straight in the middle of the two motor lanes because they want to get past the slow cyclists that are clogging up the blue lanes... Now what's going to accelerate faster? the dickhead on the bike or the frustrated dickhead in the car? What then follows is a situation where the car driver waits off as patiently as possible expecting lycra dick head to get past the nursery cyclists then use the blue lane... Like that ever happens, instead now lycra dickhead thinks hes ok to be in the middle of the road he clogs up the traffic instead... and thats when they get a sudden feeling that they are being run off the road.

I have to agree with you. In a car or on a bike I often see cyclists who are asking to get run over. Cycling way too far out from the kerb.

Personally I ride in the gutter and keep as far away from other road users as possible(occasionally that means jumping red lights so I don't get caught in the race off the lights - junctions are always the narrowest places). But every day some car driver does not see me and gets way too close.

There is room for everyone on the road - with consideration on both sides its easy.

[Mich the Tester]

I have always found lorry drivers to be very considerate. Its women who are usually the worse. Though they are not as bad as pedestrians.

WHS, but it's quite refreshing to ride a racing bike from Eindhoven over the Belgian border; in Holland most drivers are inconsiderate bastards and the pedestrians and the oldies on electric bikes are lethal, but get into Belgium and people stop and wave you through if you're on a racing bike. Blast up a hill and some people even cheer you on; bicycle racing is as deeply ingrained in their culture as rugby in Wales and they enjoy watching someone powering up a hill or shadowing a moped for a while before overtaking it.

[EternalOptimist]

WHS, but it's quite refreshing to ride a racing bike from Eindhoven over the Belgian border; in Holland most drivers are inconsiderate bastards and the pedestrians and the oldies on electric bikes are lethal, but get into Belgium and people stop and wave you through if you're on a racing bike. Blast up a hill and some people even cheer you on; bicycle racing is as deeply ingrained in their culture as rugby in Wales and they enjoy watching someone powering up a hill or shadowing a moped for a while before overtaking it.

cheering eh ?
Well it's nice to see a bit of joie de vivre , even if it is about some bloke on a ruddy bike