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Cycle Helmets and Olympic Heroes as Role Models: why it’s plain daft not to listen

Those who have worked to promote the uptake of cycling during the past decade – in the Cycling Demonstration Towns, in businesses and organizations with cycling as part of a workplace travel plan and with schools and colleges, all realize the inestimable benefit of ‘cycling champions’ at both macro and micro level.

These are the experienced people who will encourage and assist their more apprehensive fellows. They are voices and opinions to which it pays to listen. Their input is invaluable and must be encouraged. They are the cycling role models and their advice will be respected and followed.

Cycling, as with many activities, is potentially hazardous. Cyclists fall from their bikes. The cause may be rider error, component failure, an obstacle in the road (animal, vegetable or mineral) or the antics of the driver of a vehicle.
It matters not from a hurt perspective how the fall begins; contact with the road surface, kerb stone or vehicle is going to leave its mark, to a greater or lesser extent. Pedestrians die from striking their heads on the ground; a cyclist will be traveling at not less than walking pace and up to the speed limit applicable in a built up area, sometimes more.

So when we part company from our machines, we cease to be in control of our destiny and become a projectile. The whole episode will have taken less time than it has to read this sentence. That’s when we need every bit of help we can get. Just as cricketers, boxers, horse riders, ice-hockey and rugby players all use protection. Boxers particularly; it’s their heads, you see.

The human and economic cost of crash injuries is staggering. Everything possible has to be done to reduce these incidents. That encompasses the cyclist’s own bike maintenance, the design, manufacture and quality control of componentry, highway maintenance, education and training of cyclists and motorists and road design and facilities.

In the face of all these potential hazards, there are a few steps we can take for ourselves.  Learn how to maintain a bike and spot the danger signs soonest. Ride within limits and with due anticipation for the behavior of other road users. Use lights and hi-viz. And wear a helmet.

It’s all about identifying risk and managing it. Sheltering in a slit trench under fire, one will find very few atheists, I’m told. As we make an unplanned approach to the tarmac, hands up who would prefer not to be wearing a helmet?

Head injury is not necessarily fatal to life. It is however frequently fatal to career, standard of living, and to social, recreational and family lives. The victims (and their friends and families) of any form of acquired brain injury will describe, to a greater or lesser extent,  personality change, cognitive and behavioural issues, memory impairment, emotional liability, and alcohol dependency, all of which one would sensibly seek to avoid. If anyone has any doubts, go visit a brain injury rehabilitation centre.

The re-design of roads to improve cycle safety is not going to happen overnight, nor is re-education of certain elements in both the motoring and cycling populations. The Demonstration Towns, in their three year life span, found that little meaningful could be achieved in infrastructure within that time scale. So, while we wait for our cycling utopia, let’s manage the risk and helmet-up.

No-one is pretending that a cycle helmet eliminates the risk of injury.  Neither do full face motor racing nor motor cycle helmets. But their use improves the prospect of survival and reduces the risk of injury or the severity of an injury.
It’s facile to attempt to distinguish pedal cyclists from motor cyclists. Impacts at 10, 20, 30 mph all hurt, maim, kill. It matters not from what ones fallen.

Equally, the suggestion that a helmeted cyclist is more prone to the vagaries of the motoring population is wholly unsubstantiated by any credible research. Even if that were the case, collisions with vehicles are not the sole cause of cyclist casualties.

Compulsion is to all intents and purposes unenforceable, as are prohibitions against a raft of misdemeanors from littering through jaywalking to use of a phone whilst driving. But the presence of the legislation will make us cyclists stop and think. We had all the personal liberty arguments with seatbelts four decades ago: today the logic of seatbelt use is universally accepted.

As to Cycling Champions, we now have more than anyone could ever have imagined. 

All with a huge influence and experience of the sort those tasked with increasing the uptake of cycling could only dream of, five or ten years ago. Suppose we listen to what these role models say, encourage our children and peers to do likewise, rather than jumping to contradict them?

© Paul Darlington Cycle-SOS  05.viii.2012.

For more information about our services or to start your claim, call 0808 100 9995 and speak to one of our specialist solicitors. We’re here to help. You can email us or schedule a callback.

(Paul Darlington has been working in the field of cycle crashes and collisions and associated injuries for almost 25 years. He is a life member of Headway, a qualified solicitor and member of the Law Society’s Personal Injury panel and APIL. He has attended training courses and conferences organized by the Institute of Traffic Accident Investigators and the Association of Commuter Transport. He has served on the steering committees of two Cycling Demonstration Towns and is an accredited Bikeability cycling instructor. He has personally confronted the issues and challenges of injury including acromio-clavicular joint reconstruction and spinal fracture/dislocation. He has initiated and run cycle helplines since 1988 and is currently working with the Cycle-SOS organisation).
 

Written By:

Emily Pheysey

Litigation Executive

Emily has over 7 years of experience in the legal sector, handling road traffic accident claims to recover compensation and support her clients. Her focus is to ensure all clients feel comfortable and at ease with the claims process so that they can focus on their recovery.

Emily considers rapport to be an essential part of the role and strives to always provide excellent client care.

Away from work, Emily enjoys spending time with her family and friends and travelling as much possible.

Diane Holderness

Litigation Executive

Diane is a Ministry of Justice (TOJ) Team Leader within our Cycle Department. She has 11 years’ experience managing road traffic accident claims, and 6 years’ experience managing MOJ claims.

Diane enjoys a challenge and always strives for the very best results for her customers; something that is clear in the way her team continually adapts its strategies in order to secure the most desired outcome. Diane has worked her way through the legal ranks here, and is proud to now have a strong, specialist team that is committed to customer satisfaction.

Diane believes that happy clients make a happy working environment, and it is this that ensures a productive and efficient workforce.

Nina Haddock

Chartered Legal Executive

Nina has over 30 years’ experience in the legal sector. She specialises in recovering compensation for injury claimants as a result of road traffic accidents. Her focus for each and every claim is to help her clients secure the funding that they need to pay for ongoing treatment and support.

Nina became a CILEX Fellow in 2006 and now helps her clients and their families at a time when they have been through a traumatic experience, and everything they hold dear to them appears to be changing.

One case Nina is particularly proud of is supporting a client who had successfully sought asylum in the UK, following a road traffic accident. The claim was successfully pursued through the MIB and the client was left with significant injuries. Her client was able to use the compensation to aid family members with their applications to seek asylum in the UK.

Julian Fox

Cycling Accident Solicitor

Julian qualified as a Solicitor in 2005 and has worked in all areas of personal injury since 2000. Julian has a well-rounded understanding of personal injury law, having represented both claimants and defendants.

Julian always aims for maximum damages to meet his clients’ needs for injury and rehabilitation expenses, and can often secure interim payments to help meet clients’ financial needs. Julian is highly proactive in ensuring cases are progressed, ensuring a timely conclusion.

When not at the office, Julian is a keen cyclist, both on roads and virtually -he will often do an hour of ‘Zwifting’ in the mornings before starting work.

Richard Atherton

Cycling Accident Solicitor

Richard has 12 years of legal experience and qualified as a Solicitor in February 2014. He has been a Team Manager with us since 2019. Throughout his career, Richard has specialised in personal injury, handling an array of Road Traffic Accident cases, in addition to employer and public liability.

Richard prides himself on his very strong strategic and planning skills, which come into their own in complex injury cases where more technical arguments are involved. On every case, he is committed to ensuring that his clients receive full compensation for their injuries.

Away from work, Richard enjoys sport; he is a season ticket holder at St Helens Rugby Club and a Liverpool FC fan. Not only a spectator, Richard also likes going to play golf as often as he can.

Dave Gardner

Litigation Executive

Dave has over 20 years of experience in the legal sector. His specialism is personal injury and he has dealt with hundreds of cycling injury claims during his career. Excellent client care and communication is paramount to Dave. He prides himself on being accessible and available, attending court hearings where damages are in dispute to ensure the best outcome for his clients. One case Dave is particularly proud of is when he supported an elderly client who suffered serious injuries following a road traffic incident. The police had not taken any action against the defendant, so Dave had to be proactive and act within a 24-hour window. The case proceeded and the client was in receipt of £30,000 in damages, which he would not have been entitled to had the client not approached Dave. He is also an avid supporter of Glasgow Rangers and travelled abroad on many occasions to see them play in European competitions.

Gerard Horton

Partner

Gerard is a Senior Solicitor at Cycle SOS. In his 13 years of experience, Gerard has built a national reputation in the catastrophic injury sector, dealing with high value and complex cases. Alongside his legal role, Gerard supports several charities including Headway Central Lancashire, Northwest Regional Spinal Injuries Centre and spinal injury charity, Back Up.

Julia Eyton

Partner

Julia brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Cycle SOS team.

Specialising in representing those who have had life changing injuries, Julia handles some of the most serious and complex personal injury cases both within Cycle SOS and nationally.

She often works on high value claims and is skilled in winning complex liability cases.

NADIA KERR

Partner

Nadia has over 30 years of legal expertise and has represented hundreds of vulnerable road users. With a focus on ensuring timely rehabilitation, speedy repair or replacement of bikes and kit, and securing fair compensation, Nadia is committed to advocating for justice and client rights. Alongside her legal career, Nadia actively participates in national campaigns to benefit vulnerable road users and acts as a Trustee/Director for the national cycling charity, Cycling UK. Nadia was named in Cycling UK’s ‘100 women’ and was a founding member, now running a women’s cycling group, TeamGlow in South Manchester. Among her many achievements, Nadia takes pride in her spot on BBC Breakfast, where she provided expert commentary on long term government funding for pothole repairs.

Caroline Morris

DIRECTOR OF SERIOUS INJURY

Caroline has specialised in personal injury for over 25 years, recovering more than £56 million in damages during that time, to help clients rebuild their lives after injury.

Caroline is committed to achieving rehabilitation options early, meaning her clients benefits from the best care and treatment at the earliest stage possible.