Compulsory helmet use for cyclists. Yes or No?

Authors Avatar by michaelgaughan97 (student)

                                Helmets: Yes or No?

Pedalling home with only 5km to go till I get a warm cup of tea, put my feet up and watch the football. It was a horrible day not ideal for cycling at all, not quite the glamorous weather you see while watching ‘Le Tour de France’. The rain was lashing down in force; the roads were treacherous which made it very difficult for me to get any real rhythm or speed at all. I was on the main road so the splashes from the cars speeding through puddles were spraying onto my black tinted glasses making virtually impossible to see. I had everything there was to have for a cyclist; Bike, Lycra clothing, Shoes, Mud guards, Lights…. But not a helmet! I thought they looked ridiculous! I tried to take the 2nd exit of a roundabout at high speed when suddenly…. Bang! A large car loses grip and skids straight into me, sending me flying off my bike head-first striking the pavement with my temple. By the time the ambulance came it was too late, blood and debris everywhere! I am now just another statistic just because I never had a helmet…

The first reason why cycling helmets should be make compulsory is the big OBVIOUS one, helmets prevent head injuries! Yes, they do! However big or small helmets will prevent such injures. You can expect to pay around £10 for a decent helmet, which is much less valuable than a human life. Recently the CDC released a statement saying that cyclists who wear helmets are 85% less likely to be killed in an accident, in the USA 91% of cycle-related deaths occurred when the cyclist had not worn a helmet, this number of unfortunate accidents may not have been fatal if the cyclist simply was wearing a helmet! – You can even get them delivered straight to your door nowadays! I myself am a cyclist and I wear a helmet every single time I go out on my bike, for a race or simply just to go to the shop to buy milk! I recommend you do the same before you become another statistic.

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Moreover, cycling helmets aid novice cyclists’ confidence out on the open roads of Britain. They will feel much more at home if they don’t need to worry about head injuries and can concentrate more on the road and how best to get used to their bikes. In Bradley Wiggins’ book: “In pursuit of Glory” Wiggins’ stated that wearing a helmet made him more confident of the open roads, look where he is now! Nowadays drivers are very careless when it comes to passing cyclists on the roads, most give plenty of room and are very courteous but a small ...

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