cycling helmets in the telegraph

[Structaural]

http://www.brake.org.uk/index.php?p=489

 

[Structaural]

Ms Booty cycles around with our 11 month old daughter on the front, we got her a helmet just in case and almost every Amsterdammer carrying a similar child, without a helmet, gives her a funny look (you almost never see helmets in Holland). I think cyclist's arrogance here is sometimes out of hand - I saw a guy carrying a newborn baby in his arms whilst cycling one handed - yeah fine til you hit a bit of diesel... I guess it's better to be cool and dead than uncool and alive.

 

[Orang Utan]

A friend of mine was knocked off his bike and landed right on his head - he was in a coma for two weeks and is still recovering over a year later - he'll never be 100% again and is likely to be on incapacity benefit for the rest of his life. If he'd been wearing his helmet, he'd have been less severely injured for sure.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

Ms Booty cycles around with our 11 month old daughter on the front, we got her a helmet just in case and almost every Amsterdammer carrying a similar child, without a helmet, gives her a funny look (you almost never see helmets in Holland)....

There's a bit more of a cycling culture though isn't there in Holland? Which I imagine would make it safer as a cyclist. More - and decent - cycle lanes, no traffic to speak of in Amsterdam central...

In the UK, and especially in London, everyone is out to get you as a cyclist and you have to use the road or woefully inadequate cycle paths which makes it far more dangerous.

 

[Structaural]

There's a bit more of a cycling culture though isn't there in Holland? Which I imagine would make it safer as a cyclist. More - and decent - cycle lanes, no traffic to speak of in Amsterdam central...

In the UK, and especially in London, everyone is out to get you as a cyclist and you have to use the road or woefully inadequate cycle paths which makes it far more dangerous.

Very true, I cycled in London for years - it makes you a proper urban warrior if you want to survive. The most dangerous way to travel in London but the most rewarding.

Yes, Holland has cycle lanes everywhere, you rarely have to venture into the road. The main risk is your wheel going into a tram track (which happened to me with Ms Booty on the back - pre-pregnancy - in the rain, car pulls up in cycle lane, switch across tracks and get wheel caught - threw us both down instantly, very grazey ), or getting hit by the bastard taxi drivers.

I wish they'd ban scooters from using the cycle lanes though, the little roughnecks...

 

[Orang Utan]

Very true, I cycled in London for years - it makes you a proper urban warrior if you want to survive. The most dangerous way to travel in London but the most rewarding.

Is that actually true? I would have thought that driving was more dangerous. I guess it depends on your definition of dangerous