Cycling & Safety

[tazeem]

Hello
My son is 14 and has just started cycling to our local town. We'd like to encourage him to wear a high visibility jacket and a helmet rather than insist on a rule we cannot enforce. Ideas, suggestions, please. Thank you.

I think a helmet definitely. My two are 13 and 16 and we could not persuade them to wear a hi viz but do wear helmets.

Unfortunately DS came off his bike this summer and got a really nasty injury, which is still being seen and dressed by the nurse 6 weeks later. If he had been wearing a jacket or at least sleeves it would have been better.

Snowfilledsky sorry to hear about your DS's accident . This summer holiday DS2 has taken to going out, previously DS2 a hermit. DH and I were both pleased with that DS2's increased independence, but he refuses to wear helmet and high vis, puts both in a bag as soon as out of sight

I don't know what to suggest. It's great when they suddenly want to start going out and about but there's a whole new level of worry.

Is there a specific reason for not wanting the helmet? Or is is just 'uncool'?

Could you figure out if there's a type of helmet he will wear - even if it's a bit more pricey? DD has a bmx/skater style one which appears to be more cool . . . ( this sort of thing)

Might not be a popular choice but it would be no hat no bike for me. We all wear hats and hi viz on the roads, no one is too cool for that.

I speak as someone who had a very scary few days with a bleed on the brain after a fall from my horse wearing everything available to me.

I am sure that there must be some educational videos out there - I was shown them at school and I am old .

FWIW there is no conclusive evidence regarding the efficacy of cycle helmets.I would insist on mitts/gloves - you are pretty much guaranteed to scuff your hands up if you come off and mitts can make the difference between being able to do anything with your hands or not. I'd also offer to buy a hi-vis cycling jacket. You can also get some really good cycling jeans which look like normal jeans but have Cordura and other armoured fabrics which have excellent abrasion resistance.

I thought helmets were considered definitely of value for children, it was only for adults the evidence was mixed, Punny? (Actually, it's another reason I was happy to cough up for the skater style, because it doesn't increase the risk of torsion injuries in the same way as a standard lid type.)

If DS wasn't wearing a helmet he may well have had a banged head as well as an arm injury so I agree with helmets totally.

My two would not wear gloves or hi viz in daylight in the summer especially.

the balance is in favour of helmets for kids as they tend to do dafter things.

hi-viz is a NO-BRAINER. But it doesn't have to be a flappy jacket - you can get proper cycling tops or even bright yellow sleeves.

Can you make sure he has reflectors on his bike, possibly a reflective strip on the back of the seat etc

Sadik - don't know wrt child vs adult evidence but suspect a 14 year old would fall into the adult camp.

I take it he's already read Cyclecraft or done some training? If you are serious about keeping him safe on his bike that will do far more than hi-vis or helmets.

Also, get him to takeout CTC or British Cycling membership, both of which give excellent insurance.

There have been cases where Insurers try to reduce damages when cyclists who are not wearing hats/hi viz are involved in collisions.

This is often quoted - should wear rather than must wear though

www.gov.uk/rules-for-cyclists-59-to-82

CTC have strongly argued against it

www.ctc.org.uk/blog/admin/your-head-be-it

Sadly, I think it is only a matter of time before contributory negligence for not wearing anything becomes the norm.

The badly brain damaged girl whose case went to the court of appeal when Insurers tried to reduce damages because she wasn't wearing hi vis was 13.5 and judged to be a child.

Sadly I have to read insurance related case law.