Morning crash story (not me...)

msw

Saw the rider in front of me get hit today at the corner of Kentish Town Road and Royal College Street in London (here: http://www.multimap.com/s/QDGcwTUO). The road filters left and a car overtook him then pulled in too early and sideswiped him - knocked him clean over and he hit the ground full on his side. Luckily it was at low speed, and EXTREMELY luckily he was wearing a helmet - which was split up the side he'd landed on, as his head could have been otherwise.

Thankfully the driver stopped, I got his number and gave it and my own to the (pretty shaken-up but walking and talking) rider. The driver helped him lock up his bike where we were and drove him to hospital - he couldn't have done much more in the circumstances, apart from of course not bloody hitting him by driving badly in the first place. Also on the plus side, 3 or 4 people came up and offered help, clearly ready to look after the cyclist.

Still, a bit of a nervy start to the day. Reminded me why I wear a hat.

always_tyred

Please refrain from making these unsubstantiated claims in relation to protection provided by helmets. There is no evidence that the helmet provided any protection, nor that any injury would have been incurred if a helmet had not been worn.

Indeed, the fact that the helmet cracked suggests that it did not function properly, as they are supposed to compress and not crack. There is no way that a helmet could have compressed and then cracked and even if there was I would be incapable of admitting so.

Did the cyclist's head rotate at all on imact? If so, and given that a cracked helmet means the helmet did nothing, the cyclist was clearly put at a greater risk of rotational brain injury than if not wearing a helmet.

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Hope you don't suffer a vicarious loss of confidence or enjoyment of your cycle commute as a result of someone else's accident.

woodford2barbican

edited to remove way too big an image of a binful of rubbish.

msw

Oh for God's sake. I really didn't want to start the helmet/no helmet debate again, sorry everyone, naive of me. I'm not some kind of propagandist for the helmet industry (Big Helmet?), I was just, like, sharing.

Of course I can't prove he wouldn't have been injured if he hadn't been wearing a helmet. Perhaps if he calls I will ask him to fall under the car again bareheaded.

There is no way that a helmet could have compressed and then cracked and even if
there was I would be incapable of admitting so.

Yeah, probably... let's agree to disagree and drop it eh?

gabriel959

I had an accident a couple of weeks ago, I stumbled on the pavement, and my helmet cracked in two sections, if it had not been there, it would have been my head otherwise ...

xio

My son hurt his elbow jumping off the coffee table the other day. I'm so glad he wasn't wearing a helmet or he could have been seriously injured...

bug-off

Always Tyred, I know that the helmet debate sparks great passion, but to claim that the helmet in this case provide absolutely no protection is clearly complete zealotry. Just as I don't expect gloves to prevent my wrist being broken in a bad fall I value keeping my skin, and avoiding some degree of pain when in a low-level spill.

Take the story for what it is. An accident, and intended to share some news. As for the helmet even an anti-zealot would surely agree that in this one case it saved this guy getting a layer of skin and hair scrapped off his head by lumpy tarmac or car bodywork.

biondino

I think Always Tyred was joking, guys.

woodford2barbican

biondino wrote:

I think Always Tyred was joking, guys.

I think you might be right! If so - that was a perfect bit of trolling.

OldSkoolKona

msw - sorry to hear about the accident today, can shake you up seeing something like that even when you're not involved. Good work on helping out and getting the details.

always_tyred

Yup, just wondered what the reaction might be to some of the arguments that are circulated on the topic.

Prob not fair to hijack the thread though, sorry. I know how wigged I feel when I see two cars collide, let alone a cyclist being left hooked.

_Brun_

What was their position in the road before they were hit? I'm in no way defending the driver, who was clearly culpable, but any cyclist going straight on at that junction without being in primary position is an accident waiting to happen.

Kenitsh Town Road is easily the worst part of my commute, but I find a bit of common sense goes a long way to minimising the danger.

msw

that was a perfect bit of trolling

indeed, I tip my rotational-head-injurer to you. that's what you get when your parody is too good.

"wigged" is the perfect word.[/quote]