Mother dies from bike crash moments after taking this smiling selfie on her way home

[pwa]

My personal opinion is that it is all a balance. Ride one handed and you slightly increase your risk of falling off. How much will probably depend on the individual, road surface, weather, alcohol, state of alertness, etc., etc. So in good conditions then riding one handed might have an irrelevant impact on risk for some. Add other factors and different people will experience different risks. You see these Sky team riders riding without any hands with loads of people and other riders around (after finishing a race) and I assume they are not putting their careers/lives at high risk - maybe because they are experienced at doing this, are full alert, know the road surface is good, have quick reactions, etc., etc. I can't ride no handed for very far atall.

So to guess at what increased risk she was exposed to through her behaviour is difficult particularly when the only source of information is from a newspaper report based on information from her husband who is starting a helmet campaign (and who is relying of reports from her mother).

Ian

We are basing our thoughts on what the woman's family have said. If their reporting of the event is faulty, so are our thoughts about it. My own feeling is that the victim's husband made his helmet comments as a reaction to this catastrophe, and not necessarily with a lot of reasoning. Very understandable. It is a difficult time for him. I wear a helmet and if I went out without it, had an accident and died as a result of not having the helmet I would expect my family to blame me and nobody else for that omission. (I know we can't be sure a helmet would have made a difference here, but that is another point).

[horizon]

It's reached The One Show:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... w-06102016

around 19.50

Basically a three minute national TV advert for helmets. If anyone thinks they aren't worth arguing about then do watch this programme.

[pwa]

It's reached The One Show:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... w-06102016

around 19.50

Basically a three minute national TV advert for helmets. If anyone thinks they aren't worth arguing about then do watch this programme.

It seems like we have several issues going on here. Firstly, a very sad family tragedy. Secondly, questions about the wisdom of cycling one handed for a protracted period in the dark. Thirdly, the potential for helmets to help in a crash (much discussed on this Forum). And lastly, whether someone who thinks helmets offer real protection should take responsibility for their own welfare and wear a helmet voluntarily, or be made to do so.

(None of these observations are meant to imply that helmets do a good job, or the opposite.)

[eileithyia]

Interesting that at least 2 interviewed had 'foreign' accents so possibly come from countries where cycling is considered more of an every day activity for 'ordinary' people and not perceived as a dangerous activity.

What next, helmets because people are accident prone enough to fall over when walking along the street.
What of my former work colleague, earlier this year tripped and fell down some stairs..... sadly dying a few days later from the head injury.... I don't see her family calling for compulsory helmets wearing when we walk downstairs....

[Audax67]

Interesting that at least 2 interviewed had 'foreign' accents...

Don't tell the Tories.

[meic]

What next, helmets because people are

UKIP MEP's?

[Bonefishblues]

It's reached The One Show:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... w-06102016

around 19.50

Basically a three minute national TV advert for helmets. If anyone thinks they aren't worth arguing about then do watch this programme.

I think I just see things differently, perhaps. I just saw a presenter trying to pursue a point and being pretty much rebuffed by some articulate people.

[horizon]

I think I just see things differently, perhaps. I just saw a presenter trying to pursue a point and being pretty much rebuffed by some articulate people.

You're right - there were some good moments too but I'm not sure they were intended! The bit that got to me was the presenter's comment after the piece. It was uncalled for, non-substantiated and yet was given prominent air time - after all, he is the presenter. I wasn't sure whether the reaction to what he said was favourable or not. I am not even sure whether he was entitled to give his views.

[meic]

I am not even sure whether he was entitled to give his views.

Normally I would say people are entitled to their views but dismissing people, for not wearing a helmet, as self evidently stupid, while not wearing a helmet yourself at the time is just as stupid as riding around with a helmet not fastened and asking people why they dont have one on themselves.
What a pity he didnt come across IRC while out conducting those interviews.

[Flinders]

As for riding one handed - not a huge issue in itself we all take swigs from drinks bottles. Doing it while looking at a screen and not the road is risky. I've never taken that risk.

So you don't have a bar-mounted satnav or cycle computer that you ever push a button on while riding? That screen is a hell of a long way further away from where you need to be looking ahead, yet everyone seems to accept them, probably because they are not dangerous, just like taking a selfie.

The current fad of people cycling around looking through their phone cameras for pokemon, often for long times, is far riskier than a quick look at a screen for a selfie or navigation/speed IMO, yet that hasn't had tons of people dying. Perhaps, just perhaps, the road defect has much more to do with this than the selfie?

I only drink from a bottle or look at the computer when I can see a clear level road ahead though; I imagine most people do the same. Taking a selfie would also require you to take your eyes off the road for a lot longer than a glance at the computer (or touching it to get the next screen, which I can do by feel anyway so return my eyes to the road whilst changing screens). I pick up and return my bottle by feel, I don't need to look down, and would have no qualms about dropping it in a crisis- with a camera, one might think for a second first as it is valuable, that second could be one second too long.

It seems to me the blame here for the spill lies with the road defect if the story is correct*, but to take a selfie or use a phone or play a game like pokemon whilst riding is not a good idea, as we all know that roads can have bad surfaces, or have objects left on them. As for helmets, I wear one. My choice. But I don't think they ought to be compulsory, except possibly for children (like riding helmets are for kids but not adults), who will take more low speed spills than adults, where they are more useful. And if an adult chooses not to wear one when they are available, then the results of that choice ought not to be used to make them compulsory for other adults.

*I'd be interested to know how bad the road defect was

[Phil Fouracre]

I am not even sure whether he was entitled to give his views.

Normally I would say people are entitled to their views but dismissing people, for not wearing a helmet, as self evidently stupid, while not wearing a helmet yourself at the time is just as stupid as riding around with a helmet not fastened and asking people why they dont have one on themselves.
What a pity he didnt come across IRC while out conducting those interviews.

Yeah, but! Tis the One Show!! Moronic presenters, moronic sound bites.... signifying nothing?

Interesting that a good number of sensible answers from obviously intelligent foreigners, are these the ones we can now do without, and who are going to be 'sent home'??

Give me bloody strength, alternatively, stop the world, I want to get off

[Flinders]

I am not even sure whether he was entitled to give his views.

Normally I would say people are entitled to their views but dismissing people, for not wearing a helmet, as self evidently stupid, while not wearing a helmet yourself at the time is just as stupid as riding around with a helmet not fastened and asking people why they dont have one on themselves.
What a pity he didnt come across IRC while out conducting those interviews.

Yeah, but! Tis the One Show!! Moronic presenters, moronic sound bites.... signifying nothing?

Interesting that a good number of sensible answers from obviously intelligent foreigners, are these the ones we can now do without, and who are going to be 'sent home'??

Give me bloody strength, alternatively, stop the world, I want to get off

That's how I feel too.....

[tykeboy2003]

"Mother dies from bike crash moments after taking this smiling selfie on her way home"

This is from the Telegraph.
Another sad loss.
But, mixing alcohol, and cycling in the dark while taking a selfie was probably not the best idea.
The upset husband is calling for helmets to be made compulsory.
Maybe a call for not drinking when your cycling in the dark and taking selfies would be a better call.
Sad event and so unnecessary.

Surely a case of Darwin in action, reducing the quantity of "stupid gene" in the gene-pool.

Before anyone jumps down my throat, this is meant to be bit of a joke....

[landsurfer]

I have made the Darwin comment ...and i was serious

[bovlomov]

I have made the Darwin comment ...and i was serious

I think that may be true in the sense that, on average, a group of people making slightly more risky choices are likely to suffer more accidents - and that in a large enough group one may die before they become a parent.

If the comment is aimed at this woman - it is rather crass. We can't be certain about what she was doing or the reasons for her choices. Even if she chose to increase her risk, she wasn't doing anything more reckless than millions of others do around the globe every day. She was unlucky. That's all.

I've heard this Darwin/gene pool comment about cyclists who have died while not wearing a helmet and about climbers who were victims of unusual events. Shall we all retreat into padded cells, in case our temerity (to enjoy life a bit) should in the event of a fatal accident earn us a snide comment?

I doubt Darwin would have had anything more to say about this woman than he would about the rest of us and our ill-advised self-harming lifestyle choices.