SSAFA Ride to the Somme helmet policy

[The utility cyclist]

Was really interested in doing this charity ride next year, I know the area well and as an ex serviceman myself the cause is a good one and close to my heart, but why oh why oh why is there the insistance on helmet wearing?
Categorically states no helmet no ride.

I'm so disappointed with this but yet it is replicsted eveywhere, given how not wearing a helmet has no negative bearing on safety of a ride or third parties nor as an individual who signs usual waiver forms could possibly claim with respect to such how the heck can these draconian restrictions still so blindly be enforced.
Bloody maddening

[gaz]

The FAQs section says the ride is being organised by White Rock Events Ltd, company number 09754253. It is not clear whether the helmet condition is being set by SSAFA or White Rock Events Ltd.

I wonder if anyone proposes to do the ride in the correct period uniform and whether they will also be obliged to wear a polystyrene hat?

[Paulatic]

I see there is a link between White Rock Events and another company Sarn Helen events. Reading their info they state you MUST wear a helmet at all times. Yet read their advise on getting cycling insurance they emphasise you tell the insurers it is NOT a race but a cycle tour.

[Jon Lucas]

Was really interested in doing this charity ride next year, I know the area well and as an ex serviceman myself the cause is a good one and close to my heart, but why oh why oh why is there the insistance on helmet wearing?
Categorically states no helmet no ride.

I'm so disappointed with this but yet it is replicsted eveywhere, given how not wearing a helmet has no negative bearing on safety of a ride or third parties nor as an individual who signs usual waiver forms could possibly claim with respect to such how the heck can these draconian restrictions still so blindly be enforced.
Bloody maddening

Yes,completely agree, a quite appalling attitude that is blindly followed by so many tour companies.

I know neither this nor the events it is commemorating are a laughing matter, but you do have to wonder whether they haven't taken their pictures too literally, and expect bombs to rain down on the riders.

[The utility cyclist]

The sad thing is is that pretty much every military helmets design is incapable of protecting the head from tbi. A study showing gridiron helmets military etc some years back showeed how ineffective they were.
Given how the military are supposed to assess risk for everything I would presume life jackets for the ferry trip over to France are compulsary too.
I'm going to write and tell them why they won't be getting my money/participation.

[Cunobelin]

Be open and honest .....

Write and explain that you intended to take part, but have been excluded by the helmet requirement.

NO helmet, NO ride.... NO fundraising

Charities need to learn just how much these silly rules cost them

[landsurfer]

The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association are not Military .....
Thats the whole point,,, i think ?

Although it's a weird website, the title is always in lowercase and never in full form, no where could i find "Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association" just "ssafa".
Almost as if their actually embarrassed about what they stand for ...

[[XAP]Bob]

Be open and honest .....

Write and explain that you intended to take part, but have been excluded by the helmet requirement.

NO helmet, NO ride.... NO fundraising

Charities need to learn just how much these silly rules cost them

And ask why the rule is there - what risk assessment has been done by whom?

[The utility cyclist]

The response

"Thank you for your message the second I have received this weekend.

I completely understand your sentiments and have spoken to many people over the years regarding this subject. Both myself and my colleague who organise this event have in excess of 20 years each of experience in organising cycle rides.

The safety of any rider is paramount and certainly accept that the wearing of a helmet does not make up for other behaviours likely to compromise their safety.

Whilst the cycling community generally takes a view that this should be
left to individual choice the governing body for competitive cycling
requires the wearing of helmets in sanctioned events. The BMA recommends their wearing. The Highway Code recommends their wearing.

My own personal experience of seeing the outcome of head injuries that
could have been prevented by the wearing of a helmet places me firmly in the helmet wearing camp. I have also seen a number of accidents, several involving children, where the helmet has clearly reduced the impact of a fall.

Of course as the organisers we support your right not to wear a helmet when riding as an individual when cycling independently but we stand by our Conditions of Entry.

Thank you for taking the time to sebd a message and appreciate that our
view differs from your own"

Sanctioned event for competitive cycling, what laughable drivel.

[irc]

So plastic hats needed to commemorate an event where the participants had a death rate how high?

My grandfather was in France from October 1914 until the end of the war. He was the only one of 4 brothers to get home after the war. Helmets for a bike ride??

[firestarter]

The event isn't compulsory just the wearing if a helmet, if you don't want to wear a helmet don't do the event. If fundraising for ssafa is important to you do it another way if not find an event that doesn't require you to wear a helmet. In life there are tough decisions to be made sometimes, this I'm afraid isn't one of them. Have a nice day

[[XAP]Bob]

The response

"Thank you for your message the second I have received this weekend.

I completely understand your sentiments and have spoken to many people over the years regarding this subject. Both myself and my colleague who organise this event have in excess of 20 years each of experience in organising cycle rides.

The safety of any rider is paramount and certainly accept that the wearing of a helmet does not make up for other behaviours likely to compromise their safety.

Whilst the cycling community generally takes a view that this should be
left to individual choice the governing body for competitive cycling
requires the wearing of helmets in sanctioned events. The BMA recommends their wearing. The Highway Code recommends their wearing.

My own personal experience of seeing the outcome of head injuries that
could have been prevented by the wearing of a helmet places me firmly in the helmet wearing camp. I have also seen a number of accidents, several involving children, where the helmet has clearly reduced the impact of a fall.

Of course as the organisers we support your right not to wear a helmet when riding as an individual when cycling independently but we stand by our Conditions of Entry.

Thank you for taking the time to sebd a message and appreciate that our
view differs from your own"

Sanctioned event for competitive cycling, what laughable drivel.

Didn't they say to tell insurers that it was a tour not a race. Are the support drivers all mandated to wear nomex suits, helmets, Hans devices and 5. Point harnesses.. having seen many people killed on the roads taking these steps as mandated bybthe FIA is only reasonable...

[mjr]

Helmet zealot organiser. The most common reason for helmet compulsion at events?

[The utility cyclist]

The event isn't compulsory just the wearing if a helmet, if you don't want to wear a helmet don't do the event. If fundraising for ssafa is important to you do it another way if not find an event that doesn't require you to wear a helmet. In life there are tough decisions to be made sometimes, this I'm afraid isn't one of them. Have a nice day

you miss the point completely, being told you are not allowed to do something despite your participation being neither dangerous nor illegal is ridiculous at best.
how about if you were told you had to wear a life preserver to do a sponsored swim in shallows of your local beach on a mild summers day or told you must wear a helmet for a sponsored walk. Yeah, just don't do the event because life is full of tough decisions

[profpointy]

This is "creeping compulsion" whereby to be "allowed" to participate you have to comply and by implication support a political position. There is no evidence that helmets give a safety benefit, and compulsion is seen by many as an anti-bike measure -thus forcing helmet wearing is a politcal position completely unlike say "wear the charity t shirt". It is an abuse to use a position of power to push an urelated political agenda.