A shocking accident has Commonspace columnist Ian Dunn pondering the safety of selfishness
A TRUCK hit my brother, Michael, last week. He was cycling up a steep hill in rural Wales, slowly. A mid size white lorry rumbled up behind him.
“I remembering thinking, ‘He’s very close,” he said. “‘He’s really close, he’s hit me!'”
The driver never saw him. He was lucky. A doctor was walking his dog 10 feet away and the first car that stopped contained two nurses.
People who cycle regularly are healthier and happier. The more people who cycle, the better life in this country will be.
He was also smart. An experienced cyclist, he knew if he went to the left he’d smash into a wall, to the right he’d be under the wheels of the truck, so he threw himself forward over the handlebars.
He’s fine, a bit bashed up, a badly bruised leg and a dozen stiches on his head. He’s tough. No lasting damage, thank god.
Of course, there would have been even less if he’d been wearing a helmet, which he’s always refused to do. And rightly.
He’d say mass cycling is a close as you can possibly get to a universal good. It reduces pollution, and congestion in cities, making them much better places to live.
People who cycle regularly are healthier and happier. The more people who cycle, the better life in this country will be.
Helmets are a barrier to that. They dissuade people from taking up cycling by making them wrongly think it’s dangerous.
Helmets are a barrier to that. They dissuade people from taking up cycling by making them wrongly think it’s dangerous. Only eight people died cycling in Scotland last year.
Ten times as many died traveling in cars. Yet no one suggests we strap on helmets every time we get behind the wheel.
If you’re a confident, competent adult cyclist, you should not wear a helmet. Going bare headed sends a message that anyone can cycle. That this is something for all people, of all ages, not just geared up thrill seekers.
Yes, it’s a small thing, but enough small things make a difference. Every person who takes up cycling makes it safer, as drivers become more used to cyclists.
I was in Bordeaux recently. There were cyclists everywhere, all ages, all shapes, and not a helmet in sight. A different culture, but cultures change because enough people want them to. A slight decrease in your personal safety is worth it to improve the lot of everyone.
Like my brother I believe all that. I think it’s right and just and effective. But unlike him, I’m a hypocrite.
I was in Bordeaux recently. There were cyclists everywhere, all ages, all shapes, and not a helmet in sight. A different culture, but cultures change because enough people want them to.
Like my brother, I cycle most days. I’m sensible and confident. I wear a helmet. I’m afraid. Rationally, I think it’s wrong but I’m afraid.
This is more than helmets. Too often in this country we prize our own safety, our own selves above everything. We ignore long term benefits for the fear of losing something we barely have.
We’re all too afraid all the time. And if you’re brave enough to try and break the trend you get hit by a truck.
I don’t know if I’m ready to hang up my helmet. But I know I want to be more like my brother.
Picture courtesy of Bill Rumpel