What nonsense! Duffy's managers and Diet Coke must have assessed the risks and discovered that cycling is a very low risk activity. In fact, given the medical risks of inactive lifestyles and obesity there is a greater risk of not cycling.

The focus on helmets is misleading. The vast majority of serious injuries to cyclists result from collisions with motor vehicles. In the countries where helmet wearing is very common or enforced by law it has been demonstrated that helmets provide very little protection from the injuries caused by motor vehicle crashes. In several of these countries the rate of head injury stayed the same or actually increased when there was a large increase in helmet wearing.

Precisely why cycle helmets have failed our expectations as a safety intervention is not clear. What is required is a much closer examination of the causes of the most serious crashes and the mechanics of the resulting injuries.

Charlie
London