Wiggo helmet comments

I think one of the funniest thing about helmets is the people I see out of there bikes wearing there helmets around there bars or hanging of a pack.

- just makes you wonder if these people remember to put them on when they get hit by a car..... or fall of there bikes...

It is a large can of worms and some cases a rather circular arguement regarding helmet use. The more we talk about it the more likely the gutter journos will pick up the ball and run with it (the wrong way) could you imagine cycling under a compulsory helmet use law that specifies such a high safety level that it would mean the equivilent of a full face motorcycle helmet

I'm all for freedom of choice. Rarely wear a helmet unless I'm on a sportive.

By way of a comparison I ride motorbikes and would wear a motorcycle helmet even if it wasn't the obligatory due to the high speeds and obvious evidence that a well constructed helmet saves lives but on a bicycle I don't believe there is any evidence that lightweight flimsy helmets achieve the same goals.

Obviously, in a cycle race, riding at crazy speeds, the chance of a fall is significant and head injuries are more likely so the UCI made the right decision about making them compulsory in race events but for leisure it should be left to free choice. If they are made compulsory then they will have to comply with a British standard and the helmets most people wear at the moment would fail any existing impact test. So we would find ourselves in a right mess for existing helmets and new helmets would be more expensive. The next step will be compulsory insurance and road tax.

Check Wiggins Twitter feed, he's clarified his comments.

Wiggo seemed to be asked his opinion (to which he is entitled) but then reported in such a way that suggested he was launching some great campaign for legally enforcing helmet use.

It will of course spark the debate of "It saves lives Vs. Don't tell me what to do".

And then we will all go back to making our own mind up about wearing helemts (I do by the way but think it should be choice not law).

It would have been nice for the BBC to report this story as it should have been (Accident - Report facts - Ask Star opinion - report Star opinion) but are we surprised that the media has 'spun' a story?