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White cycle helmetCyclist wins £2m compensation and calls for helmets to be compulsory
A Greater Manchester cyclist who won £2 million in compensation says his cycle helmet saved his life and is now campaigning for them to be made compulsory for all cyclists.
John Wellock, aged 61 and from Mossley, suffered life-changing brain injuries in September 2010 when a motorist pulled out in front of him on the A62, reports the Oldham Chronicle.
The newspaper says that Mr Wellock has had to give up his job as a self-employed estimator/salesman for an interior-design company.
It adds that his wife Elaine has also had to stop working so she can care for him full-time.
The £2 million settlement followed an admission of liability on the part of the insurers of the driver involved in the incident, which happened in Delph. In 2011, the motorist pleaded guilty to careless driving.
The compensation was approved by the High Court in Manchester, and as part of the settlement Mr Wellock will be able to return to court should he develop epilepsy in the future as a result of his injuries.
He now campaigns for Headway, the charity which wants to make helmets mandatory for all cyclists, and said: “I believe wearing a cycle helmet saved my life.”
He added: “I’ve been campaigning to try and make them compulsory for all. Anything that can be done to improve safety for cyclists is extremely important.”
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
Latest Comments
- momove 2 sec ago
Cheers for the lesson! Wasn't expecting one so was pleasantly surprised, especially getting to find the origin of "laconic"!
- ktache 46 min 27 sec ago
Isn't it a rights issue?
- antigee 50 min 59 sec ago
I've checked on Facebook and stopping the red light running cyclists was simply revenue raising and police time is better spent chasing real...
- Mikezerodown 1 hour 30 min ago
They were before change all systems, then went downhill due to bad adminstration aka CEO who agree to proceed with the worst system I have seen...
- AidanR 1 hour 36 min ago
Same here - it took me by surprise. 10:30am doesn't feel like a dangerous time to cycle; apparently I'm wrong on that.
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If anything, it looks a bit like an SL6
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Other commenters have different views True!
- Daclu Trelub 2 hours 40 min ago
Incredibly bone-headed.
- Sriracha 4 hours 43 min ago
Lidl have a window poster emblazoned, "Black Friday. Starts Sunday".
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85 comments
It isn't a question of good or bad - it is a fact which is one of the explanations for lack of overall beneficial effects of helmet wearing in the evidence I refer to.
Seriously, here is a list of cyclists whose lives were not saved by helmet-wearing:
http://members.shaw.ca/jtubman/deadhelmet.html
Do you have a list of cyclists who didn't die, from being in an accident, whilst wearing a helmet too? Because one list is useless without the other. Drivers are still killed in motor vehicle accidents these days even though cars are fitted with seat belts, seat belt pretensioners, safety cells, multiple airbags and more electronic safety systems than you can shake a leg at.
Nor, indeed, any "an abstract concept saved my life" comments
https://beyondthekerb.wordpress.com/2014/12/12/the-collision-that-never-...
Also, why have we seen no campaigns for compulsory red dresses
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11318824/My-35-little-red-dress-s...
or rucksacks
http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/local-news/rucksack-saved-life-schoolboy...
…?
Here in NZ, the "helmet lady" went on a crusade around the country back in the 80's when her son was clocked off his bike and suffered permanent brain damage. As a result, we got mandatory helmet laws. We also got a significant drop in cycling because a) people think helmets are dorky and b) we had this woman going round the country telling everyone how dangerous it is.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4031829/Aarons-tragedy-spurred-Helmet-La...
Very disappointed in Mr Wellock. When will people realise that a 250 gram Styrofoam helmet only protects against falling off bike type head strikes at low impact and speed. He should be campaigning to increase awareness of cyclist vulnerability by the majority of car drivers. That would achieve far more...
That is a great point. I wear a helmet, but I won't preach at anyone who isn't wearing one. I will rant and scream and complain about all the crap lazy careless driving I see.
If he believed Jesus saved his life would he campaign to make going to church on Sundays compulsory?
And before anyone accuses me of making light of this man's condition, I've seen first hand how brain injuries have devastating consequences; two fit young men I know well suffered head injuries after car crashes. Neither can walk or talk, both require supervision day and night. It's heartbreaking.
do we hear a call for helmets to be worn by all car occupants?...
It would save a lot of lives for sure
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5t64VC3uegQ
Hope link works, found it thought provoking its a video with James Cracknell
I found it thought-provoking too. Mainly it provoked me into thinking that James Cracknell is not very good at critical thinking. It's the same old "I hit my head. I didn't die. I was wearing a helmet, therefore the helmet saved my life" story.
James Cracknell suffers from brain damage to this day. So the helmet wasn't that successful.
James Cracknell was struck from behind by a truck mirror at about 70mph. The rear of cycle helmet is untested. I put it to you that his survival is down to his internal helmet (his skull) and the excellent and speedy medical care he received and not anything he put on his head.
Damn! Damn! Damn! I said I was sitting this one out!
Bugger, I wasn't going to comment either...
As somebody who has hit the back of their head on the deck very hard (mtb'ing) while wearing a helmet, I just wanted to point out that just because something is untested, it doesn't mean that it isn't very effective.
But I'm pro-choice, helmet wearing should not be compulsory.
Without analysis of injury I'd say the jury should remain out.
Very likely a rotational/deceleration injury - helmet little use, and possibly enhances effect by increased leverage, and not sliding on impact.
Impact - some benefit as helmet may reduce impact effects - swelling and pressure on brain this creates.
Lack of proper investigation of what the helmet - head combination did in the crash.
I am glad he has been compensated for what must be a seriously debilitating injury.
In calling for mandatory helmets he adds to the misconception that somehow you are foolish in choosing not to wear one. The knock on consequence will be at some point damages awards will be reduced on the basis of "contributory negligence" if you're not wearing one (as happened with seat belts) and someone further down the line will not get the compensation they need.
Yes, he evidently did suffer brain injuries
"what is something annoying that a cyclist that might do....."
fail to differentiate between improving cyclist safety and mitigating the effects of collisions
wanders off to put on compulsory helmet whilst wondering what magic it will perform today on the skills of drivers and on infrastructure improvement on my ride into central Melbourne
I would hope the anti helmet riders are open minded enough to accept that others can have an opinion differant from there's without getting too upset
An opinion is fine. Attempting to force me into adopting theirs isn't.
Well surely that's all the irrefutable proof we need then.
Lid up, folks, before they make you...
I think this deserves a
Oh, dear. It's hard to know where to start...
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