“We need to stop wiggling our fingers about helmets”; Paradise Lost: Snake Pass no longer open to cyclists?; Ganna’s not-so-marginal gains; Childish puns at Paris-Nice; Prog and Platoon; Cycling > convoluted fuel saving tips + more on live blog
In my new job, I spent too much time explaining why I don’t always wear a helmet.
If we are to reap the benefits of cycling, we need to stop wiggling our fingers and start supporting the kind of infrastructure that will truly keep people safe.
My column for @birmingham_live 👇 pic.twitter.com/pBlZFc6kxu
— Adam Tranter (@adamtranter) March 8, 2022
He’s only been cycling and walking commissioner for the West Midlands for three months, but it looks like Adam Tranter has already had enough of talking about helmets.
In a column for the Birmingham Mail this week, the former mayor of Coventry had his say on this ever-green cycling safety debate, saying that “to make cycling a normal, everyday activity, we need to make the active travel as convenient as possible. ”.
Tranter, who started his new role in December, compared the expectation that cyclists should always wear a helmet to feeling like “you have to wear safety gear or risk being judged by people on Facebook”. whenever you wanted to take a walk.
(I would say you should ignore the opinions of Facebook users when it comes to every decision you make in your life, but that’s just me…)
Tranter also noted that the key to truly keeping cyclists safe, as exemplified by the Netherlands, is not safety equipment but “slower vehicle speeds, safe streets and proper infrastructure.”
“If we are to reap the enormous benefits of cycling,” he wrote, “we need to stop wiggling our fingers and start supporting the kind of dedicated infrastructure that will truly keep people safe.”
Meanwhile, in the land of the pros, UAE Team Emirates’ unofficial cycling safety spokesman Matteo Trentin has praised his helmet after an accident at Paris-Nice yesterday.
“You never understand how important wearing a helmet is until your head is off the ground,” the Italian, who recently spoke about the dangers of cycling in traffic and the need for a helmet, said on Twitter. attitude change among motorists.
You never understand how important wearing a helmet is until your head hits the ground! https://t.co/U4ezWDQhJS
— Matteo Trentin (@MATTEOTRENTIN) March 7, 2022