U.K. court ruling: helmetless cyclist responsible for own injuries

March 18, 12:03 PMEndurance Sports ExaminerRoman Mica

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Endurance Sports Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Image getting into a bike accident.

You are not wearing a helmet and you get seriously hurt on riding your bike.

And now let's assume that the accident is not your fault.

In the United Kingdom you now could be responsible for a portion of your own injuries.

According to the Timesonline.com:

"A HIGH COURT judge has ruled that cyclists are partly to blame for their injuries if they fail to wear a helmet, even if the accident was not their fault.

The ruling, which has caused consternation in the cycling world, could see damages for injuries cut by 15%. Critics believe it could be a backdoor means of forcing cyclists to wear helmets.

Boris Johnson, the London mayor, has said cyclists have the right to choose between “hatless, sun-blessed, wind-swept liberty” or “helmeted security”.

“In my efforts to do the right thing I have ended up giving offence to both opposing factions,” he said.

“As soon as I started wearing a helmet I was denounced as a wimp. As soon as I was pictured not wearing a helmet, I was attacked for sending out the wrong signal.”