It is not often, in fact I don't think I have ever asked this community for anything but over the weekend I spent some time with a gentlemen who is truly devastated.

On the 22nd July Ryan Smith was riding his bike to his holiday job working for my cousin when he was hit by a van. Ryan wasn't wearing a helmet when the crash occurred and has been in a coma since this happened. Some of his school friends of which another of my cousins is one have created the following facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/ryansmithfoundation?hc_location=stream

The reason for creating this is threefold:

One to raise funds for the rehabilitation of Ryan when he comes out of hospital.

Two to attempt to get people to sign an epetition to get parliament to debate a law getting all bicycle riders to have to wear helmets.

Three when they hit there funding target towards Ryans rehabilitation they intend to raise funds to help others in Ryans position and raise awareness regarding bicycle safety.

This tragic event has devestated both his father who I met at the weekend and his 4 year old sister who I also met who remains soooo positive that her big strong brother will awaken from his "sleep" and be the same.

Why am I coming here? Well as a community we are very good at liking things, signing things. If you could like the facebook page and raise its awareness on facebook and/or twitter. That would be great, if you could share it so your friends can see it that would be awesome. If you are able to sign the epetition (It may be UK people only who can do this) well I couldn't ask for any more than that.

As well as Ryans plight the driver of the van had just completed a delivery to my cousins business. From what I can understand last week was the first time he had been able to get behind the wheel of a van. Where my family is from in Nottingham they know of 2 people between the age of 12 and 16 who have died in the last 12 months as a result of head injuries obtained whilst riding a bike.

For the sake of a law which makes us all wear helmets in the UK when we ride a bike if it saves someones life then I think it is worth it.

Thanks all for taking the time to read this.

Regards,

El_Nino

Liked, shared and signed Sir!

Wish him all the best!

Thanks

Signed.

Frankly there's no reason not too - this kind of proposal has been doing the rounds for far too long some idiotic opponents (some of them high in Government, sadly) point to the fact that the Netherlands other EU countries don't have such laws.

The difference is, despite the relatively high % of people in the UK (especially the younger age groups) for whom cycling is a main mode of transport, our road system is woefully short when it comes to safety for cyclists - helmets becoming law would make a huge, huge difference.

All the very best to Ryan, my thoughts are with him and his family.

liked and signed, i think this is essential for riders and even though at stages i look a tit i feel a little safer.  This is a law long overdue

Sorry for what happened to Ryan, but taking away people's personal liberties and freedom is not the answer.  If you want to wear a helmet, go right ahead, but don't try taking away the freedom of other people by forcing them to do something they don't want to do.  I don't need the government telling me that they know what is best for me.

And I'm sorry - I don't want to turn this into a debate, but seriously, take that stupid petition out of this and focus your efforts on getting help for Ryan.

Ryan probably wouldn't need as much help if this 'stupid petition' had been debated and passed in parliament. Fuck freedom if it interferes with common sense that could save COUNTLESS lives.

Seriously.. nothing helpful to say? Don't say anything. I found what you said to be extremely rude, Chris. Using a cry out for help to push your personal opinion on a related subject... it just wasn't needed at all.

Sat here feeling a little ill now.

All the best to Ryan and his family and friends.

Sorry Chris I disagree, telling someone to wear a helmet doesn't take away a persons civil liberties. Motorcyclists have to wear a helmet to ride on the road why shouldn't a person on a pushbike riding on a road? People have to by law wear seat belts in cars, does that take awake a persons civil liberties?

However for the people who don't want to maybe they should be charged for the health care they get when the NHS has to put them back together. Or pay personally for the long term care they have to receive as a result of the injuries they have had.

I've been hit by cars/come off my bike and killed my helmets often enough to know that it isn't an affront to civil liberties to mandate the wearing of helmets.

One of my best friends was cycling in front of me last year and a car pulled out in front of him.  The force of the crash split his helmet clean in two.   Have you ever tried to split a helmet in half?  He was in hospital for two weeks and still has the scars on his face where the straps dug in but he's ok, definitely saved by his helmet.

This isn't the law the UK needs, it needs the removal of the bike/car situations that necessitate the need for a helmet.  I understand there are other countries like Holland where this isn't the case but it took the deaths of many, many children on bikes 40 years ago to get to the segregation state they have now.  Since I think this is a Utopian ideal for the UK, given the prevailing attitude is one of "We pay vehicle duty so we own the roads", pushing for this law is as good as us cyclists are going to get so if nothing else.

Being a moron - Apparently now a constitutional right.