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A lawyer known by the press as Mr Loophole has waded into the mandatory helmets and hi-vis for cyclists debate with a typically one-sided rant.
"Thanks to developments in technology cars are now much safer," Mr Loophole, a.k.a Nick Freeman, said. "Cyclists on the other hand are incredibly vulnerable and wearing helmets and sporting hi-vis clothing – which will cut down on deaths and injury – should be made mandatory."
Freeman is known as Mr Loophole thanks to his reputation for getting celebrity motorists off ‘impossible’ driving charges. Clients helped previously reportedly include Jeremy Clarkson, Sir Alex Ferguson and Wayne Rooney.
Helmets, of course, are not designed for impacts with cars, which weigh anything from a ton for small vehicles and much more for larger vehicles, particularly HGVs, which cause a disproportionate amount of deaths in urban areas.
British cycling earlier this week called for the restriction of HGVs in cities as two cyclists in as many weeks were killed by a HGV in London.
Department for Transport figures recently revealed more (118) cyclists were killed in 2012 than the prior year, with serious injuries also rising four per cent.
Freeman added: "Undertaking when approaching left turns, ignoring red lights, not being visible in low light conditions and mounting pavements are just a small number of practices that are commonplace.
"Enforcing this kind of (equal to motorists) legislation is in the best interests of all road users. It will tackle slipping road safety standards head on. They (cyclists) are a danger to themselves and other road users."
Cyclists, however, are not protected by a metal shell and typically don’t kill others in the few collisions reported in the DfT stats.
One saving grace of the comments, was Freeman’s thoughts on cycle training from a young age.
"The cycling proficiency course that many of us undertook as youngsters was an excellent way of teaching cyclists the correct way to use our roads safely and responsibly.
"Courses like this should be made compulsory for cyclists using public highways. To pass it means reaching a certain level of competency and an understanding of the rules of the road."
