Olympic cycling legend Chris Boardman has sparked controversy by arguing that cycle helmets are not needed for everyday cycling, despite his mother's tragic death in a cycling accident. The 52-year-old, who was hospitalised with a head injury during the 1998 Tour de France while wearing a helmet, claims that helmets offer negligible protection in collisions with motor vehicles.
Boardman's mother Carol was killed in 2016 after being hit by a pick-up truck while cycling. She was wearing a helmet and high-visibility clothing at the time. The driver, Liam Rosney, was jailed for 30 weeks in 2019 for using his mobile phone without a hands-free device before the crash. Boardman said the incident was 'horrifically life-changing' and that he no longer feels safe on Britain's roads.
In a blog post on the British Cycling website, Boardman argued that mandatory helmet laws, such as those in New Zealand, 'cost more lives than they saved'. He explained that around 110 cyclists are killed each year on UK roads, almost all in collisions with motor vehicles, where helmets offer little protection. He also cited a study by Dr Ian Walker from the University of Bath, which found that drivers are twice as likely to pass closely when a cyclist wears a helmet, making collisions more likely.
Boardman's comments came after he appeared in a promotional video for new cycling lanes in Manchester without a helmet, prompting outrage on social media. He maintains that helmets should remain a personal choice and not be made compulsory, as the Highway Code currently advises.
