# It's just not been a good day for pros and cars



## jd3 (Oct 8, 2004)

Paul Martens Threatened by Motorist While Training
http://***************/2010/01/paul...ng/?utm_source=bikereviews&utm_medium=twitter

Matthias Kessler in Critical Condition After Crash in Mallorca
http://***************/2010/01/matt...ca/?utm_source=bikereviews&utm_medium=twitter

Mauricio Soler Hit by Car
http://***************/2010/01/mauricio-soler-hit-by-car/?utm_source=bikereviews&utm_medium=twitter


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## pretender (Sep 18, 2007)

For the record, Kessler's crash was due to a cat not a car.


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## LostViking (Jul 18, 2008)

Either way, that sucks - especially right before the season starts!
Good healing to them all.


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## pulser955 (Apr 18, 2009)

Looks like Kessler wasn't wearing a helmet. 

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/lack-of-helmet-led-to-kesslers-skull-fracture


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## BCR#1 (Jul 29, 2007)

When are people going to learn that helmets were made for a reason. Wear the damn thing!!!

Bill


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## cyclust (Sep 8, 2004)

You would think that rider's contracts would include a clause requiring them to wear helmets. In the US, NFL football players are often forbiden by their contracts, to engage in certain dangerous activities, such as riding motorcycles, etc. If you are paying a guy millions of dollars a year, you don't want him sidelined due to recklesness or stupidity!


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

cyclust said:


> You would think that rider's contracts would include a clause requiring them to wear helmets. In the US, NFL football players are often forbiden by their contracts, to engage in certain dangerous activities, such as riding motorcycles, etc. If you are paying a guy millions of dollars a year, you don't want him sidelined due to recklesness or stupidity!


which contract?


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## pulser955 (Apr 18, 2009)

BCR#1 said:


> When are people going to learn that helmets were made for a reason. Wear the damn thing!!!
> 
> Bill


In some European countries Pros are exempt from helmet laws. I have always thought that was stupid. I wonder if most pros still don't wear helmets when they are training.


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## rogger (Aug 19, 2005)

pulser955 said:


> In some European countries Pros are exempt from helmet laws. I have always thought that was stupid. I wonder if most pros still don't wear helmets when they are training.


Helmet laws generally apply to motorcycles and mopeds. Cyclists are free to crack their skulls as they please.


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## pulser955 (Apr 18, 2009)

rogger said:


> Helmet laws generally apply to motorcycles and mopeds. Cyclists are free to crack their skulls as they please.


Not true. Allot of places have helmet laws regarding bikes too. If you watch some of the old tour videos were they regularly go with out. If the tour left France for a stage or 2 you would see the pros waring helmets because it was a law in that country. Its actually the law in most of Europe now from what I understand.


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## worst_shot_ever (Jul 27, 2009)

I guess Paul Marten's assailant wasn't too impressed by the 5-year sentence handed down in the Los Angeles case.

I missed the news that Andy Schleck had an incident with a car about a month ago. At least that one was an accident.


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## rogger (Aug 19, 2005)

pulser955 said:


> Not true. Allot of places have helmet laws regarding bikes too. If you watch some of the old tour videos were they regularly go with out. If the tour left France for a stage or 2 you would see the pros waring helmets because it was a law in that country. Its actually the law in most of Europe now from what I understand.


I don't think traffic laws have anything to do with that seeing that during a race (on a closed road) traffic laws do not apply.


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## pulser955 (Apr 18, 2009)

But helmet laws still do. I can rember when they had to start waring helmets in the tour. The big deal was the UCI changed the rules because of fetal crashes and new helmet laws in Europe.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

pulser955 said:



> Not true. Allot of places have helmet laws regarding bikes too. If you watch some of the old tour videos were they regularly go with out. If the tour left France for a stage or 2 you would see the pros waring helmets because it was a law in that country. Its actually the law in most of Europe now from what I understand.


Could you name a few countries? because I'm drawing a blank from the list of countries I've lived or ridden a bike in. Some countries have for minors I believe but that is hardly what is discussed here.


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## pulser955 (Apr 18, 2009)

den bakker said:


> Could you name a few countries? because I'm drawing a blank from the list of countries I've lived or ridden a bike in. Some countries have for minors I believe but that is hardly what is discussed here.


I would have to look it up I'm in the US. But off the top of my head Don't you have to in France now? There is that video around were Horner and the boys from Astona get pulled over on a training ride. The cop doesn't believe there pros.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

pulser955 said:


> But helmet laws still do. I can rember when they had to start waring helmets in the tour. The big deal was the UCI changed the rules because of fetal crashes and new helmet laws in Europe.


fetal crashed?  
that was because of kivilevs crash.


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## pulser955 (Apr 18, 2009)

den bakker said:


> fetal crashed?
> that was because of kivilevs crash.



LOL stupid spell checker.:mad2:


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

pulser955 said:


> I would have to look it up I'm in the US. But off the top of my head Don't you have to in France now? There is that video around were Horner and the boys from Astona get pulled over on a training ride. The cop doesn't believe there pros.


I passed quite a few french cops last week sans helmet without any problems. 
Well, it appears finland has a law, that does not carry any penalty.


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## pulser955 (Apr 18, 2009)

This is the best I can find right now. 
http://zakka.dk/cykelhjelm/cykelhjelm_org_050615_helmet_summary.pdf


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## rogger (Aug 19, 2005)

pulser955 said:


> This is the best I can find right now.
> http://zakka.dk/cykelhjelm/cykelhjelm_org_050615_helmet_summary.pdf


". . .The Netherlands. . . require competetive cyclists to wear a helmet". Funny, all cyclists fall under the category of "bestuurder" in the Reglement verkeersregels en verkeerstekens 1990.


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## RRRoubaix (Aug 27, 2008)

rogger said:


> ". . .The Netherlands. . . require competetive cyclists to wear a helmet". Funny, all cyclists fall under the category of "bestuurder" in the Reglement verkeersregels en verkeerstekens 1990.


"Bestuurder" sounds like an insult I would yell at someone...


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

pulser955 said:


> This is the best I can find right now.
> http://zakka.dk/cykelhjelm/cykelhjelm_org_050615_helmet_summary.pdf


that's still a far cry from most european countries, most of those rules are either for children or organised events.


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## Ray_from_SA (Jun 15, 2005)

RRRoubaix said:


> "Bestuurder" sounds like an insult I would yell at someone...


Bestuurder is actually the word for driver or vehicle operator.


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## ultimobici (Jul 16, 2005)

pulser955 said:


> This is the best I can find right now.
> http://zakka.dk/cykelhjelm/cykelhjelm_org_050615_helmet_summary.pdf


So, basically no European country requires a helmet to be worn outside of childhood or competition. Additionally, the competition element is as a result of the UCI in the wake of Kivilev's death in a bunch sprint.

One country that has mandated helmet wearing is Australia. They have seen a sizeable reduction in serious head injuries at the same time that there has been a similar fall in participation in cycling.


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## pulser955 (Apr 18, 2009)

den bakker said:


> that's still a far cry from most european countries, most of those rules are either for children or organised events.


Yea i guess your right or I just really suck at Google. I can't find any thing about it. I guess i got that impression from cometary in the tour a few years ago.


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## untoothedyouth (Jul 9, 2009)

Thats the last thing Mauricio Soler needs. He and José Rujano had a giant spotlight on them after the TdF and GdI but are fading away forever it seems.


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## Mark Kelly (Oct 27, 2009)

ultimobici said:


> One country that has mandated helmet wearing is Australia. They have seen a sizeable reduction in serious head injuries at the same time that there has been a similar fall in participation in cycling.


Yes helmets are mandatory here. 

Yes the rate of serious injury has fallen.

No the rate of participation has not fallen. 

The suggestion that it has is made (loudly and frequently) by anti-helmet activists but apart from a small drop in participation rate around the time of introduction of the laws (1991) Australia has had a general increase in participation rates over the years as evidenced in This report from Cycling Australia.


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