A video has been posted on YouTube showing a close pass of an 8 year-old girl on her bike, by a driver in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.

The video was posted by Tim Lennon, the secretary at the Cycling Embassy of Great Britain and shows his daughter cycling in front of him.

A Range Rover passes the pair despite a Tesco delivery van travelling on the opposite side of the road. As the van approaches, the driver of the Range Rover veers to the left towards the girl with the oncoming van braking to avoid a collision. Fortunately, the girl was not hurt.

Mr. Lennon also posted a video of the incident on Twitter, copying Richmond Police on the tweet.

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Richmond Police subsequently responded to advise Mr. Lennon that he can report the incident at a police station.

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337 COMMENTS

      • Retarded statement. Better sweaty than brain dead. So you think motorcyclists should ditch the helmets and leathers in the summer too?

        • … I am trying to work out the thought process here

          Then I realised that Guyblin is right.

          The helmet would have magically prevented the appalling driving and with a magic forcefield have pushed the vehicle to a safe distance, teleported the Tesco van out of the way to avoid the consequent collision that this would have caused and all would have been well

          Otherwise I cannot see how a helmet would have had any effect whatsoever in this simple case of dangerous driving

          • A helmet helps protect you if you hit your head on a hard surface, if the car knocked her off the bike & she landed on the pavement for example. Or she could have just fallen off the bike for all manner of other possibilities. You could argue that they do not prevent brain injury but seeing as the father appears to be wearing one & the girl isn’t wearing suitable clothing makes him somewhat careless. I’m not sure why that is so hard to understand.

    • Would you have been saying this if she would have been walking?
      It does my head in that some people think you can’t cycle without wearing a helmet whilst more pedestrians and car passengers get killed and seriously injured on a daily basis but nobody questions the fact that they were not wearing a helmet. By the way helmet’s impact design speed is usually around 12mph wearing a helmet could have potential risks as well as benefits. Just recently amateur boxers are banned from wearing headgear in a bid to reduce the number of head injuries.
      If there is a case for wearing a cycle helmet it is no greater than wearing a helmet whilst driving, walking, clubbing, climbing a ladder, playing rugby etc. and it is less of a case than wearing a helmet whilst playing or even watching football statistics clearly prove this.

      By the way several studies have reported that bicycle helmets can increase rotational acceleration. Rotational acceleration is the primary cause of brain injury.
      inor head injuries are usually as a result of linear acceleration of the skull by impact with another object. Cycle helmets may produce benefit by reducing and spreading this force.

      More serious injuries, on the other hand, are often as a result of angular or rotational acceleration, which leads to diffuse axonal injury (DAI) and subdural haematoma (SDH). These are the most common brain injuries sustained by road crash victims that result in death or chronic intellectual disablement.
      Cycle helmets are not designed to mitigate rotational injuries, and research has not shown them to be effective in doing so.
      To the contrary, some doctors have expressed concern that cycle helmets might make some injuries worse by converting direct (linear) forces to rotational ones. These injuries will normally form a very small proportion of the injuries suffered by cyclists, but they are likely to form a large proportion of the injuries with serious long-term consequences. In this way helmets may be harmful in a crash, but this harm may not be detected by small-scale research studies.

      • If you think a styrofoam bucket is the solution, you are looking at the wrong problem. Eliminate the problem of an idiot in charge of the motor vehicle and the helmet is a redundant solution.

        • Eliminate the problem of a guy taking his 8-year-old on a busy road on a pushbike and the helmet argument is also redundant. No excuse for the ahole in the Range Rover… but seriously? An eight-year-old on the road? There is no effing argument. There should be a way to arrest the father, who clearly has camera gear on a helmet and wears leather gloves while his kid has no safety apparel whatsoever. Daddy Douche-bag.

          • You call that a busy road? At any rate the fault is entirely with the poor and dangerous overtake by the driver. All cyclists are vulnerable road users, and need space when being passed. Impatient/incompetent drivers are a danger to all – note how the truck had to slow up. The father as well as the child also suffered a close pass here too. Though our children did wear helmets, the lack of a helmet is a side issue, and that 8 yr has every right to be on the road with her father.

    • make sure your kids have them whilst walking or going in the car right…worse/same risk respectively, what’s that, you don’t? HYPOCRITE!

  1. He wants to get his priorities right, get the little girl used to wearing a helmet, tool, I agree the pass was dangerous and wrong but for god sake get the basic safety precautions right first

    • I think he made that clear in his comment, but a lid could be the difference between life and death, the air push could be enough to knock her over without hitting her, if she hit her temple on a curb she could die, if she is wearing a lid, she could live!

      • you’re utterly wrong, yet another who believes plastic hats have magical properties!
        please quantify with evidence the max tested design of cycle helmets, now go ask a materials engineer to put you right! maybe you force your kids to wear helmets to walk to school right, seeing as it’s irresponsible not to given the facts regarding pedestrian head injuries!

        • I flipped my bike two weeks ago going down a trail as the recent cooler weather lifted up a rough patch. Most of the impact was luckily in my hands as I was able to catch my bars before flipping. I hit the left side of my head and LUCKILY or “Intelligently” I was wearing a helmet. Tony – screw your head on straight before something so simple has life altering effects. And if not for yourself for the others that are around you or better yet that people that DO care about your safety!

        • Sorry Tony but you are wrong, I am a cyclist and have been for years and know many that have been saved because of a helmet. I have two friends who both have been knocked of their bikes in last six weeks. One is recovering from broken ribs, concussion and a punctured lung, the other is has been in an induced coma and if he recovers it will take 2 years and guess what the one who is walking wore the helmet. He was clipped at over 25 mph in a similar situation to the above and would have been killed or had life changing injuries without it. Granted it will not save you all the time but why take the risk with a child who cant make a choice.

        • Tony, why don’t you should conduct an experiment – away and hit your head off a kerb wearing a helmet, then do the same without? (Make sure you do it in that order though, or you won’t get a chance to do both…).

    • Ian Stapleton people are allowed to ride on the road without helmets at present, however it is the responsibility of the father to ensure the safety of his child

      The fact that she is not wearing a helmet is unsafe in itself

      I agree that there is also fault on the part of the driver, but there are faults on both ends here

    • I live in Australia where helmets are mandatory. My point is no matter what, mororists have responsibility to ensure safety when they opperate a vehicle.
      I live in a town with no bicycle infrastructure. I have no choice but to ride on the road with my children. We are entitled legally to be there, and be safe in doing so. Whilst I do my best to ensure their safety my hands are tied when a dick like this is behind the wheel.
      Helmet or not, age is irrelevant. The driver is where the blame should be aimed…full stop…especially as there was a child there.
      Come on, what kind of grub opperates a vehicle and thinks this is acceptable to a child.
      I’m sure the father would’ve been comforted that she was wearing a helmet as they dragged the body of his daughter from under a 2 tn vehicle.
      Yes helmets may prevent head injuries when you fall, but they do little to protect 2 tn of metal crashing into you.
      Point the finger where it deserves to be.

    • Interestingly the parent I assume appears to be wearing a helmet with camera attached. Is his head more valuable than his daughters. Yes the point of it not helping should a car drive over here but let’s get the basics right from our end. There’s no excusing the RR and I don’t think anyone is making excuses. Hopefully the RR driver is dealt with accordingly.

    • You could actually read some of the statistics about how little helmets actually protect…or you could continue to judge someone based on your I’ll informed world view.

      Let’s not shift the focus away from the four thousand pound deadly machine being operated illegally and unsafely.

    • So if someone is assaulted then we’ll start the conversation with asking what they were doing there, what steps did they take to prevent it, and could adding mace or some other active deterrent have prevented it?

      Why not focus on the person acting illegally? This mindset of looking for a reason to blame the cyclist is why we aren’t making more advancements in cycling safety. Blame the driver, prosecute and punish them. If we could raise as much hell toward bad drivers as we do toward cyclists and the possibility they didn’t do everything they possibly could, then maybe cars would be a little less likely to run over us. Maybe we could force change in laws, so that the person operating a vehicle likely to cause death in the event of a collision has a much greater legal responsibility than the person whose bike would likely scratch a car in the same collision.

    • I only know of one who had a head injury but several with broken ribs, collar bone and arm. The lady with concussion was wearing a helmet BTW.

    • What makes you think a helmet would help in this situation? You’d have a mashed body and perhaps a mushed head. His priorities are teaching safe riding. The car was at fault not the father.

    • So at 12mph your good and 12.5mph you’re all out of luck Good one Mary makes sense. Jason I get your point but the issue I was raising is that it’s careless of the parent to let a child cycle without a helmet. Plenty of folks out there already rightfully pointing out the stupidity of the driver. As a cyclist/parent myself we need to look at our own common sense also.

    • It’s not just about what you see in the video, course the car would kill parked on your head, but let’s say the little girl had a little spill at low speed, is it not far better to have her head protected? Do the people have the attitude of it won’t save her anyway think it’s ok to leave kids un restrained in cars also? Because if a truck runs over the car the seatbelt wouldn’t save them anyway? A certain fog clouds peoples judgement on topics like this, sad fact of the Internet I suppose

    • I’m not debating helmets either way. That’s looking for fault with the victim.

      I could come up with lots of helpful advice for your daily activities that could make them safer, like only talking baths so you don’t slip in the shower, and using an electric razor to minimize the risk of a cut that could lead to a deadly infection. Those are your choices. Being assaulted with a deadly weapon is not your choice. Let’s keep the focus where it belongs, on the criminal not the victim.

    • make sure your kids have them whilst walking or going in the car right…worse/same risk respectively, what’s that, you don’t? HYPOCRITE!

      • Ok, you’ve attempted to make this point 2/3 times now….it is safer to wear a bike helmet than not to, right?
        Would you take your 8yr old daughter out for a ride along a busy road without a helmet on?

        I agree the driver is in the wrong, i imagine he didn’t see the child in front of the adult and thought he could nip round in time, which is not right anyway but that’s what i think has happened.

    • make sure your kids have them whilst walking or going in the car right…worse/same risk respectively, what’s that, you don’t? HYPOCRITE!

      • You’ve made that point about 8 times. Please believe me when I say that repetition is not making your argument any more compelling.

        • To be fair noone has countered his point, Show me a study that proves cycling helmet effectivenes at saving lives, you wont find one.

  2. Tim Lennon, the secretary at the Cycling Embassy of Great Britain, watching this whilst recovering in hospital after having been taken out by a van on my bike; my helmet was cracked and bits hanging off, but it did it’s job , just a jaw being put back together now rather than a head injury, how this person in this position does not ensure maximum safety for his daughter I don’t understand, yes the driver needs a cyclist aware course before they do something with worse consequences.

    • so your helmet cracked…ergo it failed, your skull took the brunt of the impact, fact. Now, I bet you insist yourself and your kids wear helmets whilst walking or going in the car right…worse/same risk respectively, another fact, what’s that, you don’t? HYPOCRITE!

      • The helmet cracking/compressing is a design feature, a non collapsible helmet would transfer more force to through to the skull and increase the chance of brain injury from lower impact injuries. The design of any protective item takes into account many factors, a helmet with 100% protection does not exist and making it heavy and unwieldy reduces the chances that it will be worn and would restrict vision and head movement. By their nature, such helmets are a compromise.

      • The helmet cracked and dissipated some of the energy that would have otherwise all been applied to the skull. Clearly did its job. Ergo you are a knob.

      • Tony, where do your facts come from about the helmet failing? The helmet cracked doing its job! They are designed to crack, or fail as you put it, to spread the forces from an impact. Think of it this way, your skull protects your brain in the same way a helmet does, it breaks to protect your brain. I think you should give up on your comments as your not really gonna get anywhere calling people hypocrites.

        • Sorry guys, the helmet cracking means it went beyond its limits and failed, they are designed to compress and not crack. Some force may have been dissipated but that is likely to be small as they are not designed to protect you at anything beyond 14 mph impacts.

          • Jonathan….I know this is old, but you are so wrong. Car seats have the same feature now as do cars. Just because my bumper/hood/whatever cracks/breaks when it is compressing in an accident does not mean it failed to do what it was meant to do.

  3. As per below, totally irresponsible that she’s got no helmet on. But the drivers a complete idiot, overtakes a kid when there’s something coming on the other side of the road. If that van had clipped the Range Rover then it was curtains. Another example of total lack of patience when a few seconds later there’s a totally clear road ahead. Definitely needs police intervention for this

  4. Cyclist wants a kick up the hole bringing his daughter out on the road with no helmet…..!!!!!
    Path on the left hand side too if needs be, why the fook would you risk it with your own children, then posts a close pass.
    To be fair the Range Rover did slow right down but that girl should never been in the road in the first place.

    • The girl was cycling perfectly with no wobbling. Cycling on the path is illegal. She also needs to learn to cycle and be aware on the roads and observe the rules. I assume he thought it would be safe with himself tailing her closely, you never expect that type of danger. Agree it was stupid not having a helmet and a high viz vest, my kids don’t get on their bike without them.

    • I cycle a hell of a lot every week and in my honest opinion it’s not that bad, had it been an adult then I’m sure not much would be said but it’s a child…!!!!
      The issue here is a relatively close pass on a child, who wouldn’t have the experience or knowledge to hold a line etc and so forth.
      I actually doubt the driver even knew there was a child in front of this cyclist when he passed although that does not condone what he did.
      He should never have brought her out on the road full stop with safety gear, he’s a blood fool full stop.

    • I bet you insist yourself and your kids wear helmets whilst walking or going in the car right…worse/same risk respectively, what’s that, you don’t? HYPOCRITE!

    • The discussion about the helmet is as irrelevant as the topic of cyclists and red lights…. this is about a driver in a range rover thinking he has more right to be on the road than an 8 yr old on a bicycle.

    • As much as I detest bad drivers and especially Jeep drivers who do think they own the fooking road……
      The point is that the father whilst posting up the bad behaviour of the driver in question has actually highlighted his bad behaviour in putting his daughter in that position.
      Look at all the comments relating to that fact.
      Yes I agreee it was a dangerous situation but you put controls in place to minimise the danger.
      I.e. Stick a fucking helmet on your daughters head……!!!!!
      Don’t bring her out on a busy road and expect her to be confronted with all the safest drivers in the world.
      This whole video highlights the parents apparent blindness to his actions while criticising others actions.

    • Helmet no good over 12 mph. Cyclists do not need to ride on paths. I wouldn’t dream of it. You are N absolutely, knob, making excuses for the range rover. Pathetic person making pathetic excuses for pathetic driving. We’re you driving it by any chance
      .

    • Mary Arnold your obviously an uneducated prick, try reading my comments in detail and understand what I’m saying I am not making excuses for the Range Rover driver. Or for pathetic driving.
      As regards to your dimwit comment on helmets at 12mph go test it out and maybe knock some sense into you you fucking moron.
      A helmet saved my friends life when he was hit by a twat in a Range Rover and he was cycling at 25mph….!!!!
      Go troll somebody else ok somebody who hasn’t got the brains to quantify your uneducated shite.

    • Your a prick!
      Cycling is illegal on footpath the gut and girl are correct and while people moan about no hi-viz or helmet it’s not the law. But giving 1 metre clearance is! Dangerous driving and driving without due care and attention is what he should be charged with.

    • Please, let’s hear more about how it’s their fault they were legally cycling when they were nearly hit by a criminal driver. Please make it their fault some more.

      You could get a job helping insurance companies reduce payments and sharing fault onto cyclists hit by negligent drivers. I applaud your choice of priorities.

    • Seriously…..!!!!!!!
      Yes it’s the drivers fault and yes there should be a law for a safe passing distance, I do not know the law in the U.K. In regards to this but I know in Ireland there is not and I fully support the campaign here and elsewhere for the …,

      “Staying alive at 1.5m”

      I offer a balanced statement and get slated…. really

      I have in numerous occasion had near misses and been knocked off my bike and feel I can offer an experienced viewpoint on this.

      And yes it’s not law to wear a helmet but that as a parent to 3 children wouldn’t stop me sticking s helmet on them to safeguard them ffs….!!!!!

      I truly despair that both Jason and Ian somehow think I support the fuckwit of a driver of which I don’t.
      Would you go out on a busy road with your 8 yr old and not stick a helmet on them.?

      Cycling as far as I know isn’t illegal on a footpath either but I stand to be corrected. I’d rather get pulled by the law for cycling on a footpath with my daughter than watch gobshites in Range Rovers drive as close as that to her.

    • Ian Cooper I actually agree with you but I’m a prick ….!!!! Really for what….!!!!!
      For having an honest opinion in the video…. Fuck off.!
      Driver is in the wrong absolutely but my point is that the cyclist is highlighting that very point yet also highlights that he has no common sense for the safety of his daughter.
      There are many variables you can control and many more you cannot so why put your children at risk…..????

  5. Exactly what is the point that is being made in castigating this chap for his daughter not wearing hi-viz and a helmet – the issue here is a close pass by a large 4×4 that should not have happened. In no way does hi viz and a helmet absolve a driver from not obeying the Highway Code – this is the nonsense of contributor negligence that insurers attempt to use to wriggle out of paying out in more severe instances. It may be good practice to wear these items in good visibility and on roads but there is no requirement to do so. Hi viz and helmets offer no benefit when a large 4×4 runs you over

    • Perhaps …. only perhaps the driver might have noticed the child hiding in front of her dad had she been wearing a high viz. Also had the wing mirror clipped her as he raced past and she had been thrown down on the kerb well again perhaps a helmet may have saved her life. Safety gear is only there to protect you in the extraordinary perhaps situations, of which this may easily have been one.

    • My comment is neither ignorant nor stupid and is in fact well informed from several research studies that have been undertaken about cycling safety. More importantly my point is not advocating the wearing or non-wearing of helmets it is addressing the issue that the father was being castigated for his daughter not wearing a helmet when the actual only issue that should be being commented upon is the very poor driving.

    • Graeme Cook I don’t think anyone is saying the driver was not dangerous … and yes I see your point about victim blaming, however, it does no harm to take every precaution to help yourself avoid trouble. The video would have looked a lot different had that father had his child in the appropriate gear.

    • Alan Shepherd I appreciate your point but to be honest much research indicates that the video would not have looked any different had the daughter been wearing a helmet – most likely the driver would have driven the exact same and some research indicates that drivers behave with less caution when cyclists have helmets than they do when the cyclist do not…if you cycle in many European cities you will see a majority of people not wearing helmets.

    • What do you call a Cyclist that isn’t wearing a helmet???
      An organ donor.
      Harsh but true. I was almost an organ donor. I was hit by a car wearing no helmet. I have a brain injury. I am 39. No child should suffer what I suffer / suffered. There’s no excuse.

    • People here commenting on a helmet saving you from impact with an RR – of course it won’t. What it will do though is protect your head from the impact against the ground, the kerb or street furniture. The RR guys was a tool, no doubt, but if the child fell because she got a fright, and there was no contact at all, then the case for a helmet – and hi-viz stands.

    • I agree the pass is totally unacceptable, but as a cyclist and a parent its totally unacceptable to have a child on the road with no helmet. You cant prevent a car hitting you, but you can certainly minimise the damage by being responsible and wearing a helmet. Chris Weeks wat u think?

    • No Graeme Cook you fucking Mongoloid!!!! Yes the close pass is ‘an’ issue but unfortunately the issue is lost when compared to The MUCH LARGER TRANSGRESSION of having a child out on the bike on the fucking road with no helmet!

      You are a special kind of moron! I hope you are not a fellow cyclist! Because you and this total and utter WAZZOCK who took the photo gives us cyclists a bad rep!

      There should be no debate here! You’re interpretation of this is asinine!

    • Such nice comments Chris Weeks it really shows your level to resort to swearing and insults to get across your point, which is of course wrong. Take a look around most other European towns and cities and you will see the majority of cyclists not wearing helmets. So I assume you believe their are all idiots etc. And so you are clear I am a cyclist and I ride a lot of miles and I wear a helmet but that is not the point it is a rider’s choice to wear one. The issue here remains the driver. Nothing else.

    • You know wearing a hi-viz and helmet means you are more likely to be hit by a car, as drivers pass closer to people wearing safety gear than when they do not.

      I also hope many of you wear helmets in the car and when out walking as your more likely to hit your head in both of those cases. You know since you are all about safety and that.

    • I’m sorry but I owe my life to a helmet. And thankfully when hit on my bike at 100 km/ph by a Ford Explorer it was the only difference learning to walk and my family learning to live without me. So helmets do make a difference!

    • Shaun Smith not sure who you are calling a clown…but if you read through the comments and understood them you would realise the point of this thread was that the father should not be lambasted for his daughter not wearing a helmet and that it’s the driver who should be criticised. There is no argument about wearing or not wearing helmets that’s a personal choice.

    • Graeme Cook you are a moron!

      It shows my level of…what? I was swearing for effect! It’s fun!

      The issue is still beyond your comprehension. The reality is the driver didn’t hit the cyclist! The reality is if that little girl had lost her balance and fallen off her bike even at say 7 or 8mph she could have hit her head on a curb and been seriously injured!

      You are an absolute disgrace of a cyclist! I’m ashamed that people look at you and might judge me as a cyclist!

      You’re a balloon!

    • Graeme Cook there is an argument about helmets you clampet!

      Or haven’t you noticed one going on here!

      A clue might be all these people here calling you a moron and a clown!

  6. If I was to take my kids out on their bikes I would have gone through that park on the left so I didn’t have to worry about cars or the kids not sticking to a straight line near the side of the road.

    • do you insist yourself and your kids wear helmets whilst walking or going in the car, what’s that, you don’t? …worse/same risk respectively compared to cycling. Fucking HYPOCRITE!

  7. Driver should lose license. Parent has broken no law. Driver would have failed driving test doing that so don’t see why should be allowed to drive on now. Great that the child is riding on road if can handle a bike, why shouldn’t she? I choose to wear a helmet and get my 8 year old to wear one when he rides on pavement or road but know it’s not in the top twenty things that will keep him safe whilst riding. Far more dangerous for the girl to be unfit and/or obese like 80% of kids her age. Well done to Dad for encouraging and supporting and showing child it’s a normal thing to do, she doesn’t need to dress up like a Christmas tree people to ride a bicycle! Looking at the comments on here it shows how even cyclists are brainwashed to look at other cyclists like second class road users.

  8. Shouldnt be on the road….full stop.. car and motorbike not allowed until they are 16…no law so requires common sense…Since the parent doesnt even have the common sense to get the child a helmet then what do we expect….?

    • I guess that you don’t have the common sense to insist yourself and your kids wear helmets whilst walking or going in the car so you should all stay indoors always, y’know coz…worse/same risk respectively compared to cycling. Yeah, another who knows nowt!

  9. As I said below: Perhaps …. only perhaps, the driver might have noticed the child hiding in front of her dad had she been wearing a high viz. Also had the wing mirror clipped her as he raced past and she had been thrown down on the kerb, well again, perhaps a helmet may have saved her life. Safety gear is only there to protect you in the extraordinary perhaps situations, of which this may easily have been one.

  10. To the people remarking about the child not wearing a helmet, are you all crazy?! Although I agree that regardless of where they’re riding she should have a helmet, THAT IS NOT THE PROLEM HERE!!!! The problem is the jerk behind the wheel of the vehicle. It’s more important for him to rush to the next stop sign then thinking about that child’s life, the the fathers for that matter.

    Its amazing that the first comment here had nothing to say about the driving instead pointing out the helmet. F*^kin dummies.

    • By that standard if a cyclist isn’t wearing a helmet. And you run them over because your a bad driver it’s the cyclists fault for not wearing a helmet? She could be wearing 12inches of bubble wrap if you knock someone off their bike with your 2 tonne death box… Its still YOUR fault. That said if it was my kid I would insist on wearing a helmet. The bike path however is clearly banking off to the left. They could be turning right further along in the video so lets not make assumptions on where they were going. Cycle paths don’t lead to everywhere

  11. Stop feeding the war between bicycles and cars!! We’re both in this together.
    Both need to get used to each other on the roads. It takes time. Years.

    In my opinion it’s extremely dangerous to take a little girl cycling on a road like that! The pass was dangerous too, obviously. But the thing is… people make mistakes. We’re only human. People might underestimate the speed of an approaching vehicle, misjudge the distance.
    Keep room for error of all participants. Even if you’re right… wouldn’t you rather be unharmed?
    Learn from each other. Get familiar with both positions on the road. That’s what matters.

    And hopefully everyone gets used to cyclists on the road. Even the cyclists themselves.

    Warm greeting from the Netherlands. (Where it’s never 100% safe, despite the great infrastructure.. but at least we’ve learned through the years)

  12. The girl’s parent didn’t contribute to what could have been a very nasty accident by not getting his daughter to wear a helmet. The fault is entirely the driver who is driving without due care and attention. Drivers need to lose their licences much more easily for making errors of judgement like this.

  13. One issue is the lack of separated cycle lanes, but that’s a big issue in the U.K. As a while, looking at this stretch of road there’s plenty of grass that can be put to good use to create a 2 meter wide cycle lane

  14. what’s with the preoccupation with her lack of a helmet? Do helmets magically prevent death by being flattened by a goon in a car? No, they don’t.

  15. God, I just knew there would be loads of comments about the lack of Helmet the moment I watched the Video. I rode all the time from 9 to 17 in 70’s and 80’s no helmet and I came off loads my head is still intact. It is a block polystyrene barely crash tested FFS

    I take my daughter who is 12 out on the roads and it bloody scary how drivers behave, why should cyclists have to live in fear of getting swiped by arseholes who have no patience and no sense of what it feels like to be close passed or clipped. She and I wear a helmet mainly because of the frothing from other people (as exampled in these posts) rather than any safety reasons. I came off a few years ago at speed broken shoulder no head injury or helmet damage and the first thing the consultant asked me was I wearing a helmet! Which is the second reason I wear one to avoid any victim blaming should one these impatient idiots does take me out one day..

  16. The responses are classic examples of how the, frankly, minor issue of whether she should be wearing a helmet are detracting from the huge issue of the range rovers dangerous and irresponsible driving.

    Tim like the rest of us has all the information available to him, I expect he has studied it in greater depth than most here too, and he has decided that his daughter doesn’t need to wear a helmet.

    Whether she was wearing a helmet or not will have no bearing on the drivers behaviour and is victim blaming nonsense.

    Don’t get caught up in the deflection of the helmet issue, focus on the drivers utterly appalling and dangerous behaviour. He could easily have killed her and a helmet would have made no difference.

    When are we going to see such dangerous behaviour as the driver’s be challenged and punished, he shouldn’t be on the road if he thinks that driving like this is safe. It was so easy to avoid putting Tim and his daughter in such a perilous position.

    • Horseshit , helmet is not the issue here . Driver is a w***er , end of . You’ve obviously never been hit by a car whilst cycling , I have . Helmet was inconsequential during the collision. You’ve taken the opportunity to bash cyclists, you my friend are the tool.

    • I’m so pleased you commented Paddy Cooke Snr. Here we go. I’ve been cycling for 20 years, both road and mtb. In that 20 years I’ve been hit by 2 cars, being fortunate to only hit the bitumen once as a result. In that 20 years I’ve also had a couple of crashes that have been my fault because guess what, I’m not perfect and I (as a cyclist) make mistakes too. My attitude towards this bloke is not an attack on a ‘cyclist’ as you claim, it’s an attack on him as an irresponsible father. If he wants to exercise his right to not wear a helmet on his own head, fine (although his GoPro is obviously mounted ON HIS OWN HELMET!!!), but to have his 8 year old daughter riding a bike on a busy narrow road without a helmet and assume that a car is not going to make a mistake, or that an 8 year old on a bike is not going to make a mistake either is at a bare minimum negligent on his part. If a car hits her, she come off and hits her head on the kerb he’ll blame the driver. If she hits a stick or a stormwater grate, comes off and hits her head on the kerb will he blame her??? Either way, him having the ability to blame someone won’t change the outcome of his daughter being in hospital (or worse).
      This guy is gambling his DAUGHTERS life with HIS philosophical ‘pro choice’ rights.
      As a cyclist there are certain accidents where a helmet simply would not help you (you’re likely deceased), but you cannot refute the fact that wearing a helmet (properly) significantly reduces the risk of suffering serious head injury in the vast majority of bike accidents, whether involving a car or not.
      Now, if believing that we should do everything within our power to protect our children, from both themselves and others makes me a ‘tool’, I’ll wear that badge with pride my irresponsible friend……

    • I’m so pleased you commented Paddy Cooke Snr. Here we go. I’ve been cycling for 20 years, both road and mtb. In that 20 years I’ve been hit by 2 cars, being fortunate to only hit the bitumen once as a result. In that 20 years I’ve also had a couple of crashes that have been my fault because guess what, I’m not perfect and I (as a cyclist) make mistakes too. My attitude towards this bloke is not an attack on a ‘cyclist’ as you claim, it’s an attack on him as an irresponsible father. If he wants to exercise his right to not wear a helmet, fine, but to have his 8 year old daughter on a busy narrow road and assume that a car is not going to make a mistake, or an 8 year old on a bike is not going to make a mistake is at a bare minimum negligent. If a car hits her, she come off and hits her head on the kerb he’ll blame the driver. If she hits a stick or s stormwater grate, comes off and hits her head on the kerb will he blame her?? Pretty big gamble simply to exercise your philosophical ‘pro choice’ rights. There are certain accidents where a helmet will not help you, but you cannot refute the fact that wearing a helmet (properly) significantly reduces the risk of suffering s head injury in most bike accidents, whether involving a car or not. Paddy Cooke Snr

  17. Our thinking that helmets save our life, isn’t the full truth, see Holland that cycle without helmets and they have the lowest head injury rate. Helmets stop skull fractures not concussion, if you get concussed badly you can die.

    Most seem to miss the point it should be safe enough to ride on roads with your children with out the need for helmets and for drivers to be considerate and compassionate to pass wide and safely and let them selves be delayed maybe by 1-2 minutes max in order to let someone else live their life, most drivers would be delayed by 30 seconds.

    Most drivers miss the point that their vehicle can hurt another road user that is a pedestrian/cyclist/ horse rider/motorcyclist that isn’t surrounded by a cage, that the cage (vehicle) is designed to protect them not other road users these days. It won’t cost you your life to give someone else space on the road but you might cut theirs short.

    Many here seem to think less of this farther for not putting a helmet on her head than the drivers actions, same with saying they should be on the path. That shows our misconceptions about safety.

    Most drivers miss the point roads were originally built for walking, carts, horse and carts, riding horses, cyclists, then motorists. Motorists are the most common road users in this country currently, but not in others. Problems with our current system and thinking seem to take ages to resolve, only by people becoming more compassionate about other road users means that things will change for the better.

  18. Video taken by a parent who lets his little girl cycle on the road without a helmet.
    Yes the Range Rover was too close.
    Parenting classes for the dick head parent I believe

  19. I would guess the vast majority of people who are only seeing the lack of a helmet, don’t cycle.

    A helmet would do very little for that child if she was hit by the dangerously driven 2 tonne ATV.

  20. For christ sake shut up about helmets and hi viz they are useless when a 4 tonnes vehicle runs over you because the moron driver wasnt paying attention.

  21. Helmet or not isn’t important- even the absolutely terrible driving isn’t the main issue. What about the ridiculous absence of any proper infrastructure to prevent this from happening in the first place. There’s a massive park just to the left FFS, surely something decent for people on bikes could be easily built there

  22. The driver clearly at fault, as they don’t even allow Tim enough room, never mind his daughter. But come on Tim you’re the secretary to the Cycling Embassy of Great Britain why in the blue blazes has your daughter not got a helmet on? Ok it’s not the law, but it makes plain common sense, you don’t have to get knocked off a bike to bang your head. At 8 years old a simple error by your daughter could result in a fall. Lead by example, not by trying to get motorists banned. Yes I am a cyclist, covered 4,500 miles this year, but I’m also a driver and as one respondent said earlier ‘we’re in this together’.

  23. Frankly the vast majority of responses are from idiots duped into thinking helmets are effective, yeah for minor scrapes and minor bruising (a cracked/split helmet is a failed helmet!!). it’s also obv those of you critical of the parent don’t I expect insist their kids wear helmets for walking or whenever they get in a car. That makes you ALL HYPOCRITES, you don’t have the common sense to insist yourself and your kids wear helmets whilst walking or going in the car…disgustingly irresponsible, y’know coz they are worse – walking/being a pedestrian or same risk (occupent of motor) re head injuries compared to cycling.
    Now SHUT UP AND FOCUS ON THE DRIVER FFS!

    • Hello Tony,

      Just to let you know I wear a helmet everywhere, to my car, up the street and in my car, on my bicycle and in bed! You know safety first! I also wear bubble wrap clothes! Although you’ve got me worried about this cracked helmet failing ? Please may you advise me of where you heard about this and provide a reliable source for me to change my practice and get a new carbon fibre super duper un-crack-able helmet!

      Yours sincerely a worried health and safety enthusiast!

  24. This was a daily occurrence when my son rode his bike to school. I lost track how many times I had to chase down the assholes to educate them on how to drive around cyclist.

  25. Narrow road big cars – not the safest for an 8 year old to ride on. Got to think safety first and for an inexperienced, unstable rider the path would have been much better. Right or wrongs of this, unfortunately it is always the cyslist who comes off worse. So take the safest route.

  26. Roads today are not safe for child cyclists, especially without a helmet. I cannot believe any parent would allow their child to cycle anywhere without a helmet. This video is beyond belief in that respect!!! It is true, drivers of large high sided vehicles do not see either child or adult cyclists. The only answer is not to use the roads for cycling. Find another route or means of transport for moving around town…walking for instance or local public transport.. There are plenty of alternative B roads and side roads in built up areas where speed limits are restricted. However I would not be happy with any of my grandchildren cycling on any road where there is vehicular traffic. Our 4 are lucky to live in rural areas and have easy access to riding off road. Otherwise bikes are loaded into the van and the family enjoys cycling off road elsewhere.

    • Indeed Drew. The bicycle was on the road before the motor car! If you are willing to risk your life carry on and ride with noisy polluting vehicles whizzing past without even seeing the humble cyclist. I come from a family of generations of very keen cyclists. My comment is not ridiculous in the least. Sadly my father was killed by a speeding motorist who did not see him, so large and fast was her vehicle. He was riding in a time trial race on a course approved by the cycle racing authorities and local police. No accidents previously on the course but after his accident the course was never used again. The motorist was not even prosecuted!!! The Coroner, giving his one man opinion, no jury, delivered his verdict of misadventure! How could this have been so? The driver was breaking the law? My father was not wearing a helmet. The tragedy was in 1985 when helmets were only worn by track racing cyclists. Nothing will persuade me and my family to cycle anywhere nowadays but off-road, on B roads, in country lanes or quiet side rounds in an urban area. Apart from the danger, there is no pleasure on riding amongst the volume of fast heavy traffic on today’s roads. Chris Boardman, former Olympic track champion, has campaigned long and hard for a cycling infrastructure to build a network of cycle paths across the country, but his tireless work has fallen on deaf ears. During the Tour de France this year, Chris took time out from his commenting to return home. His mother had been killed riding her bike around a roundabout near her home. In her 70s and a cyclist all her life. She was wearing a helmet but it did not save her from a motorist driving without due care and attention for a cyclist! If serious road accidents involving cyclists who “have every right to be there” do not persuade you that cycling on our roads is unsafe, then nothing will. Having “every right to be there” doesn’t make it safe and sensible!

    • Thank you Drew. Losing Dad that way has made me more passionate than ever about safe cycling. Nothing will keep traffic out of harms way to the cyclist so the only way to stay safe is not to be amongst it! Holland, Belgium, Scandinavian countries and others have a national infrastructure of cycle paths. Unfortunately we haven’t and are not likely to.

  27. The stupid thing about this is the person with the camera, there is a park on the left with no one on it, why not ride on the park ? People in vehicles are knobs this is commonly known, just cos their on a push bike their on the road, if the helmet with the helmet cam was not on a bike would they be walking their child in the road? I think not

  28. Not much of a father if he lets his 8 year old daughter ride on the road without her wearing a helmet. Elephant in the room? I hope the police take him to task.

  29. The driver is an idiot. However the father must know that the roads are full of idiots – in this respect he should be cycling next to her to prevent close overtakes by idiots. She should also be wearing high contrast clothing, have lights on (it’s overcast) and be wearing a helmet.
    I’m not excusing the driver in any way.

  30. Kid under wheels of Range Rover is in a bad way helmet or not. I wouldn’t slag of a parent for making a decision like that. It’s not illegal. Helmets give an illusion of safety but may make a difference, or not. Talk about a bunch of sanctimonious commentators. We all should be able to safely ride down the road without the fear of head injuries.

    On a different note I ride with my front wheel overlapping my lads rear. He gets some protection, I can talk to him and encourage, he can also get a hand on his back should I need him to get a wiggle on. I also can move out to block a vehicle if I feel it’s too eager to overtake and a traffic island is coming.

    Knob head of a Range Rover driver is at fault.

  31. Impatient drivers!!
    The girl should be wearing a helmet and her dad should be riding next to her to protect her from traffic. You are allowed, by law, to ride side by side.

  32. I am a car driver and have ridden motorcycles and bicycles and know the dangers posed by a minority of thoughtless car drivers,but i can’t believe the person posting this is the secretary of the embassy of cycling in Great Britain and he lets his 8 year old daughter ride her bike on a public road with no crash helmet he is not only a totally irresponsible farther he should resign from his position as he is endorsing a highly dangerous attitude towards cycling

  33. He’s an ambassador for fucking idiots, 8 years old, on the road and no helmet. I’ve been a cyclist for many years and would not even consider putting a child in this situation.

  34. There are two irresponsible people here…the driver of the RR, and the father for taking his daughter out on a bike without a helmet. It would seem dear ol’ dad has one given the POV of the camera.

  35. I agree the pass is totally unacceptable, but as a cyclist and a parent its totally unacceptable to have a child on the road with no helmet. You cant prevent a car hitting you, but you can certainly minimise the damage by being responsible and wearing a helmet.

  36. Helmet and Hi Vis please. However, no excuse for the poor vision shown by the driver. I expect there will be an interesting reply to caution if the local police decide to pursue this.

  37. Diarmaid…..see my comment re cycle path network infrastructure. Chris Boardman is leading a worthy campaign for this. A former Olympic cycling champion, Chris is passionate about safer cycling in the U.K. I applaud his work.

  38. Crazy! Clearly this was a case where the Chelsea tractor driver should have waited! However I’m not sure I would take a small child onto a busy road! The parent riding behind or in front cannot control the situation and keep the child safe!

  39. I wear a helmet but they are not magical. Before helmets were invented I never had a head injury even though I had a few bad crashes. Most common injury among my cycling friends seems to be broken ribs, collar bone, wrist – so how about considering the car and not try to change the subject to helmet wearing?

  40. No helmet and no high viz jacket both of which are plentiful for kids, ?????? I agree about the close pass but get ur priorities straight man, protect your child on a bike, Jeeze it’s not rocket science

  41. Meanwhile there appears to be a lovely bike path sans any traffic whatsoever… Should have picked the road less traveled by and for fuck’s sake put a brain bucket on that little rolling organ donor.

  42. If cylists and car drivers were to show each other respect these situations would not occur. A child needs more room, cyclists by their nature are unpredictable . It’s possibly the type that drive these vehicles are more reckless!

  43. I think it’s an interesting debate and my very first hand experience and views on this are as follows:
    1) EVERYONE who rides a bike on the road should wear a helmet – it won’t always help but when it can IT WILL
    2) Despite this incontrovertible fact – lots of people including most casual cyclists on inner city roads like the road in the video – WON’T
    3) Your kids by and large don’t think helmets are cool and DON’T WEAR THEM (accepted that one as young as this should have been made to and all should be encouraged to)
    4) The various authorities where I live who are charged with road safety and/or encouraging more cyclists on to the road are actually, amazingly, opposed to making helmets compulsory! In case it discourages new cyclists getting on to the road on a bike! Staggering! They want inexperienced cyclists on our roads WITHOUT helmets! Some go as far as to say our roads are safe for cyclists!
    5) What is also incontrovertibly true – because all cyclists experience (I USED to experience) it regularly, is that there are too many drivers on our roads driving like this (and I mean BOTH drivers in the video). And they are not only driving irresponsibly but one at least is also driving ILLEGALLY (http://ukcyclelaws.blogspot.co.uk/p/overtaking-cyclists.html). And in answer to the people who say he possibly didn’t see the little girl – maybe, he probably also didn’t see the van coming in the other direction – because he was tailgating the first car through the overtaking manoeuvre – UNBELIEVABLE!
    6) The more driveres like this get shamed online (without their consciences being salved by putting the blame on the cyclists) and PROSECUTED the sooner the message will get driven home that it is NOT ACCEPTABLE.

  44. i. it wasnt exactly a close shave, the RR was a fair distance away from the child
    not exactly the near death experience we were led to believe

    ii. 8 yr old child with no helmet on a narrow london road = irresponsible parent

  45. Hey way to parent. Go put your daughter in harms way and film it to further your own snooty cyclist agenda. This is why everyone hates cyclists. This is why the most common response seems to seeing a cyclists is “would you look at that utter cunt” it’s because of shit like this. Prick

  46. I’m staggered by the number of people here who seem blind to that dangerous driving, or actually makes excuses for it.

  47. I don’t normally comment on the internet.

    The driving is atrocious. The sad thing is the lack of helmet on the child (whether right or wrong) has diluted the impact of the message being made.

  48. Driver completely at fault.
    As a cyclist we all know SOME drivers (like SOME) cyclists make mistakes.
    If I was cycling with a child I would:
    A) make sure she wore a helmet;
    B) on a road like that – ride on her right to ensure that cars had to overtake properly or worst case would hit me first (I’m softer if I hit her than a Range Rover).
    Both drivers and cyclists have to share the road. I would love to see a requirement in the driving test to ride a bike around a busy city / town centre for a day – I think it would lead to more considerate drivers.

  49. He is the secretary at the embassy of cycling for Great Britain so I think he should take a look at himself putting his child in danger on a road with no helmet that is clearly busy. He obviously cares more about himself as he is wearing a camera on his HELMET. Yes the jeep could have waited but you shouldn’t have her on the road without protective equipment use the cycle path you put her in this dangerous position

  50. Sorry but laws or no laws theres no way in hell I’d have my son on the road like this! There are way too many morons on the road who think cyclists are fair game and this vid just proves that. As for some of the comments about helmets not saving your life, my bro inlaw would argue that they can after being hit by a land rover discovery and his lid splitting instead of his head!!

  51. Yes, let’s all avoid the roads since they’re too dangerous because of bad drivers! Let’s all drive! Drive bigger cars that are safer! Drive more! Make cyclists and pedestrians wear foam hats to save them from our 2 ton cars! We’re all safer now!

  52. More to the point, why didn’t he equip his daughter with a heavy duty D-lock? By law cyclists have to carry an audible warning device (helmets are not a legal requirement). In practice when many motorists are using their phones and/or listening through headphones, a bicycle bell doesn’t count as audible. However, a sharp D-lock tap on the window of a close passing vehicle never fails to get the driver’s attention in my experience. Even better, in addition to their legal role as a warning device, D-locks can provide a convenient way to reduce risk of theft by securing your bike to railings, trees etc.

  53. The response to this is disappointing. Whether she is wearing a helmet or not or should be on the path is irrelevant to this issue. The driver of this vehicle showed no regard for the safety of a child.

  54. The car has been king for far too long in this country. The benefits of cycling far out way those of motoring. Not to mention if more of us in this country cycled the NHS would save millions. Speaking as a motorist and cyclist. The helmet is not the issue here.

  55. I find it very ironic that so many people on here have contribute by ignoring the dangerous driving and focussing on the use of helmets.

    It illustrates perfectly why helmets are such a bad idea….it enables the sanctimonious and ill-informed to ignore the appalling standards of driving and make an 8 year old responsible for theoretically reducing her injuries which were inflicted by an inept and dangerous driver

  56. Car didn’t look that close. An 8 year old shouldn’t be cycling on a road in London. Well before the Range Rover approached, the child was all over the road. Had no helmet on. Case closed: bad parenting.

  57. OK, so the child had NO helmet, its not the law, but these days safety 1st right? but putting that aside for 1 moment while we review the video posted, they are on a busy road right? Well there is a path to the right that is clearly empty and SAFER for a child to ride along, this is where i would be with my daughter/son…But wait, do i spot something even safer for the daughter? Oh yes a cycle path on the left hand side and a shortcut buy the look of it, why didnt they trot down there?..But hey who am i to say anything, the driver was clearly following the other car, and clearly did not see the LITTLE girl on a LITTLE bike in front of her BIG dad, the driver did get close but not dangerous enough to warrant this kind of social behavior, posting to get attention.
    The person posting must have thought his luck was in, recording this as it happened and thinking i will send it to the police, the driver was not breaking the law was he? I dont think so, unless he was speeding or on the phone or drunk at the wheel….My advice as a long time driver, never put your children in danger, what we did as kids 40 yrs ago you cannot do now with the amount of road traffic, this is why the councils now have cycle routes/paths for people to use…..Never put a child’s safety at risk.

  58. Everyone seems to be missing the point here; the cyclists rode past a cycle path adjacent to the road in favour of riding on the open road; at the start the girl and father ignore the path set up to avoid proximity with cars… Idiot father;
    Any seasoned cyclist will choose to wear a helmet; this young girl at her age should be supported by her parents to make sensible choices about her safety; poor parenting…

  59. OMG that child isn’t wearing a helmet!!!-Granted she should be wearing one but honestly people. The issue here was the near miss from the inconsiderate Rage Rover driver. My god-40 years ago when I was a kid we never wore helmets. Then when they introduced them for cyclists many people were crying about it being a nanny state and Health and Safety gone mad-40 years on and everyone cries ‘bad father’ when they see a child not wearing a bike helmet. Are we all that judgmental as to avoid looking at the original issue and trying to find fault elsewhere-blame culture gone mad.

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