Wiggins, who became the most decorated British Olympian in history yesterday after winning the Men’s Individual Time Trial, called for better cycling laws after a fatal cycling accident near the Olympic Park, that killed a 28 year old man.
Although it has yet to be confirmed whether the man was wearing a helmet, when asked for his views on road safety in London, Wiggins said that it ought to be illegal to cycle without a helmet, so that cyclists are better protected. He also pointed to a greater level of tolerance between cyclists and motorists on the roads.
According to the road safety charity Brake, cyclists are 12 times more likely to be killed on the road than people in cars . Road crashes are also a common cause of head injuries, with between 40% and 50% of all brain injuries being due to the person being involved in a crash. This has lead to a number of charities and lobby groups campaigning for stronger laws on the wearing of helmets, particularly for children.
The crash happened yesterday at 19.45 BST in Hackney, East London, when a cyclist was hit by a bus carrying media workers from the Olympics. The bus driver was held on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, but released on bail pending further investigation.
