Yahoo News It grinds my gears that the law allows motorists to ride these vehicles on the M6 without a helmet
When it comes to the risk of suffering serious injury on the roads then it doesn't get much riskier than the motorway.
With vehicles whizzing past at speeds of 70mph (and faster in many cases) the motorway is the last place you want to have a crash so why on earth would you not wear a helmet on a tricycle - even if you don't have to? I was heading south down the M6 near Lancaster last week when I clocked a rider on a tricycle who wasn't wearing a helmet and my daughter was quick to snap a photo. It reminded me of the first time I saw something similar and remember being gobsmacked.
One of the first things I did when I got home was to ring one of my friends who's a traffic cop. I said to him "surely it's the law to wear a helmet?!" His answer shocked me. "No," he replied. "It's all to do with the number of wheels basically but no, it's not a requirement."
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Now, don't get me wrong, I can see that with three wheels a vehicle will be much more stable, and less likely to 'tip over', than a traditional two-wheeled motorbike but try using that as an excuse when someone crashes into the back of you at 70mph or slams on in front of you. A lot of these trikes have seatbelts which, from a cursory search online, also negates the need for a helmet but, again, if four-wheeled vehicles can be flipped onto their roof I'm pretty sure a tricycle can.
But whereas the driver of a car has the roof as extra protection there will be nothing separating the tricycle rider's head from the road. And at 70mph I highly doubt their chances of survival would be anything higher than zero. Research from anti-speeding charities and organisation highlights that in fatal collisions the most common cause of death is a head injury.
I've sadly covered enough inquests to know that, even at a relatively low speed, head injuries can prove fatal. So come on, even if the law doesn't require you to wear a helmet, use your brain (while it's still working) and get one on.
