Mark Pawsey MP has been supporting the work of Oliver Dibsdale, who suffered life changing injuries after coming off his bike
Rugby’s MP Mark Pawsey has brought forward a Parliamentary Bill which would make it compulsory to wear a helmet whilst cycling.
Using a 10 Minute Rule Bill, a mechanism by which any MP may introduce a bill, Mark brought forward the Road Safety (Cycle Helmets) Bill earlier this month. During the introduction of a Bill, MPs are able to speak for up to 10 minutes about the reasons for the bill and Mark used his speech to tell Oliver’s story and how a tragic accident changed the course of his life.
In November 2015, when he was just 15 years old, Oliver came off his bike on High Street in Hillmorton when his foot slipped off the pedal and he then came off his bike. Because that morning, he had not put his helmet on, Oliver suffered a traumatic brain injury and now requires around-the-clock care. Mark told Parliament that Oliver’s doctor, Dr Badwan, had said that had he been wearing a helmet he may still have been injured, but it would have been a lot less severe.
Mark has supported Oliver’s campaigning for a number of years now and has secured meetings with Ministers in the Department for Transport for Oliver to make his case in person at Westminster. However, despite recognising the importance of wearing a helmet through the Highway Code, the Government has said that it does not intend to introduce legislation to make it mandatory.
Mark’s 10 Minute Rule Bill was supported by a number of MPs from both sides of the House, including veteran backbencher Peter Bone, who has also campaigned on this issue.
Speaking after introducing the Road Safety (Cycle Helmets) Bill, Mark said:
“I first met Oliver at my surgery nearly two years ago and I have been tremendously impressed by his determination and resilience in the face of such a life changing injury. Wearing a cycle helmet is an incredibly simple thing, but many choose not to do so – risking serious harm as Oliver’s story demonstrates.”
Mark continued:
“Although I appreciate the views of those who think that new legislation would deter cycling or be hard to enforce, Oliver quite rightly points out that other forms of travel on the road have safety legislation, such as the requirement to wear a seatbelt or a ban on using mobile phones whilst driving. All of these are important for safety and with cyclists amongst the most vulnerable road users any further steps we can take to prevent a future injury like Oliver’s must be worth it.”
Oliver added:
“Although a helmet is not 100% effective they are responsible for reducing the odds of a face injury by 33%; a head injury by 51%; a serious head injury by 69%; and a fatal head injury by 65%. That is why you should make sure you, and any of your friends and relatives wear a helmet. My life was all normal until that fateful day, when I didn't wear a helmet and my foot slipped off the pedal, which could happen to anyone. Now my life is ruined. I am doing everything I can to stop other families from going through the same upset and heartbreak mine have been through by spreading the word about how vital head protection is when on a human powered vehicle.”