The CTC and the Bicycle Helmet Research Foundation have comprehensive data on cycle helmets which is what we need to inform any statutory decisions regarding helmets – not one off-anecdotes

Obviously I am very sorry to hear of Alex Doodle’s injuries (Gazette November 25). however, I would need a lot more information to be convinced that her helmet saved her life.

More importantly, people so often forget that a helmet does not prevent an accident – it is only an attempt to mitigate the effects of an incident/collision once it has happened.

The most effective safety advice, is to get training. One of the fundamentals of National Cycle Training Standards is positioning on the road. It is appalling how many inexperienced cyclists (and even some experienced cyclists) ride in a really dangerous manner: in the gutter, close to parked cars (being “doored” is the most common collision between cars and cycles), etc.

It is irrelevant how bright your fluorescent jacket is if you’ve hidden yourself among parked cars or in a driver’s blind spot. Nobody believes that it doesn’t matter if someone is a bad driver as long as they are wearing a seat belt. The same principle and responsibility applies to cyclists. – Steve Wagland, via e-mail.