TAKE HEID
Greens minister Patrick Harvie once again shuns safety helmet on bike ride – despite urging kids to wear one
Last year Mr Harvie snubbed the gift of a bike helmet from The Scottish Sun
PATRICK Harvie once again shunned a safety helmet as he led kids on a bike ride yesterday - then later urged youngsters to wear one.
Safety campaigners blasted the Greens minister for his latest show of defiance.
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And he told how he hopes eventually Scotland will see cyclists regularly out and about dressed like him - in suit jackets and no helmet.
Mr Harvie officially opened the new multi-million-pound cycle link in Edinburgh.
The MSP was joined by primary school kids and a local councillor on the mile-long journey — but was the only one not wearing a helmet.
The Government minister said: “I know helmets are a touchstone issue for some people.
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“Actually, they are not a matter of law, it is a matter of individual choice. I support people to make the choice that is right for them.
“Particularly when people are learning to ride a bike for the first time that is a really important time to look after your safety and to be thinking about whether you want to wear a helmet or not and that is quite advisable when you are learning to ride in those early years - it’s not an extreme sport.
“As we see more and more people cycling we want to make sure that it is safe, accessible and that it is a completely normal activity, it is not an extreme sport, it’s a normal thing for people to do.
“Look at the countries that have been getting this right for decades and you see people cycling to work to school to go to the shops in their normal clothes.
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“That is the cycling culture I think we should be aiming for.”
Last year Mr Harvie snubbed the gift of a bike helmet from The Scottish Sun as he celebrated 20 years in politics with a mass pedal.
He previously said wearing a helmet was not his “style” despite studies showing they cut the risk of a fatal head injury by 65 per cent.
During a parliamentary debate, Harvie said there was no evidence to support compulsory helmet laws.
Wearing one is not a legal requirement, but the Highway Code states they should be worn.
Last night Luke Grigss chief executive of brain injury charity Headway, said: “It seems tragically ironic that in opening a ‘safer cycling’ route the Minister for Active Transport was given a lesson in responsible and safe cycling by a group of schoolchildren.
“No cyclist, however responsible a rider, is immune from the risks of having an accident, whether as a result of the actions of a driver or fellow cyclist or from hitting one of the many potholes plaguing our increasingly crowded roads.
“It’s vital all cyclists follow the Highway Code and take simple steps to protect themselves, starting with always wearing a helmet.”