Letter to CBC Radio - This Morning program

Cycling News

Email to This Morning (program), CBC Radio
December 14, 2000
Subject: Roger Sumner
Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2000 18:27:31 -0600
From: Darrell Noakes
Organization: Borealis Outdoor Adventure Inc.
To: thismorning@toronto.cbc.ca

It always makes me sad when I hear about a cyclist being killed. Roger Sumner was known and respected across the country. He was an experienced and skilled cyclist. To lose someone like this is a loss for us all.

However, I must take issue with one aspect of your interview with Bryan Rose. By turning as much attention as you did to Mr. Sumner's lack of a helmet at the time of his collision, you seem to be implying that he was at fault for his own death.

While helmets can greatly improve your chances of surviving a crash, they are designed to protect against the consequences of falls at relatively low speeds, not collisions with automobiles. A helmet may have saved Mr. Sumner's life, or it may not.

One thing's for sure, if he hadn't been in the collision, he wouldn't have died.

More cyclists are killed and seriously injured by left turning motorists than by any other type of accident. Drivers need to be aware of cyclists on the road, and they need to understand that cyclists can - and often do - travel at the same speed as other traffic. Whether or not the cyclist had been wearing a helmet at the time of the collision is not the issue.

For the record, yes, I do wear a helmet - every time I ride. But I also understand its limitations and the need to be vigilant of the traffic conditions around me. I hope other drivers are equally vigilant of my presence on the road.

Darrell Noakes
CAN-BIKE National Examiner

Summary of the CBC item, Thursday, December 14, 2000:

Roger Sumner died this week after a cycling accident. The 62-year old Vancouver dentist encouraged hundreds of young cyclists to ride competitively and was himself an elite athlete. At the time of his death he was the BC Hill Climbing champion. He will be remembered for the sheer delight he took cycling up hills many ten-year old cars would have a struggle with .. and for crazy sense of humour. Roger was not wearing a helmet when his bike collided with a van two weeks ago. He didn't regain conciousness and died of complications two weeks after his accident. CYCLIST, BRYAN ROSE PRODUCER, ANNE PENMAN

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Email to This Morning (program), CBC Radio December 14, 2000 Subject: Roger Sumner Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2000 18:27:31 -0600 From: Darrell Noakes Organization: Borealis Outdoor Adventure Inc. To: thismorning@toronto.cbc.ca It always makes me sad when I hear about a cyclist being killed. Roger Sumner was known and respected across the country. He was an experienced and skilled cyclist. To lose someone like this is a loss for us all. However, I must take issue with one aspect of your interview with Bryan Rose. By turning as much attention as you did to Mr. Sumner's lack of a helmet at the time of his collision, you seem to be implying that he was at fault for his own death. While helmets can greatly improve your chances of surviving a crash, they are designed to protect against the consequences of falls at relatively low speeds, not collisions with automobiles. A helmet may have saved Mr. Sumner's life, or it may not. One thing's for sure, if he hadn't been in the collision, he wouldn't have died. More cyclists are killed and seriously injured by left turning motorists than by any other type of accident. Drivers need to be aware of cyclists on the road, and they need to understand that cyclists can - and often do - travel at the same speed as other traffic. Whether or not the cyclist had been wearing a helmet at the time of the collision is not the issue. For the record, yes, I do wear a helmet - every time I ride. But I also understand its limitations and the need to be vigilant of the traffic conditions around me. I hope other drivers are equally vigilant of my presence on the road. Darrell Noakes CAN-BIKE National Examiner Summary of the CBC item, Thursday, December 14, 2000: Roger Sumner died this week after a cycling accident. The 62-year old Vancouver dentist encouraged hundreds of young cyclists to ride competitively and was himself an elite athlete. At the time of his death he was the BC Hill Climbing champion. He will be remembered for the sheer delight he took cycling up hills many ten-year old cars would have a struggle with .. and for crazy sense of humour. Roger was not wearing a helmet when his bike collided with a van two weeks ago. He didn't regain conciousness and died of complications two weeks after his accident. CYCLIST, BRYAN ROSE PRODUCER, ANNE PENMAN News index page

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