Film features mum of boy in a collision with a car

11.38 | 9 March 2018 | | 5 comments


A new video produced by Hertfordshire Constabulary is sending a ‘strong message’ to young cyclists who are riding dangerously by playing a ‘swerve game’.

Lesley Belcher from Borehamwood explains how her son, Paul, played ‘swerve the car’ and talks about the consequences it had for him.

Paul was involved in a collision with a car as a result of playing the ‘game’ in October 2017. The incident prompted his mother to release footage of the collision to act as a warning to others.

In the film Lesley describes how she found out about Paul being knocked off his bike via social media.

Lesley Belcher said: “The impact of such a stupid ‘game’ could have been a loss of life.

“When he walked through the door and looked at me, I just thought ‘you’re so stupid’.”

Lesley hopes the video will highlight the very real dangers of playing such a dangerous game. She said Paul and those in the car were very lucky to have come away with relatively minor injuries.

Sergeant Leah McDermott from the Borehamwood Safer Neighbourhood Team said: “This so-called ‘game’ just doesn’t make sense.

“Those who attempt to swerve in front of cars are not only putting themselves in real danger, but also those in the vehicles.

“I would like to thank Lesley for being so honest about her and her son’s experience, which I hope will discourage others of considering doing the same.”

The video is being shared on the force’s social media accounts and officers will also be visiting schools to show it.

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    To Gillian Beale:

    Whilst I’m not sure about the legality of doing so, you CAN download the video from YouTube and store it on a USB drive.

    You can download almost any video from YouTube via:

    https://www.onlinevideoconverter.com/video-converter

    Navigate to the site above, then copy and paste a link to the video, in this case:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=414&v=YCLM9V2iGGI

    Select MP4, then click download. I usually have to do that twice – the first time, I get a pop-up, and the second time, I can download the video. I have tested it for the video you want, and it worked fine.

    Let me have your e-mail address if the above doesn’t work for you and I’ll send you a link so that you can download the video via WeTransfer.

    Best of luck!

    Regards,

    Sam.


    Sam
    Agree (0) | Disagree (0)
    0

    Apart from anything else, it reinforces the driving maxim ‘expect the unexpected and always be able to stop’! I would think there’s a difference in culpability between a moving vehicle hitting a cyclist and a cyclist hitting a vehicle that had already stopped.


    Hugh Jones
    Agree (0) | Disagree (0)
    0

    Interesting that the comments perpetuate a myth – about ‘cyclists are not insured’. Cyclists are liable for the damage they cause and the that bill had to be paid – in this case by his parents.

    It also suggests that the skull is like an eggshell. Whilst that does have some relevance when the skull goes under an HGV axle, the cranium is a remarkably tough structure, far tougher than a cycle helmet for example. The danger comes from damage to the brain inside the skull by the severe acceleration that moves and ‘bruises’ the brain when the head is abruptly stopped or twisted. A helmet may mitigate some aspects if direct force impact but not rotational injuries, and it may enhance damage to soft facial areas, and forces acting on the neck (damage to C1-C5 vertebra).


    Dave H (@BCCletts)
    Agree (2) | Disagree (2)
    0

    This is so dangerous and I witness this fairly regularly round my local school and have an opportunity to address this next week with the year 9 students. I would like to share this film with them, but can’t download it onto a USB. Any suggestions?


    Gillian Beale, Chelmsford
    Agree (0) | Disagree (0)
    0

    This publicity can have a double edged effect.

    It can have the effect the Police want, stressing the danger to both drivers and car occupants and discouraging kids from playing the ‘Game’.

    It can encourage more young cyclists to play the same ‘Game’ in the hopes of getting themselves more publicity on social media and on TV (This item was in BBC London TV News on Thursday). Paul’s mother found out about it via Social Media within a few minutes of it happening, and I suspect Paul is now famous in Borehamwood for his ‘Game’

    A dilemma for all concerned, I wonder if there will be more similar cases over the coming weeks?


    Robert Bolt, St Albans
    Agree (4) | Disagree (0)
    +4

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