Dan Walker has updated fans following his terrifying accident yesterday, which left him with a battered and bloodied face – and unintentionally sparked a fierce debate on Twitter.
The broadcaster was knocked off his bike by a car yesterday, saying that he was ‘glad to be alive’.
He had shared a series of photos from the back of an ambulance showing a swollen ‘mess’ of a face, and thanked the emergency service workers who came to his aid.
Dan has now updated his followers on his condition, confirming that he made it out of the accident with no broken bones but also ‘no memory of anything’.
He detailed how he came round on the tarmac already being tended to by paramedics and police, again thanking by name those who helped him.
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But what he probably didn’t count on is a fierce debate erupting in his replies on Twitter, all about how essential bicycle helmets actually are.
Dan wrote: “The helmet I was wearing saved my life today so – if you’re on a bike – get one on your head. Smashed my watch & phone, ruined my trousers, my bike is a mess but I’m still here.”
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He’s now had hundreds of replies from people, many trying to argue against whether helmets do actually save lives – which seems a weird thing to do to someone who literally could have died without his.
And while no one is denying that better cycling infrastructure is essential and should be taken seriously, there’s no denying that Dan would’ve been in a much worse state without his safety gear.
One person wrote: “I’m glad you’re ok and know you’ll get this same message six ways to Sunday, but this is not the moment to call for people to wear a plastic hat. I don’t want to let my kids cycle if they have to rely on a bit of foam to not be dead. Instead I want us to reduce road danger.”
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Someone else said: “I’m afraid it’s extremely unlikely your helmet saved your life, Dan. They can’t even prevent concussion, are not designed for collisions involving motor vehicles, and can absorb at most 75J when it takes 1000J to fracture the average skull.”
Dan Walker after his accident. Credit: Twitter @mrdanwalkerDan Walker after his accident. Credit: Twitter @mrdanwalker
Dan then tried to nip the bickering about helmets in the bud, saying: “I understand this is a contentious issue and I don’t want an argument about it. I’m just happy mine worked today and the police officer at the scene called me this afternoon and said I would not be here now if I wasn’t wearing one.”
Someone then replied: “It’s contentious because it defects attention from the real cause of most cycling accidents – the lack of safe cycle infrastructure & decades of politicians doing nothing to improve road safety. P.s. I’m sure your “gorgeous” nurses would prefer the accident didn’t happen at all.”
But hundreds more have defended cycling helmets, sharing their own tales of near misses where their helmets took the brunt of an accident rather than their skulls.
Dan’s full update said: “Blown away by all the lovely messages. Thank you. Just got home from hospital. Battered and bruised but – amazingly – nothing broken. Very thankful to still be here. I have no memory of anything and just remember coming round on the tarmac with paramedics & police around me.
“Thanks for all your kindness. Jamie & Shaun were so great in the ambulance – not sure I was making much sense. Thanks to Conor the copper, Charlotte in x-ray & Hannah (below) for being so considerate & brilliant in such a busy A & E
“The helmet I was wearing saved my life today so – if you’re on a bike – get one on your head. Smashed my watch & phone, ruined my trousers, my bike is a mess but I’m still here.
“Currently eating soup through a straw and being looked after by this gorgeous, tired nurse.”
Get well soon Dan!
Featured image: Twitter, @mrdanwalker
News
Full list of road closures set to be in place for Manchester Day 2024
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Day is back for 2024 this weekend, and the full list of road closures set to be in place has been confirmed.
Now that schools are officially out across Greater Manchester, and the summer holidays are well and truly here, the hugely-popular Manchester Day is making a return once again this Saturday 27 July, and as always, it’s set to be “the day summer officially starts” in the city centre – with a massive celebration of “all things Mancunian” on the cards.
The theme of this year’s annual event is ‘Let The Games Begin’, and it’s inspired by the international summer of sport, just 2024 Olympics kicks off over in Paris.
The day will be packed full of free events and activities to get involved with.
Some city centre roads will be closed on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 July for Manchester Day.
These will include:
🛣️Deansgate 🛣️St Ann Street 🛣️St Mary’s Gate 🛣️Market Street 🛣️King Street
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) July 21, 2024
But of course, in order for the all the fun to go ahead as safely as possible, and as tends to be the case for events like these, Manchester City Council says it will need to make some temporary road closures to facilitate it.
The full list of road closures has now been confirmed by the Council, and there’s some major city centre thoroughfares set to be out of action.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Manchester Day is back for 2024 to celebrate the international summer of sport / Credit: Manchester City Council
Manchester Day 2024 – Road Closures
Saturday 27 July
From 6am to 11:59pm, Manchester City Council has confirmed that the following roads will be closed:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street) – access will be maintained to Marks and Spencer’s car park and Number One Deansgate.
St Ann Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street (Cross Street to Deansgate) – no access for deliveries.
All accessible bays, bus lanes, and taxi ranks within the closed areas will also be suspended during from 6pm on Friday 26 July to 11:59pm on Saturday 27 July.
The parking suspensions set to be in place are:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street)
St Ann Street – including the bays outside St Ann’s Church (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Southgate (St Mary’s Street to King Street West)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Victoria Street (Cathedral Approach to Deansgate)
Todd Street (Corporation Street to Station Approach)
King Street (Spring Gardens to Southgate)
South King Street (Ridgefield to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street West (Deansgate to St Mary’s Parsonage)
St James’s Square (John Dalton Street to South King Street)
Cross Street (King Street to Corporation Street)
Museum Street (Peter Street to Windmill Street)
Marsden Street (Cheapside to Brown Street)
Manchester Day 2024: Let The Games Begin! will take over the city centre on Saturday 27 July from 12pm-6pm.
Check out everything you need to know ahead of the event here.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete
Emily Sergeant
Work currently underway on the Rochdale via Oldham line is expected to take several weeks to complete.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed that land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has now “slowed”, and this means that detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works have been able to get underway.
In order for trams to run again on the crucial line from the city centre to the two major Greater Manchester towns, TfGM says that a small section of track has to be moved back – also known as ‘slewed’ – into its original position.
The overhead line poles also need to be repaired too, the transport operator revealed.
Rochdale line update
Land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has slowed, enabling detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works to get underway.
To get trams running again, a small section of track has to be moved back into its original position… pic.twitter.com/byERjitdi1
Unfortunately though, due to the “complex” nature of these works, and despite the fact that TfGM says it’s actively looking to “accelerate” the repairs, the project is expected to take up to five weeks to complete in full.
On top of this, the detailed ground investigations will also establish whether any further work to strengthen foundations beneath the track will be needed at a later date.
TfGM has apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete / Credit: TfGM
Speaking on the scale of works currently underway, and how long he expects them to continue for, Pete Sommers, who is TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink, said: “I’m sorry for the impact this is having, and will continue to have, on people’s journeys.
“We are working to get trams running through the area again, but this remains a complex and challenging issue and it could still be a few weeks before this happens.
“We will of course keep passengers updated, and I’d encourage people to check our social media channels and website for the latest information and advice.”