Lies, damned lies, and statistics. Never has a truer word been spoken.

A road safety charity, Brake, has called for a mandatory helmet with every Boris bike, after six people have been injured since the Barclays Cycle Hire hit the streets of London in July.

“We support mandatory helmet use for all cyclists across the board” said Brake spokeswoman Julie Townsend.

“We support schemes that promote safe cycling and walking but we would prefer to see investment in safe cycling paths that allow people to walk and ride separated from traffic rather than a scheme that allows people to hire a bike and ride through busy London streets without ensuring they have the appropriate safety gear.”

But a Transport for London spokesman told the Press Association: “There have been six incidents where a cycle hire user has been injured since the scheme launched on July 30.

“This should be seen in the context of the 750,000-plus cycle journeys that have been made on the hire bikes to date.”

Or an injury per 0.000008 of a journey. That’s context for you – but never let context get in the way of headline-grabbing hyperbole.

According to the charity’s website, it has two aims, one of which includes bringing to a halt the “the worldwide carnage of people being killed and maimed on roads.”

An admirable cause, maybe – after all, who would not campaign for safer roads – but strong words for a charity that seemingly promotes itself as pro-cycling.

And not the way to inspire confidence in cyclists – who are, don’t forget, road users – in what remains a low-risk activity. 

The sport has only a 50 per cent risk of fatality per 15,000 years of cycling life, while the Netherlands, with the lowest rate of helmet use in the EU and the highest rate of cycle uptake, is the safest country for cycling.

How’s that for statistics?

The cycle hire scheme has undoubtedly put more cyclists on the road, but unnecessarily forcing users to wear helmets on journeys which are invariably less than 30 minutes will only send figures in the wrong direction. 

It’s a personal choice, so let people make it.