Growing numbers of cyclists will soon be on the road again, and a veteran journalist has a word of advice for them: wear a helmet.
Isabelle Richer ended up in a coma last summer after being struck by a truck while riding in Rougemont.
The impact broke several bones in her upper spine in addition to causing significant head trauma.
She spent days unconscious, and was hospitalized for three weeks before being transferred to a rehabilitation centre.
As bad as her injuries were, Richer said she likely would not have survived if she had been riding without a helmet.
"I have never been a zealot, but now that I have experienced it myself, I wouldn't go that far that it would be mandatory, but I hope people can understand how it can save lives," said Richer.
She added that she has no recollection of the crash and the moments leading up to it.
Holding her smashed helmet, Richer said she's become quite attached to it as a symbol of the impact and her recovery.
That's why she agreed to be the public face of a safety campaign designed to draw awareness to the importance of wearing helmets when bicycling.
A study by Richer's doctor said that 75 per cent of cyclists admitted to hospital following a crash were not wearing helmets.
Helmets are not mandatory for cyclists in Quebec.
