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A cyclist whose life was saved by his helmet when he was run-over by a minicab has urged other riders to wear head protection.

Chrishan Mathias, 28, was pulled under the vehicle and had one of its wheels run over his head when it shot across a junction and veered into his path as he cycled home from work.

His BMX-style helmet was cracked in two and still bears the tyre marks from the collision in Albion Road, Stoke Newington. He suffered a dislocated ankle, broken sternum and ribs, bruised lung and lacerated liver.

He was trapped barely conscious under the vehicle and was treated by medics from London’s air ambulance, before being taken by road ambulance to the Royal London hospital, where he spent five days. He spent five weeks off work.

“I got off quite lightly, considering what could have happened,” he told the Standard. “It’s pretty amazing. The doctors and police had left the helmet on my bedside table when I woke up, and said well done for wearing one.”

Mr Mathias, a fashion buyer at Debenhams, added: “I’m not going to preach and say everyone should wear one and it should be made a legal requirement, but I’d just like to ask people to simply consider wearing one. I have got good evidence that they work.”

The incident, which happened in March, was revealed today by London’s air ambulance, which has seen some of its medics lead the call for safer cycling measures.

Mark Wilson, a neurosurgeon who works on London’s air ambulance, said it was “common sense” for cyclists to wear helmets. While they would not prevent death in cyclists crushed under HGVs, they should reduce the risk of brain injury when riders are struck by cars and thrown against windscreens, he said.

“If I was to hit you over the head with a concrete pillar and gave you the option of wearing a helmet or not, which would you choose?” he said. “From Roman times, helmets have been seen as a good thing. Why should we pretend to know any better?”

Mr Mathias is still undergoing physiotherapy to rebuild the strength in his leg but hopes to eventually resume cycling to work. Police are due to decide in the New Year whether the minicab driver should be charged with a driving offence. About 450 cyclists a year are seriously injured in London.