In message , Keitht
writes

I( fitted mudgurds to my hybrid as I don't like a wet arse and I don''t
like sitting inside someone elses rooster tail. My mudguards come off
fairly easy and are designed to come off by themselves (most times) if
they get clogged.
The fully-fitted front ones can be a hazard if the top fitting goes and
it whips round and jams the wheel. ---- 13 yrs old, paper round on a
Sunday - bag was on handlebars. Mudguard went, bike stopped instantly,
I found myself sitting on the pavement wondering how I'd got there.
Forks were bent, still had papers to deliver and did the usual cyclists
thang of carry on and get the bike home. The Claude never was the same
afterwards.

Yup, it is a real risk.

Any decent mudguards nowadays should come with fittings on the stays
that detach to stop such accidents
--
Chris French