Has anyone else noticed that the cyclists at the beginning of the ‘Introducing the Christchurch Central Recovery Plan’ video are not wearing helmets? I was expecting a huge outcry, in the same way we had in Auckland when the new Big little city video was released showing a lidless rider … but no.
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/46589834[/vimeo]
And then recently, I was very pleased to hear a Christchurch councilor, Aaron Keown, suggesting that the law should be reviewed. This is exciting stuff people!
In my opinion, the new central Christchurch zone would be an ideal place to trial a bike share programme. Of course, this will only work if there is a removal of the compulsory helmet law within this zone. Is that a bit ‘out there’ or do you think it might work? Perhaps helmet choice could be extended to separated bike paths as well.
For a quick overview of the arguments around this issue, and links to other resources, check out our Helmets page.
I would be in opposition to any proposal to remove bike helmets as a legal requirement for biking. I am a daily commuter cyclist and have been knocked off my bike on a number of occasions through no fault of my own. A few years back I was hit and left with a broken femur. My helmet was cracked right from top to bottom and I know that it saved serious brain damage, and possibly my life. People don’t question putting on a seat belt in the car. I don’t see why helmets should be any different on bikes.