| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
mtbrat
Huge Tracts of Land
Joined: Feb 13, 2003
Posts: 13,489
Location: Shaven Haven
|
 Posted: Fri 24/Oct/08 8:24pm Post subject: Helmets Aren't The Issue Says Bikenz |
  |
|
Hon. Harry Duynhoven interest in encouraging more people to ride bicycles, but helmets aren't the issue that we need the government to focus on said John Willmer, BikeNZ's Cycling Development Manager.
"What we need is a safer riding environment. This means a fair go from other road users and dedicated cycling facilities," Mr Wilmer said.
Mr Willmer's remarks followed comments by Mr Duynhoven who told a New Zealand Traffic Institute forum that making helmets compulsory may be discouraging people from cycling. He suggested that more people might ride bikes if they did not have to wear helmets, although he did not support a law change.
Mr Willer said that motorists need to be much more aware of the needs of cyclists and respect cyclists as legitimate road users. Cyclists also need to take responsibility and follow the road rules.
"The government has made good progress setting a framework to support cycling but what is needed now is action. "The government could do a lot to improve the awareness of motorists towards cyclists both legally and through education and promotion."
Greater priority and investment for cycling infrastructure would also rapidly improve safety for cyclists, said Mr Willmer.
Cycling is already popular with about 1.3 million New Zealanders riding bicycles. Growth of cycling as a means of transport is already on the rise and will continue to do so as people choose cycling for the benefits of freedom and convenience, health and avoiding increasing costs of using cars and public transport, he said.
"However, it's critical that people need to be and feel safe otherwise they're not going to enjoy riding or even get on their bike in the first place."
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
haggleman
Worn
Joined: Jan 21, 2008
Posts: 720
|
| Posted: Fri 24/Oct/08 8:51pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
They should put a nice set of doubles over every T junction in the cycle lane. that way we can do a road gap over traffic. Much safer than crossing in front of traffic, imo.
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Fraser
Flogged
Joined: Jan 03, 2002
Posts: 2,383
Location: Kauniainen, Finland
|
| Posted: Fri 24/Oct/08 9:02pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
Yeah its always been a bit of a 'user pays' thing in NZ. Make bike helmets law and you won't have deaths. The rider pays for the protection, case closed.
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
OliverBendix
Worn
Joined: Jul 31, 2006
Posts: 597
Location: Paddling in the Waiwhetu stream, Lower Hutt.
|
| Posted: Fri 24/Oct/08 9:06pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Fraser wrote: | | Make bike helmets law and you won't have deaths. |
tihs, if only they were that good.
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
oldnslow
Ridden
Joined: Mar 19, 2007
Posts: 200
Location: Just a little to the right
|
| Posted: Fri 24/Oct/08 9:11pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
Yet more evidence that Harry is a deadset, Grade A, walking, talking and breathing plank. I ride past his electorate office on a regular basis, and a la Monty Python, I spit in his general direction.
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Fraser
Flogged
Joined: Jan 03, 2002
Posts: 2,383
Location: Kauniainen, Finland
|
| Posted: Sat 25/Oct/08 6:00am Post subject: |
|
|
You may be used to the danger as much as these guys are www.youtube.com/watch?v=klteYv1Uv9A
But this is what Harry is trying to get at..
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
briiii
Scuffed
Joined: Jul 01, 2008
Posts: 256
Location: North Shore, Auckland
|
| Posted: Sat 25/Oct/08 8:18am Post subject: |
|
|
| Fraser wrote: | | Yeah its always been a bit of a 'user pays' thing in NZ. Make bike helmets law and you won't have deaths. The rider pays for the protection, case closed. |
In cars the protection comes from all the safety features such as airbags. When you buy a car this is factored into the price. You can't really complain that cyclists have to pay for helmets to keep them safe.
Also, helmets aren't just to protect people from accidents caused by dangerous situations on the road. They protect you in any situation where you're going fast and come off your bike and make contact with the ground. Plenty of people do that without another vehicle being involved.
I agree that helmets are not the issue but it seems to me that every time cycle safety comes up helmets are the main focus. I don't ride on the roads because it's too damn scary (I live in Auckland), it's bad enough in a car. If that changed I'd definitely get out there on my bike. If there are people who still don't want to wear helmets maybe we should let them out there and let nature take it's course.
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Elden
Ridden
Joined: Mar 01, 2008
Posts: 252
Location: Coffee Shop
|
| Posted: Sat 25/Oct/08 4:44pm Post subject: |
|
|
I would be keen to see the injury stats with and without helmets on the urban streets. IMO 65% of people are wearing them uncorrectly and there for causing themselves more injurys than no helmet.
Helmets in cars would stop more head injurys than on bikes, but you wouldn't get people to follow that rule.....
Time to relax the helmet law and get everyone on bikes. bugs me that to ride to the local corner shop and Fish n chip shop I must by law wear a helmet.
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Barks
Scuffed
Joined: Aug 07, 2007
Posts: 463
Location: Tauranga
|
| Posted: Sat 25/Oct/08 7:25pm Post subject: |
|
|
OMFG... That HAS to be some kind of record....
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
HairyLes
Joined: Feb 04, 2007
Posts: 3
|
| Posted: Sat 25/Oct/08 8:27pm Post subject: |
|
|
| oldnslow wrote: | | Yet more evidence that Harry is a deadset, Grade A, walking, talking and breathing plank. I ride past his electorate office on a regular basis, and a la Monty Python, I spit in his general direction. |
Thats Fart in his general direction
/closet python fan.
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Fraser
Flogged
Joined: Jan 03, 2002
Posts: 2,383
Location: Kauniainen, Finland
|
| Posted: Sun 26/Oct/08 2:05am Post subject: |
|
|
| oldnslow wrote: | | Yet more evidence that Harry is a deadset, Grade A, walking, talking and breathing plank. I ride past his electorate office on a regular basis, and a la Monty Python, I spit in his general direction. |
Before you leap into Harry Duynhovens electoral office and explain that your cheif weapons are fear,surprise, ruthless efficencey and almost fanatical devotion to cycling. He isn't wanting to change the law, he just suggested the emphasis on the implementaion might be putting people off. In the same way Police don't bust you if you don't use hand signals 3 seconds before you stop or turn.
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
alinkyoto
Shiny
Joined: Jul 18, 2007
Posts: 24
Location: Christchurch New Zealand
|
| Posted: Thu 30/Oct/08 4:28pm Post subject: Another View Other Side Of The Story |
|
|
There is no country in which cycling is prevalent where the wearing of bicycle helmets is mandatory.
If the Ministry of Transport is serious about achieving their ( pitiful) Sustainable Transport Strategy goal of getting 17% of all trips to be made by bicycle then they are gonig to have to start looking at what works overseas and change the overly restrictive and punitive approach that is limiting both the numbers and the demographic who are currently cycling in New Zealadn.
We live in a democracy and as long as the vast majority drive cars, our elected representatives will continue to represent their interests and as long as the vast majority of cyclists are assertive young men their will be no political mileage in providing
segregated facilities for them.
As long as demographics who are seen as 'vulnerable'( ie. the elderly, women and children ) continue to refuse to take up cycling, progress with getting facilities in place is likely to be piecemeal and slow.
To encourage more 'utility cycling' it would be nice if the police pulled cyclists over to reward them for having made the change while making it known to those of us who refuse to comply with this unreasonable imposition , that we won't be in the running.
That's all right by me. Just get off my back !
Having shared the pavements of Japan for 10 years with 86,000,000 unhelmeted Japanese cyclists I can only say I'm very tired of the repeatedly asserted association between cycling and having your brains smashed out and by not wearing a helmet being treated as a criminal.
( I have been fined )
More of the same isn't going to get us anywhere....
Alan Preston ( Christchurch)
See also:
http://urbanbicycles.googlepages.com/issues
http://www.copenhagenize.com/search/label/%22bike%20helmet%20hysteria%blahblahblah
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Whoops
Scuffed
Joined: May 29, 2006
Posts: 366
|
| Posted: Thu 30/Oct/08 4:47pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Fraser wrote: | | oldnslow wrote: | | Yet more evidence that Harry is a deadset, Grade A, walking, talking and breathing plank. I ride past his electorate office on a regular basis, and a la Monty Python, I spit in his general direction. |
Before you leap into Harry Duynhovens electoral office and explain that your cheif weapons are fear,surprise, ruthless efficencey and almost fanatical devotion to cycling. He isn't wanting to change the law, he just suggested the emphasis on the implementaion might be putting people off. In the same way Police don't bust you if you don't use hand signals 3 seconds before you stop or turn. |
I bet he has a comfy chair in that office somewhere...
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
thorg
horse riding
Joined: May 20, 2004
Posts: 13,613
Location: looking out at Makara
|
| Posted: Thu 30/Oct/08 4:58pm Post subject: |
|
|
 Personally - I just want people to stop looking elsewhere for answers to NZ's problems.
"It isn't like this in bumkcufistan and they are allright"
Who cares about what works on the streets of another country where there cycling/driving demographic (not to mention geography and population density) is different to ours? We need NZ solutions to match our situation.
If the places where cyclists ride are safe enough - then perhaps the requiremnt for helmets wouldnt be there? Instead of making the roads safer - it was a cheaper option (for Govt) to enforce a safety measure onto cyclists. Overkill? - sure, well maybe, stats lie and the jury is out. best answer? no, that would have been to make the whole environment safer . . . .
Until the riding environment is safer - cant see any gubberment relaxing helmet laws . . .
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sifter
Moving forward
Joined: Nov 13, 2003
Posts: 11,089
Location: Wellington
|
| Posted: Thu 30/Oct/08 6:08pm Post subject: |
|
|
Victoria University just released an "Amended Vic Commute Travel Plan" with the following disgraceful item:
| Quote: | | Although bike to work week will not be promoted to staff or students due to safety concerns on narrow Wellington streets, recommendations to improve facilities for existing cyclists will go ahead as a number of staff and students cycle to Victoria. |
What a bunch of bulltihs...
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
