I think it might be worthwhile raising a bit of stink about the helmet law. Not that it is a bad idea... I'd wear a helmet on the road regardless of what the law is... But just in case they get the crazy idea to make cyclists wear highvis vests. THAT would suck...

Oli wrote:

CrustyMTB wrote:

Oli wrote:

Joel wrote: If a helmet does improve safety in some instances then why not legislate for it? just like safety legislation in a number of areas not just cycling.

Then it should be legislated in all instances where a head injury might occur, otherwise it's undemocratic and unfair.

Democracy and fairness have little to do with legislation. Should there be a helmet law for ski-ing and snowboarder? IMHO yes. Is it a priority and therefore likely to happen? No.

Is the cycle helmet law responsible for less kids riding? Probably not. Numbers of kids walking to school have also fallen. Given figures show that more adults are currently riding than previously, I believe the whole argument is flawed. Is there less growth due to the helmet laws, probably. Are the rabid anti helmet law people a pack of whiners who want to feel the wind in their hair? Probably.

Th law isn't going away, get over it, move on, there are bigger issues.

Nah.

And it's not whining to show dissent, by the way. It's totally reasonable to question the status quo, and it shows that at least we're not prepared to just swallow the shit we're fed. I don't expect the law to be changed because I disagree with it, but I'm damned well allowed to disagree with it, and I'm damned well allowed to say that I do. Condescending and dismissive comments don't help in any direction.

No they don't, But I'm damn well allowed too!!!!!!!

this thread needs a poll

may i suggest

a) true
b) false
c) its the LAW goddamit
d) stop oppressing me fascist bully boys
e) Jonkey doesn't wear one and i love him

ooh ooh ooh ........... a Pole is just wot we knead

I'm a czech, i can go next door and get a pole if you like?

Joel wrote:I would be interested in understanding what is the overall decline of people partaking in sports and does that correlate to decline in cycling.

Given the recent boom in cycling across MTb and road, it is interesting that numbers are still less than prehelmet era. I guess impact of kids not riding to school significantly deflats numbers

I would say it is a class/ socio economic standard of education thing.. it is an expensive pass time both in time and money

no one's mentioned cheap jap imports yet... they boomed approximately the same time as helmet laws came in, hammering the nail in the coffin of sparsely car'd roads and everybody riding their bikes to school and work.

swtchbckr wrote:no one's mentioned cheap jap imports yet... they boomed approximately the same time as helmet laws came in, hammering the nail in the coffin of sparsely car'd roads and everybody riding their bikes to school and work.

does that correspond with when they all got fat

i ALWAYS wears a helement when i drive a cheap fat jap import

great uncle bulgaria wrote:i ALWAYS wears a helement when i drive a cheap fat jap import

hey mines cheap ugly and starts every time got dents and scratches.... and beats some clocked a euro box import

False

great uncle bulgaria wrote:i ALWAYS wears a helement when i drive a cheap fat jap import

I always wear a helmet when you drive anything.

There were a whole lot of things that messed up the picture re cycling participation and head injuries.

Jap imports. Acceptability of drink driving reduced. Economy changed. In Oz they had a monster road safety blitz with terrifying adverts and I think law changes too. Hospital treatment changed in real life, and also the way they recorded their stats.
And slower changes that mess up the long term picture. Decline of compulsory PE and school sports. Earlier puberty for girls, earlier adult self-identification for both sexes.

Still this has been expensively statastised and surveyed in a few countries, the answer from the surveys as I recall it is that for a significant number of kids and particularly girls helmets are not an option , you might as well ask them to stop shaving their pubes or using Facebook as to start wearing a helmet.

Something the surveys probably didn't show but is critical: it's not what the majority thinks that matters in the end, it is what the style leaders think. My guess is style leaders might care about their hair.

Simonius_Titius wrote:. Hey let's lobby parliament for a compulsory leg shaving law....
Decline of compulsory PE and school sports. Earlier puberty for girls, earlier adult self-identification for both sexes... you might as well ask them to stop shaving their pubes or using Facebook as to start wearing a helmet.
Something the surveys probably didn't show but is critical: it's not what the majority thinks that matters in the end, it is what the style leaders think. My guess is style leaders might care about their hair.

Simonius_Titius wrote:. Hey let's lobby parliament for a compulsory leg shaving law.

You have a thing about other people shaving

All of the factors that people have mentioned about busier roads,ipods, LED lights on bikes,fatter kids being driven to school etc - even Simon razorburnTitus believeing teenage pubic hair is somehow part of this.
These factors are not unique to NZ - But the way the law was specifically implimented was unique to NZ.
Which is why they have done this - as they can't see the correlation.

SlackBoy wrote:

Oli wrote:

CrustyMTB wrote:

Oli wrote:

Joel wrote: If a helmet does improve safety in some instances then why not legislate for it? just like safety legislation in a number of areas not just cycling.

Then it should be legislated in all instances where a head injury might occur, otherwise it's undemocratic and unfair.

Democracy and fairness have little to do with legislation. Should there be a helmet law for ski-ing and snowboarder? IMHO yes. Is it a priority and therefore likely to happen? No.

Is the cycle helmet law responsible for less kids riding? Probably not. Numbers of kids walking to school have also fallen. Given figures show that more adults are currently riding than previously, I believe the whole argument is flawed. Is there less growth due to the helmet laws, probably. Are the rabid anti helmet law people a pack of whiners who want to feel the wind in their hair? Probably.

Th law isn't going away, get over it, move on, there are bigger issues.

Nah.

And it's not whining to show dissent, by the way. It's totally reasonable to question the status quo, and it shows that at least we're not prepared to just swallow the shit we're fed. I don't expect the law to be changed because I disagree with it, but I'm damned well allowed to disagree with it, and I'm damned well allowed to say that I do. Condescending and dismissive comments don't help in any direction.

No they don't, But I'm damn well allowed too!!!!!!!

And my whiner cooments weren't aimed at you Oli, but at those who appear to blame the helmet laws for the plague, Global Warming and the obesity epidemic (hyperbole yes, but not too far off the truth for some). Questioning the status quo is one thing (crap 2 chord oldies) blaming a single minor issue for a number of unrelated ills is another