Police on bikes at the local station stopped a number of people for not wearing helmets. Fair enough, but then I considered the penalty these people faced, a fine of $50.
The riders, there were three of them, included a woman, probably in her fifties, who looked as though she may have been a pensioner - the bike was old, she was wearing a dress, and of course, no helmet.
Having been knocked off my bike and hitting the ground head first, I am glad I was wearing a helmet - the helmet shattered, I was concussed which is a far, far better result than skull shattered and dead! So I understand the value of helmets.
The less well-off would struggle to pay the fine - it represents a considerable slug of their income (most of which is probably not disposable anyway!).
My solutions:-
One, make the fine a percentage of income - the poor can afford the fine and if a highly paid person gets a high fine, well, you wonder why they are paid heaps when thy are patently stupid to not wear a helmet!
or
Two, just like cars with an unroadworthy sticker, the rider must present themselves at the local police station with a helmet (educative and not as expensive as the fine!) if it is their first offence, for subsequent nabbings, then hit them with the fine.
Why do this people need to be fined at all?
ReplyDeleteWhy can this not be left to personal discretion?
You may feel more comfortable wearing a helmet, but why should this view be enforced upon people who take a different view?
The danger of mandatory helmet laws is that they discourage people from cycling. And as we discourage cycling, we miss out on its public health benefits, the reduced congestion, reduced pollution, increased social interaction and many other positive results of increasing cycling among the population.
Have you seen this report, suggesting that compulsory helmet wearing has actually had a negative effect on the health of Australians, with increased healthcare costs?
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17032-bicycle-helmet-laws-may-do-more-harm-than-good.html
Alternatively, look at countries like Denmark and the Netherlands where cycling is considered a normal, safe, everyday activity. Helmets are hardly ever worn and public health benefits from high levels of activity among the population.
Our instinct may be to try and keep safe by wrapping our heads in polystyrene and fining those who dissent. But the truth often runs contrary to our initial instinct.