Originally Posted by
closetbiker
I saw this press on the "other side" of the helmet legislation in Australia. It seems to me what's remarkable about it is that it's got some press. It's not like the arguments are new, or that there hasn't been some opposition to the law, it's just that it seems, that the "other side" rarely gets the press like this has.
It's very encouraging that this issue is starting to bubble up into the mainstream press; I think it's in part because there is a cycling boom going on, and cycling generally has become quite topical. There's been some other coverage too:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...16/2983587.htm
and
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...section=justin
Kind of sad that the guy who pushed for the law in the first place is apparently not interested in looking at evidence that has been gathered in the meantime that MHL have not worked. Why does this issue seem to generate such closed minds?
Subsequent to that article, Chris Rissel was given this right to reply:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...htm?site=email
The really disappointing thing about this is the new CEO of BicycleNSW (the state peak advocacy body) has shown himself to be very ill-informed on this issue, and somewhat out of alignment with the general mood of cyclists. There was a reall opportunity there to actually build some momentum on a campaign to have the law changed - for example as a first step to have cycle hire schemes exempted.
This would have been a good thing, as Australia's first city bike rental scheme in Melbourne is failing badly - anyone wonder why, when the police are issuing tickets to people who ride without a helmet?