Helmets bought OS meet Aus regulations?

[roxii]

I have a Lazer helmet that has the Chrome/Red sticker on it, and it is one of those "self destruct" ones that can't be pulled off.

Its amazing what can happen if some Eucalyptus oil "accidentally spills" on those chrome stickers.

[queequeg]

australian road rules require you to wear 'an approved helmet' - i have never seen any reference to 'australian standards approved' so a helmet from o/s seems fine for non racing use.

From the Queensland Transport Operations (Road Use Management—Road Rules) Regulation 2009 (PDF here):

Schedule 5 Dictionary
section 4
approved bicycle helmet means a helmet that complies with—
(a) AS 2063.1 and 2063.2; or
(b) another standard the chief executive considers is at least
equal to that standard.

This topic was done to death a few years back on MTBDirt. One of the forum members went so far as to seek clarification from Qld Transport regarding point (b) above. I can't recall what the outcome was now.

As usual, in NSW you can't just get a simple answer to anything due to all the red tape:

The actual Road Rule:

256 Bicycle helmets

(1) The rider of a bicycle must wear an approved bicycle helmet securely fitted and fastened on the rider’s head, unless the rider is exempt from wearing a bicycle helmet under another law of this jurisdiction.

Maximum penalty: 20 penalty units.

Note. Approved bicycle helmet is defined in the Dictionary.

From the NSW Road Rules 2008 Dictionary:

approved bicycle helmet means a protective helmet for bicycle riders of a type approved by the Authority.

Note 1.

Authority is defined in the Act.

Note 2. This definition is not uniform with the corresponding definition in the Dictionary of the Australian Road Rules. However, the Australian Road Rules allow another law of this jurisdiction to make provision for who may approve such helmets. Different definitions may apply in other Australian jurisdictions.

And now, from the Dictionary of the Parent Act of the NSW Road Rules (Road Transport (Safety and Traffic Management) Act 1999 No 20):

Authority means the Roads and Traffic Authority.

I can find nothing in the Road Rules or Traffic Act that mention anything about what makes an "approved bicycle helmet", but then up on the RTA Website is this:

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/bi ... dgear.html

Helmet standard

Look on the bicycle helmet for the sticker or label certifying that the helmet meets the Australian and New Zealand standard (AS/NZS 2063) and has passed stringent safety tests.

An approved bicycle helmet is a protective helmet for bicycle riders of a type that complies with AS/NZS 2063 and has a mark certifying compliance with the above standard.

Helmets manufactured after 31 March 2011 must have an identifying mark from a body accredited or approved by the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ) certifying compliance with the above standard.

The URL above even shows the three different types of labels you can expect to see from March 2011 onwards, with the implication being that if your sticker is not from one of those three companies after that date, the helmet is not approved.



It seems to me like the Road Rules and the Traffic Act are worded such the RTA can change their mind at any time without needing to change any rules. Seems a bit dodgy to me.

[jules21]

you'll probably find they've declared it in the NSW Govt Gazette, which should be available online. yes, they can change that by re-declaring it at any time.

[mmhbeer]

Just buy a helmet online and keep the old one in your car. In the unlikely event that you are checked at a race you have a backup.

As far as the ambo's and hospital checking out your helmet they would be looking for tell tale signs of where you took the impact.

[jules21]

they're probably checking for nits

[alex]

interesting (in bold) wording from cycling australia.

the way i read it :

on road - 'approved' helmet
in race - 'as2063 approved' helmet