New helmet law exemptions announced for Qld

[The 2nd Womble]

QLD Transport Minister Scott Emerson has just announced new helmet exemptions for those with religious head dress ie Sikhs.
Feel free to post links here as it hits the press during the course of today. The interview with the Transport Minister will be available on the ABC612 Brisbane website shortly. Head to the breakfast show with Spencer Howson for the link.

[The 2nd Womble]

http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2013 ... _breakfast" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Chooka]

What would be the legalities of them entering a race? Would they still be exempt or would the race organizers be allowed to refuse entry? They can ride without being fined in religious headdress (with exemption) but I could be fined for not having an Australian Standards sticker on my helmet...

[The 2nd Womble]

Race rules still apply

[human909]

I believe in a free nation. I believe in freedom of religion. I also believe that those without religion should be as free as those with religion. It seems absurd to be making special exemptions for some religions.

The law is either a GOOD law and should be applicable for all. Or its a bad law and it shouldn't be there.

[ldrcycles]

It feels strange to say this, but though I don't want the MHL repealed, I agree with you, when you boil it down, this is actually discriminatory. So Person A can ride without a helmet because they belong to a particular faith, but if Person B is of a different faith or no faith, they are forced to do so? If it was the other way round there would be outrage.

[jacob_T]

It feels strange to say this, but though I don't want the MHL repealed, I agree with you, when you boil it down, this is actually discriminatory. So Person A can ride a helmet because they belong to a particular faith, but if Person B is of a different faith or no faith, they are forced to do so? If it was the other way round there would be outrage.

+1

It's very contradictory.

Easy solution. Start your own cult.

[gorilla monsoon]

Mods, I feel a discrimination attack coming on very soon.

[The 2nd Womble]

Mods, I feel a discrimination attack coming on very soon.

No GM, don't do it!

[gorilla monsoon]

I'm not going to do anything, Womble Squared, I fear someone else might though. Personally, I don't give a damn what people do or don't wear. They can ride shoeless in their birthday suits for all I care.

[sogood]

I believe in a free nation. I believe in freedom of religion. I also believe that those without religion should be as free as those with religion. It seems absurd to be making special exemptions for some religions.

Yes, Sikhs have to bind their head for religion and so can you, with a helmet. Equality!

[LM324]

It feels strange to say this, but though I don't want the MHL repealed, I agree with you, when you boil it down, this is actually discriminatory. So Person A can ride a helmet because they belong to a particular faith, but if Person B is of a different faith or no faith, they are forced to do so? If it was the other way round there would be outrage.

While I agree with you, does a helmet even fit over a turban?

[winstonw]

If I was a Sikh cyclist who suffered a brain injury because of a car hitting me, I'd sue Big Brother for valuing my brain less than others.

[biker jk]

Delayed April fools joke?

[thecaptn]

I think there's a photo of a dude wearing a turbin under a helmet on Audax's home page. You can get turbin helmets in the UK anyway no joke. Surly their religious requirements can be satisfied without compromising on saftey.

[thecaptn]

You can get turbin helmets in the UK anyway no joke

Disclaimer: This information may not be entirely acurate.

[WyvernRH]

We went through all this back in the 70's in the UK with motorcycle helmets. Much noise and upset but the Sikh community won the day BUT what basically panned out was that if you took the religious route and did not wear a helmet and suffered injuries you were on your own, contributory neg and the insurers did not want to know. You could not race motorbikes without a helmet and I had a couple of Sikh friends who raced who wore some sort of head covering under the helmet and had a dispensation from their holy man. Maybe they weren't that strict? Dunno, but IMHO this is not a good thing, it just shows that bike helmets are not taken seriously by 'them in command'
Cheers
Richard

[Apple]

what I really want to know, is why are so many kids riding without a Helmet . I am noticing more and more kids with out them. I am also sure they are not
Sikh as there was no turbans in sight

I'm not going to do anything, Womble Squared, I fear someone else might though. Personally, I don't give a damn what people do or don't wear. They can ride shoeless in their birthday suits for all I care.

So true, I don't give a S*&t either but I just don't like seeing it.

[Walst]

Personally welcome the move, but thinking in terms of cycling advocacy, not in terms of what's "fair".

The Sikh community is not huge (72,000 according to the wiki) but they will no doubt grow in size and clout. If cycling is an inaccessible to them, we cut off an entire social community who would otherwise be able to lend extra political weight to cycling interests.

[jonbays]

I think that when you start to see the courts making exceptions to helmet laws for religious reasons then it belies the fact that the law isn't really necessary doesn't achieve much and will be made less relevant by the ruling. Next no motorcycle helmets for Sikhs. Then no helmets for outlaw motorcycle gangs who will all convert from Islam etc.

I wear a helmet when I want to but not to go to the shops and stuff where its a nuisance just a turban would be more of a damn nuisance to me.

[Apple]

I wear a helmet when I want to but not to go to the shops and stuff where its a nuisance just a turban would be more of a damn nuisance to me.

Yes it would take forever to put on the shops would be closed by the time you wrap that thing on

[biker jk]

First it was exemption from taxation (for organised religions) and now helmet wearing, what next?

[rheicel]

What do you think guys, shall I start a business selling Thuban or whatever friendly helmet?

TBH, I wear helmet for my own safety. I have like 12 of them.

I remembet, one day, on my commute to work, I forget to wear helmet. Midway to the office, I noticed it and starts walking not riding. Not fun but this is me!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[human909]

Personally welcome the move, but thinking in terms of cycling advocacy, not in terms of what's "fair".

The Sikh community is not huge (72,000 according to the wiki) but they will no doubt grow in size and clout. If cycling is an inaccessible to them, we cut off an entire social community who would otherwise be able to lend extra political weight to cycling interests.

If we were thinking about cycling advocacy then why are we making cycling inaccessible to a much larger proportions of Australia by having mandatory helmet laws. The fact of the matter is that mandatory helmet laws have had the single BIGGEST impact on cycling numbers since the introduction of the automobile.


The one thing you Sydneysiders do have up north is coppers that don't care about cyclists not wearing helmets. So you effectively have SOME choice. Here in Victoria they'll chase you down if they spot you. !! BAN ME NOW FOR SWEARING !! I even had some idiot coppers chastise me for not having it on when I was stopped in a Suburban side street checking my phone messages.

[Howzat]

The fact of the matter is that mandatory helmet laws have had the single BIGGEST impact on cycling numbers since the introduction of the automobile.

I think there is another thread for the anti-helmet debate, human909.

...even if this one is an article of faith