Draft paragraphs

Questions

  • Confirm the MP address?

Links

  • belong to a religious or cultural group (such as Sikh) and wear its headdress which makes it impractical to wear a bicycle helmet,
  • cycle at a speed below a given threshold such as 10km/h, and have a speedometer fitted on the bicycle,
  • wear a wide-brimmed (>7cm) hat,
  • have a letter from a medical practitioner confirming medical reasons or physical characteristics which make it unreasonable to require to wear a bicycle helmet,
  • are cycling on a dedicated bicycle way,
  • wear ear muffs for protection from traffic noise which makes it impractical to wear a bicycle helmet,
  • are of age 18+,
  • have special reasons approved by an Authority, such as Roads and Maritime Services, NSW.

And the radiation protection standard* recommends wide-brimmed >7cm hats for adequate sun protection but the helmet visors -- the only tested AS/NZ 2063-compliant sun protection attachment -- are shorter and only front-side. These visors expose face, ears, and back of the neck to direct sunlight and the resulting skin cancer hazard.

*"Australian Radiation protection standard for occupational exposure to ultraviolet radiation"

While cyclists must wear AS/NZ 2063-compliant helmets in Australia, and some States and Territories provide exemptions on cultural, religious, age, infrastructure, or medical grounds, NSW doesn't provide any exemptions. Furthermore, the climate at NSW has high UV radiation levels, with wide-brimmed (>7cm) hats recommended for outdoor activities, but an equivalent safe tested helmet attachment is not available. Custom attachments are illegal; they are not tested and may interfere with the helmet properties and may injure the cyclist in case of accident.

Diff 1

Diff 1: http://hastebin.com/raw/rifunafole

Dear Mr Daley,

I am writing to bring to your attention the need for exemptions to the requirement to wear a helmet while cycling in New South Wales.

Although cyclists must wear AS/NZS 2063-compliant helmets throughout Australia, some states andterritories provide exemptions on the grounds of culture, religion, age, infrastructure or medical reasons. In New South Wales, however, there are no exemptions. This inconveniences members of certain cultural, religious and age groups, as well as persons suffering particular medical conditions. (maybe list some examples)

I humbly request that you raise in the Parliament of New South Wales the need to amend legislation to allow bicycle helmet exemptions for cyclists who satisfy criteria such as:

    • Having a medical condition (as is the case in Queensland and Western Australia),
    • Being a member of a religious or cultural group and wearing a type of head-dress (such as a burqa or turban), customarily worn by members of the group, as makes it impractical to wear a bicycle helmet (as is the case in Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria),
    • Being over the age of 17 and riding in a public place, on a bicycle path separated from the part of the road used by motor vehicles by a physical structure or barrier, or on a shared path (as in the Northern Territory), or <-- This one seems a little hard to justify. NT has this because their legislation is not as frequently updated.
    • Being issued a certificate by a government authority stating that it would be impractical, undesirable or inexpedient that the individual wear a bicycle helmet while riding on a bicycle (as is the case in Victoria).

Additionally, the climate in New South Wales has high UV radiation levels, with wide-brimmed hats (wider than 7cm) recommended for outdoor workers' health and safety. Unfortunately an equivalent safety-tested helmet attachment is not available, with custom attachments being untested, unsafe, and illegal. Additionally, during winter, helmets do not adequately protect riders' ears from the cold and wind. Therefore I also ask you to raise the need for an exemption for cyclists if:

    • They are wearing a wide-brimmed hat on a sunny days.
    • They are wearing a warm winter hat between April and October.
    • They have a hair style that makes it impractical to put on a helmet. <-- Examples of any of these in other areas?

These exemptions should all extend to bicycle passengers.

Alternatively, Parliament could repeal the whole section 256 of ROAD RULES 2014, thus leaving the bicycle helmet wearing non-compulsory and optional at all times.

Yours faithfully,

MY NAME