I have seen a lot of inspiring people on bicycles
lately. People who are riding for
transport and wearing the style of clothing that suits their destination. Male
and female, all ages, mostly during the day but also some at night. I have even spotted a young guy in a
suit and tie rolling along the west end of St Georges Terrace. It makes me think of the H.G. Wells
quote: Every time I see an adult on a
bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race.
As part of my people watching I have also been playing a
new game. Each day I count the growing
number of people I see who have made the decision not to wear a helmet. I think
public awareness of the issues is increasing, and as a result, more people have
recognised that bicycle helmets have been a negative influence on Australian
society when all things are considered.
I am not a lawyer but I think there is a basic principle
that the law should reflect the opinion of the majority of the people. Have we now reached the tipping point
for the repeal of Australia’s twenty-year-old compulsory helmet laws? There are signs everywhere that we
have.
Even our state and local governments are now presenting a
more relaxed image. This is the
cover of a brochure from the Department of Transport a few years ago (when they
were known as the Department for Planning and Infrastructure). The helmet
message is very strong. You could mistake it for a helmet advertisement if the
child was not looking so grumpy.
Compare it to this recent brochure from the Department of
Transport.
Our local governments also seem to be ready for the law to
be changed. This is the cover of
the Town of Mosman Park’s Cycling and Pedestrian Plan earlier this year.
And here is the clipping from the City of South Perth
website.
The City of Fremantle is definitely ready for the
change: Mayor Brad Petitt's blog.
I have not stumbled across any examples of helmet-free riding
in City of Vincent publications but you can see that they recognise that people
and bicycles are important.
Of course, advertisers are very aware of the cultural shift towards riding unencumbered.
A few recent examples.
