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COMPULSORY SELF-PROTECTION ON ROADS: GAIN OR HARM TO SOCIETY?
Introduction A subject of current controversy in Australia is the role of governments in individuals’ choices about protecting themselves against disease and injury. Concerns have been expressed about infringement of civil liberties and possible adverse effects of preventive medical treatments that governments are urging, immunisation for example. People are rightly demanding the full scientific knowledge…
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Submission to the National Road Transport Commission
Entrenchment of Helmet Laws in Australian Road Rules by Bill Curnow 18 August 1997 Under an agreement by all governments in Australia, the National Road Transport Commission is developing Australian Road Rules that all road users in Australia will need to follow. Draft rules were released for public comment in 1994. In the light of…
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The 3rd International Conference on Injury Prevention and Control
The 3rd International Conference on Injury Prevention and Control [NOTE: The official Web site for this conference, which was formerly located at www.nisu.flinders.edu.au, is no longer available. Links from this page have been removed accordingly. ] The 3rd International Conference on Injury Prevention and Control was held in Melbourne, Australia from February 18-22 1996. For bicycle…
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Compulsory Bicycle Helmets: Unfair Discrimination
Wearing of helmets has been compulsory for cyclists in Australia for years, but how many people know that reports of the Federal Office of Road Safety, in 1987 and 1998, recommend them for occupants of motor vehicles too? Hoping that helmet wearing would reduce serious head injury and satisfied that the costs and inconvenience to…
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Henderson Paper Reviewed
The 1995 Henderson report can be found here. It is another report exaggerating the benefits of helmets, funded by the NSW government. Another critique of this report can be found here. Individuals and organizations zealously pushing mandatory helmet use for cyclists are continuing to churn out reams of propaganda. One of the more voluminous efforts…
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Medical Doctors, and the Compulsory Helmets Law
Introduction by Peter van Schaik Medical Doctors have frequently claimed the right to enforce compulsory helmets on cyclists, to protect the public purse. For example in his review entitled “The Effectiveness of Bicycle Helmets: A Review” (1995), Dr. Michael Henderson says: “There remains a proportion of the riding population who are opposed to legislation requiring…
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Civil Liberties Considerations
A. AUSTRALIA 1. Lionel Murphy, address to ALP National Conference, 1967 Every generation has to fight over and over again the battle for our fundamental rights and liberties and this generation has to do that also. We Australians tend to think that our civil rights are beyond question. In recent times, almost every one of…
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Review of Evidence of the Efficacy of Helmets for Cyclists
Introduction That the wearing of a helmet can protect cyclists from head injury might seem obvious. Measurements in laboratories have shown that helmets have the potential to do this, but, as Davis (1993) noted, the issue is what happens when the devices promoted by such research are used and adapted by real people. Research into…
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Discouragement Of Cycling, And Effects On Welfare
Written in 1994 1. Introduction This paper examines the rationale for compulsory wearing of helmets as stated by the then Federal Minister for Land Transport: that head injury to cyclists will be reduced, resulting in savings to the community in health care and other costs – in effect, an increase in public welfare. Laboratory tests…
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A Review of the South Australian Office of Road Safety Report 8/94
1. Introduction This is a review of the South Australian Office of Road Safety report 8/94 subtitled “Evaluation of the Compulsory Helmet Wearing Legislation for Bicyclists in South Australia”. This report (herein referred to as SAORS 8/94) shows that authorities in South Australia have been committed to the policy of helmet wearing for cyclists since…
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