Incident

A few weeks ago i got ushered from behind to pull over while riding to work on the M5 at Moorebank.The same route i`ve been taking for the last seven years.The first words said to me were - i pulled you over because you were speeding - & in the same breath he says - & holding up the traffic! Then he says why are you riding along here? Finally he got to the point & said - where`s your helmet? Now i ride a new Kent KX7 Cruiser.It is neither a racing or mountain bike & is in reality just a cruiser. 7 speed twist gears with standard 32" tyres.Yep the biggest wheels currently available. So pleasantries aside i said - i cant be speeding & holding up the traffic at the same time.The only reason i can be holding up the traffic is because you`re straddling my lane & the traffic lane beside me. Furthermore i can ride here because this is a dedicated bicycle lane.There are two signs stating so at the rise & if you look behind your vehicle there are two more signs telling me i can. Now i`ve been riding bikes for 50 years,never been booked & have never worn a helmet,dont intend to & for medical reasons cant wear a hemet - sustained head injury from an acrow prop falling 5m some 40 years ago - which when wearing a helmet causes agrevation/severe headaches.Not satisfied he then asks why i dont have a bell? Do you think a motorist travelling along at 110 or 80ks in this particular spot could possibly hear it let alone care? Theyve got their hifi/wifi/this fi/that fi..going on.They munching on maccas/stuffing about with aps on their dash.And when was the last time a motorist told you - sorry officer i didnt hear his tinkerbell! Not satisfied he further says - & why were you weaving in the lane? - because i can & have to as theres broken glass/tyre remnants/hubcaps/mirrors/grooves in the surface.Thats why.Needless to say i got booked for not wearing a helmet only.$69. Rang the SDRO & am having it heard in court. Now there is a mandatory helmet law in aust & nz.The only two places in the world! Spain has it but ONLY outside the towns & if you ride up a hill you can remove the helmet! Anywhere else its up to the rider or not.WA has repealed the law to Under 17 years of age only.Interestingly the Helmet Standards Testing is basically just that - they get a helmet,fit it with a head form & a sensor,tie it to a cable & raise it between 1.45m & 1.8M & drop it onto various shaped steel blocks. If it cracks or dents its scrapped.Unlike seat belts/airbags/child capsules they dont use a vehicle & crash test dummies.They could/should.Its not rocket science.A motorised bicycle with a crash dummy astride propelled at say 15kph then drive a 1.6 tonne commodore or such like at it. Nope.Nothing like that. When a vehicle hits a cyclist it doesnt care if you have or not a helmet on.It hits you at leg level & propels you through the air where you spear into the ground.And thats where the problem is & worsens.When you hit the ground from that, the helmet digs in & twists creating havoc to the brain which at 5ks avg weight & floating in fluid within your skull bounces around like an egg in water. A helmet is only designed for a - stand to drop situation -.Tour de France & other races use them for what reason? Not because a 2 tonne Citroen or Peugeot is going to hit them.... its purely from a fall off or between other cyclists. Well thats my bit so it remains to be seen of the outcome.