Mike Rubbo an Australian documentary film maker has gotten together with Sue Abbot to document her case in which she is fighting a helmet charge in Scone Australia.
I first heard about her case as did Mike Rubbo and as most did from the blog Copenhagenize.com.
We learned that:
She has always cycled and when Australia passed mandatory, all-ages bike helmet laws in the 1990's, Sue kept on cycling while many Australians parked their bikes in the garage. Despite the helmet laws, Sue continued to cycle without a helmet and she has never felt as though she needed one.
It took the better part of 15 years before Sue was finally stopped by the Austalian police earlier this year and ticketed for not wearing a helmet.
"One of the policemen expressed interest in why I wasn't wearing one. I mentioned I had done some research which had confirmed my view that helmets put me at risk. He was somewhat surprised, and so I continued that there was further information to show that there is a correlation between fat nations and helmet laws, and that in some parts of the US, much of Europe, the UK and Asia there were no such laws. I mentioned that now I had been issued with an infringement ticket I intended to take this matter to court.
Both he and his mate were really startled at that, and he wished me good luck in my quest and hoped I got somewhere with it. He admitted that he had given up cycling when the legislation became enacted in the early 90s, and that his bicycle had sat in his garage since that time."
Here’s the film that they made together.
We learned that:
She has always cycled and when Australia passed mandatory, all-ages bike helmet laws in the 1990's, Sue kept on cycling while many Australians parked their bikes in the garage. Despite the helmet laws, Sue continued to cycle without a helmet and she has never felt as though she needed one.
It took the better part of 15 years before Sue was finally stopped by the Austalian police earlier this year and ticketed for not wearing a helmet.
"One of the policemen expressed interest in why I wasn't wearing one. I mentioned I had done some research which had confirmed my view that helmets put me at risk. He was somewhat surprised, and so I continued that there was further information to show that there is a correlation between fat nations and helmet laws, and that in some parts of the US, much of Europe, the UK and Asia there were no such laws. I mentioned that now I had been issued with an infringement ticket I intended to take this matter to court.
Both he and his mate were really startled at that, and he wished me good luck in my quest and hoped I got somewhere with it. He admitted that he had given up cycling when the legislation became enacted in the early 90s, and that his bicycle had sat in his garage since that time."
Here’s the film that they made together.
The film, above, is the first installment in a series about Sue. Her case goes to court at the end of the month. I wish her all the luck in the world... she's gonna need it.
Sue, you rock.
The original post about Sue can be found at:
http://www.copenhagenize.com/
MIke Rubbo's blog is:
http://datillo.wordpress.com/
I saw that video on David Hembrow's blog.
ReplyDeleteDrives me bonkers these helmet laws. I was doing some research from a little while back, and was surprised at how close Ontario was to an all ages helmet law.
Thankfully it was shot down.
I also believe an NDP MP from Manitoba shot down a Liberal motion for a helmet law there!
Some of these pro-helmet people fail to realize that there are quite a few people such as myself who ride year round no matter what the weather. I'm more likely to suffer frost bite on my ears in the winter, than need a helmet at any time of the season.
Plus when the ice and snow come, I'm 1000x's more cautious and aware of everything.