Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: Re: Kevlar vests to be made COMPULSORY for pedestrians in NZ
From: news@massey.ac.nz (USENET News System)
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 92 22:16:45 GMT
Organization: Massey University

From article <1992Nov22.101623.22230@actrix.gen.nz>, by Mary.Curtin@bbs.actrix.gen.nz:
> In article <1992Nov20.011025.6655@massey.ac.nz> news@massey.ac.nz (USENET News System) writes:
> 
>> driving is inherently dangerous etc. The point is SPEED and what goes wrong
>> due to it. When cars were slower there wern't so many accidents and no
> ....
>> Bicycles go much the same speed now as they did years ago, typical speed
>> is probably around 16Km/h (10mph) - yes we have lighter bikes and faster
>> speeds, but not dramatic (even if Phil can hit 50Km/h with the wind behind
>> him :-)). Cycling hasn't become dangerous because of any changes to the
>> bikes or the way they are ridden, we are being asked to protect oursevles
>> from the dangers caused by OTHERS. This does not hold for crash helmets
> 
> No, you're being asked to minimise the state's risk in caring for you
> if you are badly injured.  What has changed is the probability of
> survival if you get a bad head injury.  In times gone by, you simply
> would have died.  No we have equipment and techniques to keep you
> alive.  So we have to either care for you totally for years and years,
> or spend heaps to rehabilitate you - if you get a head injury.
> 
This argument could apply to any person. Pedestrians may trip and fall and
crack their head on the pavement (sidewalk to our US readers, had great
fun explaining to a US garage that I'd bumped the pavement once to completely
confused looks...). How many people trip each year? How many old and infirm
trip? Maybe everybody over 60 should wear padded clothing to minimise the
cost to us of their treatment, maybe we should include children as well,
OK why not everybody! What we have in the cycle helmet laws is one group
of people being singled out to wear protective clothing while AT THE SAME
TIME action which might stop the accidents in the first place is NOT being
taken, in case we infringe on motorists rights. Sweden has zero-alchol, why
not NZ? In Holland cars REVERSE off cycle-lanes running parallel to roads
to let cyclists through. This shows that motorists can be educated and
controlled, and this should happen in NZ rather than padding their victims.
This law would not have been suggested based on the head injuries cyclists
get in accidents not involving motor vechicles.

Was the girl flattened by a lorry in Auckland over the weekend wearing
a helmet? Maybe we should ask her family what they think of the state
of our roads? (I must admit I no details of this accident other than
what was reported on the news.)
> 
>> (It good to see you Kiwi's having a go, whatever side you're arguing. One
> 
> 
> Always happy to argue!   :-)
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> \   \/   /  |  
>  \/\/\/\/   |  mary.curtin@bbs.actrix.gen.nz
> 
-- 
---
Dr Nigel Perry                    Email: N.Perry@massey.ac.nz
Department of Computer Science    Tel: +64 6 356 9099 ext 8900
Massey University                 Fax: +64 6 350 5611
Palmerston North
New Zealand
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand