Q: Tasmanian helmet laws?

  • Thread starter Bradley C. Gold
  • Start date



B

Bradley C. Gold

Guest
Hi,

I am fairly new to the apple isle and was wondering if anyone could advise me whether
helmets for bicycles are compulsory or not?

Cheers, Brad
 
"Bradley C. Goldsmith" wrote:

> I am fairly new to the apple isle and was wondering if anyone could advise me whether
> helmets for bicycles are compulsory or not?

They're compulsory in all states and territories. I don't remember the full details, but the
federal government forced the issue years ago by tying grants to the passing of the legislation.
They all complied.

John
 
John Henderson wrote:

> "Bradley C. Goldsmith" wrote:
>
>> I am fairly new to the apple isle and was wondering if anyone could advise me whether
>> helmets for bicycles are compulsory or not?
>
> They're compulsory in all states and territories. I don't remember the full details, but the
> federal government forced the issue years ago by tying grants to the passing of the legislation.
> They all complied.
>
> John

Thanks for the advice.

-bcg
 
Originally posted by Bradley C. Gold
Sorry - I'm from NSW.
I'm only here for the real estate :)
-bcg

Damn, fooled me. Originally from Tas, but in Vic not for the real estate. Much prefer riding a pedally over here though. Four eyes very handy while cycling in heavy traffic.:D
 
cfsmtb wrote:

> Bradley C. Gold wrote:
> > Sorry - I'm from NSW. I'm only here for the real estate :) -bcg
>
>
>
> Damn, fooled me. Originally from Tas, but in Vic not for the real estate. Much prefer riding a
> pedally over here though. Four eyes very handy while cycling in heavy traffic.:D
>
>
>
> --

Taswegians & heavy traffic? Don't get me started.

I'm scared driving a car around here with some of the shameful displays of driving amongst the blue
rinse set here. I am tossing up whether the long overdue exercise (push bike) is worth it in the
traffic around here.

I was in a right hand lane to turn right today, on the pushie right up the front on the right hand
side of the right lane - exactly where I should be
- indicating with my right hand. Some old sod in a laser decides that they should pass on my left
side (the arrow right is still red mind you) and queue across the intersection freaking out
oncoming cars and pissing me off (as well as putting me in a rather ****-tightening situation).
Good news is I survived with my spine in tact with my trousers unsoiled.

-bcg
 
er, hate to tell you Brad. but you werent in the right place at all.

Righthand - lane good.
righthand indicating - good
righthand side of lane - not good

you should either be in the left hand half or preferably the centre of it

Glossing over your particualr scenario of the diver going thru the red you are basically setting yourself up as what you will do is enter the intersection, go thru it and then need to cross in front of the car as he too goes thru it. As you both are now thru he is left to scream at silly cyclist who is now on right when you should be on left

If your doing a Uturn, fine. otherwiseyou/he shoulda swapped positions (with him preferably being behind you)
 
Hello, i am from Germany and i survived 8000 km without a helmet trough Australia last year. ;-) I
do not want to start a new helmet-flame-war-thread here as it happens in german newsgroups when
somebody writes that helmets are/are not reasonable. The question i just want to ask you is: How
does the majority of Australien people think about the helmet law? Do most cyclists support the
law or not?

Regards Jens
 
"Jens Herrmann" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hello, i am from Germany and i survived 8000 km without a helmet trough Australia last year. ;-) I
> do not want to start a new helmet-flame-war-thread here as it happens in german newsgroups when
> somebody writes that helmets are/are not reasonable. The question i just want to ask you is: How
> does the majority of Australien people think about the helmet law? Do most cyclists support the
> law or not?
>
> Regards Jens

I just do what I am told. I do not have the money or the education to undertake a study of my own to
make a valid decision. I have to trust (rightly or wrongly) what I am told by other people. Some
will swear that its more dangerous others less.

Strangely I know someone that swears that smoking is not bad for your health and can site me all
sorts of studies to back this up. Although the majority say otherwise he is willing to take the word
of a few to make his decision. Just a case of denial my bet.

Pete
 
flyingdutch wrote:

> er, hate to tell you Brad. but you werent in the right place at all.
>
> Righthand - lane good. righthand indicating - good righthand side of lane - not good
>
> you should either be in the left hand half or preferably the centre of it
>
> Glossing over your particualr scenario of the diver going thru the red you are basically setting
> yourself up as what you will do is enter the intersection, go thru it and then need to cross in
> front of the car as he too goes thru it. As you both are now thru he is left to scream at silly
> cyclist who is now on right when you should be on left
>
> If your doing a Uturn, fine. otherwiseyou/he shoulda swapped positions (with him preferably being
> behind you)
>
>
>
> --

NB: When I say right of the lane i mean slightly right of centre. I was not hugging the right line.
This is the motorcyclist in me coming out where being on the left is bad (cars seem to want to
go around you if your doing 1km under the limit) and the middle is generally bad as it peaks and
tends to be more slippery.

Really?

I do see your point thought that bicycles tend to ride on the left of the lane generally. I thought
that in this particular case preventing the driver from going around my left when stationary would
be a good thing. I didn't want to be in the left of the lane when going around a corner due to the
common occurrance of cars deciding to merge left to park, which they seem to do with impunity down
here making me consider an investment in disc brakes...

I was under the impression that bicycles had the same legal standing on the roads as cars? Making
undertaking me illegal. As they don't have the same physical standing, I would be really interested
to know what "the done thing is" regarding this.

Cheers, Brad
 
[i>
>
> --

NB: When I say right of the lane i mean slightly right of centre. I was not hugging the right line.
This is the motorcyclist in me coming out where being on the left is bad (cars seem to want to
go around you if your doing 1km under the limit) and the middle is generally bad as it peaks and
tends to be more slippery.

Really?

I do see your point thought that bicycles tend to ride on the left of the lane generally. I thought
that in this particular case preventing the driver from going around my left when stationary would
be a good thing. I didn't want to be in the left of the lane when going around a corner due to the
common occurrance of cars deciding to merge left to park, which they seem to do with impunity down
here making me consider an investment in disc brakes...

I was under the impression that bicycles had the same legal standing on the roads as cars? Making
undertaking me illegal. As they don't have the same physical standing, I would be really interested
to know what "the done thing is" regarding this.

Cheers, Brad [/B]


G'day Brad,

I basically agree with Flyingdutch. I commute 3 or 4 days a week on the treadly, about 95ks in melb peak traffic. The safest way to do a right hand turn (with arrows) is as Flyingdutch described. As for cyclists having the same legal standing as cars.........you're right!....but you'll be telling it to the judge in a full body cast (if you live) if you try to assert those rights to a 1.5 tonne car (& driver) who wants you out of his way....NOW,

cheers,

Hitchy
 
Yes, youre right re the cars occasionally wanting to merge right but having cars on your left consciuosly isnt a wise move as you are then surrounded cos on your right there is oncoming traffic.

Hence no baleout option!

Sitting in the middle to start is probably the best as on paper you do have equal standing but the further you get across that intersection the more likely the car wants/needs to pass you

when in doubt, go left young man. that's what the driver will be anticipating/assuming you will do
(for eg. if you are walking along a footpath and are heading straight at someone else, which way are you and the other most likely going to go to avoid collision?)
 
"Hitchy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I basically agree with Flyingdutch. I commute 3 or 4 days a week on
the
> treadly, about 95ks in melb peak traffic. The safest way to do a right hand turn (with arrows) is
> as Flyingdutch described. As for cyclists having the same legal standing as cars.........you're
> right!....but you'll be telling it to the judge in a full body cast (if you live) if you try to
> assert those rights to a 1.5 tonne car (& driver) who wants you out of his way....NOW,

Obeying laws is nice, being alive is better.

My driving instructor told me to obey the law, but, if it's a matter of your own or someone else's
safety - law be damned! Pay the fine, enjoy your life kinda motto.

I make right hand turns from as far left as possible. Some turns, if I'm going to miss the lights, I
will ride through the intersection and pull into the cross road - sort of like a hook turn. It is
often safer to do this than move across 3 lanes of highway...

hippy
 
Originally posted by Hippy
" if I'm going to miss the lights, I
will ride through the intersection and pull into the cross road - sort of like a hook turn. It is
often safer to do this than move across 3 lanes of highway...

hippy

nice one. been doing this more and more recently.
makes life so much easier.
And drivers seem less likley to want to zoom past as they dont get that childish retribution gland swelling that makes them feel stiffed athat you got to roll up on their left and pass them...
 
flyingdutch wrote:

> Hippy wrote:
> > " if I'm going to miss the lights, I will ride through the intersection and pull into the
> > cross road - sort of like a hook turn. It is often safer to do this than move across 3 lanes
> > of highway... hippy
>
>
>
> nice one. been doing this more and more recently. makes life so much easier. And drivers seem less
> likley to want to zoom past as they dont get that childish retribution gland swelling that makes
> them feel stiffed athat you got to roll up on their left and pass them...
>
>
>
> --

Thanks everyone for your comments.

I will be hanging left from now on.

The comment about having nowhere to go and that drivers will expect you to bail left in a pinch has
totally sold me. I was always hanging left when underway - it was just an issue with right hand
turns. Its just such a pain to make a right hand turn from so far left when traffic is underway! How
do you guys do it? As today I have found myself having to swap to pedestrian at right hand turns and
waiting for the crossing as when I have tried to merge when the lane can go right or straight ahead
most cars don't seem to happy about it.

Cheers, Brad

PS. And yes I do take the laws of physics a bit more seriously than any traffic rules!