Sue Abbott fights bike helmets

Visit my bicycle art web site. http://situp-bike-art.com.
By the way, if you want to see what happened in court to sue, recently, Go to the sequel, No Helmet, Please.


It all began when Sue Abbott got a ticket for not wearing a bike helmet. That's breaking the law in Australia. Instead of paying the small fine, she's going to court at the end of this month, Sept.

She believes that helmets are dangerous for her. I was intrigued by her opinion and made this video to explore the issue.

Helmets are a hot issue in Australia and elsewhere. I came off my bike once and credit my helmet with saving my face from being scraped.

On the other hand, I'm impressed that in Europe, it's optional and most people don't wear them. The head injury rate is less than here, I believe.

I was attracted to Sue's story for another reason as well. She looks so good, sitting upright on her bike. i was immediately reminded of the superb figures, cyclists, both male and female, cut in Europe.

Go to the famous Danish bike blogs, Copenhagenise.com and Copenhangen Cycle Chic to see what I mean. (some of the photos in my film come from those blogs)

Nobody here seems to be aware of the beauty of the upright cyclist, I call it the open face posiiton because the rider's face is open for communication with passing motorists , fellow cyclists, pedestrians, anyone.

Immediately, the cyclist appears as a much friendlier person, and I suspect , much less apt to be a victim of the anger, road rage, so often directed at Australian cyclists today.

Indeed I've started a blog called; And So To bike, which argues that we must come to this friendly open position to acheive safer cycling. Have a look at the blog if the topic interests you.

http://datillo.wordpress.com/

Mike Rubbo



This leads to my belief threat most important safety features for cycling as separated bikeways to keep other traffic and bikes separate, and education for drivers.

Both of those were recommended to our Government yeas ago but, not wanting to spend money, they only implemented the helmet recommendation.

The stills in the middle of the film come from the superb Danish bike blog. Copenhagenize.com. Go visit to see how attractive and free cycling can be. Don't miss the companion blog either copenhagen cycle chic with even more stunning photos.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• helmet
• bicycle
• safety
• freedom
• government
• law
• bike
• libertarian
• civil liberty
• controversy
• laws
• mandatory

[TheFarfinoogin]

maybe she fell off her bike and landed on her head without a helmet, that's why she's so fucked up now

[MikeRubbo]

@TheFarfinoogin

rudeness is not an argument.

[adyc5]

I was recently involved in an accident on my bike. I was sitting at traffic lights when a taxi rear-ended me. I was thrown off my bike onto the hood of the taxi. If I hadn't been wearing my helmet who knows if I would be here to view this misguided video today?

I sincerely hope this woman doesn't have an accident on her bike, but if she does and she's not wearing a helmet, she'll have no-one but herself to blame.

[MikeRubbo]

@adyc5 Should it not be Sue's decision how to protect herself.? Many more people drown than are killed on bikes. Would you stand at the waters edge and urge water wing on all swimmers? The odds of what happened to you, happening the her are about the same as winning the lottery. If freedom and being worried about rotational brain damage loom large for her, shouldn't she be allowed to play the odds the way she wants? Also, you don't know for sure what your helmet achieved for you. Mike

[jpjuggler]

very unpersuasive argument.

[harshbarj]

For all those promoting helmets you can say ALL you want, but it should be a personal choice. I simply don't wear the things and fell perfectly safe, even in heavy rush hour traffic. In the last 6-7 years I have been in only 3 accidents and each time I had a helmet on. Now that may sound like an argument FOR the helmet, but even then I wore the helmet less than1% of the time. Bicycle helmets INCREASE the likelihood of accidents because the wearer feels safer and takes risks.

Helmets don't work.

[Da6go7]

I was in a serious bicycle accident, when I was 12. I got a concussion, several cracks in head, wounds and over 12 hour total memory blackout (I do not remember the accident and what happened after it). I was over two weeks in a hospital and out of school about one month. Do I use helmet? Do I accept helmet-laws? Do I order my children to wear helmet? NO. I have been biking in Berlin, and most of the people do not use helmet there. Being free to bike without a helmet is one the basic liberties.

[greggregson12]

I was just watching news bloopers and then BOOM helmets.

[cbernard]

@faurcske Properly-designed helmets are designed with a flat back so that doesn't happen, and the flat back hits the asphalt instead of the back of the skull. Cheap and poorly-designed helmets are pointed in back to look "aero" and will cause damage.

[cbernard]

Three of my friends still have their heads in 2011 because they had helmets on. Two were hit by cars, and one went down on a blown tire. All three of the helmets contain melted asphalt embedded in the plastic, which would have been the skull. Sure, no helmet looks great on video, is comfortable, but law of averages always prevails. If the helmet she was wearing felt dangerous, she must have been wearing the wrong helmet. This type of advocacy is a load of dangerous BS.

[TheRumfish]

Go to my video on helmet freedom interesting comments on this my video it on "the rumfish " channel here on YouTube title Helmet freedom.

[KB10GL]

At 18 years of age I can be responsible for driving a car, I can choose to drink myself into oblivion, I can be a father & be responsible for a tiny life, I can even join the armed forces & [under certain conditions] kill people, BUT, .................... apparently I can not have the freedom to CHOOSE to wear a helmet if it is my wish to do so.

If you WANT to wear a helmet, then please do, but shut the F*** up when you see someone without one. That person is truly free.

[sleepyhead7391]

lol this reminded me of seinfeld clip

/watch?v=P6fejWutXCk