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Friday, June 22, 1973
COMPULSORY WEARING OF SAFETY HELMETS BEING INTRODUCED
The Executive Council has approved new regulations dealing with
the compulsory wearing, sale and hiring out of crash helmets to motorcyclists.
The new rules, laid down in the Road Traffic (Protective Equipment)
Regulations 1973, are published in today's gazette but will not come into
effect until later,
A spokesman for the Transport Department explained that there would
be a delay of about six months in order to give motorcyclists and suppliers
of protective helmets adequate time to acquire helmets of an approved design.
Once the regulations are in force, all motor cycle riders and
their pillion passengers will be required to wear approved helmets, but
it will not affect passengers sitting in a side car.
Certain groups of people, such as turbanned Sikhs, may also be
exempted on application.
Failure to wear a crash helmet when riding a motorcycle will be
an offence. The maximum penalty will be a fine of $500 and imprisonment
for three months on first conviction, and a fine of $1,000 and six months'
jail for any subsequent conviction.
Approved protective helmets will be those bearing a mark applied
by the manufacturer indicating compliance with the specifications in
British standards 2001, 1869 or 2495; Japanese industrial standard JIS 8133-1970; Australian standard E33-1968; and American National Standard Institute Z90.1–1971.
/The Commissioner