XN000022-1973-06-22 — Page 2

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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