ACT's plan to double cycle use without spending taxpayers' money
"The National party yesterday announced a $100 million cycle-way that just happens to go through the marginal seat of
Hutt South" said ACT Leader Dr Jamie Whyte.
"The Greens want to spend many hundreds of millions on cycle-ways. ACT’s contribution to this bidding war for the
cyclist vote would double cycle use and cost nothing" said Dr Whyte.
"We need only abolish the law that makes wearing a cycle helmet compulsory. Since 1994, when Parliament established an
instant fine of $150 for failing to wear a helmet, cycling has declined by over 50%. Overseas experience also indicates
that laws making it compulsory to wear a helmet dramatically reduce cycling. This nanny state law does not even save
lives" said Dr Whyte. "On the contrary, it costs lives. Before the legislation, few people died from cycling accidents
and, of those who did, only 20% died from head injuries alone."
" Research reported in the New Zealand Medical Journal (see http://journal.nzma.org.nz/journal/125-1349/5046/) shows that, over a 10 year period, only 20 Aucklanders were killed in cycle accidents and only 4 might have been
saved by wearing cycle helmets. This same New Zealand Medical Journal article concluded that life years gained from the
health benefits of cycling outweighed life years lost in accidents by 20 times" said Dr Whyte.
"The diminished health resulting from the reduced cycling caused by compulsory helmet-wearing costs 53 premature deaths
a year. ACT would simply abolish the $150 fines for not wearing a helmet. That would save $100 million on cycle-ways in
marginal seats, double cycle use and save 53 lives a year" said Dr Whyte
ends