I thought they had the dreaded Mandatory Helmet Law in Spain?
If so, I'm glad the police don't bother enforcing it, unlike our 'friendly' police here in Queensland, Australia – where we have mandatory helmets (sigh) - who think they're saving the world from anarchy every time they pull me up for not wearing one...
Helmet use is mandatory in Spain only for open road-iterurban rides. If you remain in the streets of the town-city is just recomended. There is no way that the local governments cand force the bikesharing scheme users to wear helmets.
At this stage they're 'looking at possible solutions' but the bike hire scheme is supposed to be rolled out in the next few months.
Their solutions are: - carry around a helmet 'just in case' you want a ride (yeah right!) - buy a 'cheap' helmet which you can throw out! (that will make this cycling environmentally UN-friendly) - rent a helmet (no thanks... lice anyone?)
In almost a week in Barcelona I saw only a handful of helmets. They were, as a rule, on the heads of people cycling with cycling gloves and 'gear'. The Spanish, like the French and Italians, seem to be a rational nation.
The helmet law, as Juan points out, is only for cycling outside of cities, and even then there are loads of watered down clauses like "you can take off if your helmet if it's too hot, or if you're going up a hill..."
there is no enforcement. there was a great deal of lobby work by cycling groups when the law was proposed and they succeeded in killing off the original proposal and watering it down to nothing but symbolic.
I thought they had the dreaded Mandatory Helmet Law in Spain?
ReplyDeleteIf so, I'm glad the police don't bother enforcing it, unlike our 'friendly' police here in Queensland, Australia – where we have mandatory helmets (sigh) - who think they're saving the world from anarchy every time they pull me up for not wearing one...
Viva la revolucion!
Dr Paul Martin
Brisbane, Australia
Helmet use is mandatory in Spain only for open road-iterurban rides. If you remain in the streets of the town-city is just recomended.
ReplyDeleteThere is no way that the local governments cand force the bikesharing scheme users to wear helmets.
Barcelona looks great !
ReplyDelete@ Juan
ReplyDelete"There is no way that the local governments cand force the bikesharing scheme users to wear helmets."
They are going to do just that here, sadly.
HTTP://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/BCC:BASE::pc=PC_5516
Lucky us.
Dr Paul Martin
Brisbane, Australia
So, the users need to carry their own helmet to use the service?
ReplyDelete@Juan
ReplyDeleteWho knows!?
At this stage they're 'looking at possible solutions' but the bike hire scheme is supposed to be rolled out in the next few months.
Their solutions are:
- carry around a helmet 'just in case' you want a ride (yeah right!)
- buy a 'cheap' helmet which you can throw out! (that will make this cycling environmentally UN-friendly)
- rent a helmet (no thanks... lice anyone?)
It's a joke and it's going to fail.
Dr Paul Martin
Brisbane, Australia
lice is not really the main problem with sharing bike helmets. there's more issues with ringworm and MRSA as well as other skin diseases.
ReplyDeleteIn almost a week in Barcelona I saw only a handful of helmets. They were, as a rule, on the heads of people cycling with cycling gloves and 'gear'. The Spanish, like the French and Italians, seem to be a rational nation.
ReplyDeleteThe helmet law, as Juan points out, is only for cycling outside of cities, and even then there are loads of watered down clauses like "you can take off if your helmet if it's too hot, or if you're going up a hill..."
there is no enforcement. there was a great deal of lobby work by cycling groups when the law was proposed and they succeeded in killing off the original proposal and watering it down to nothing but symbolic.