Government Response
A Land Transport Safety Authority (LTSA) spokesman in January 2003 called helmets a "very important tool" for preventing injuries and dismissed an anti-compulsion group as "the lunatic fringe", a comment denounced by CAN, urging the LTSA to "play the ball and not the person." In June 2004 an LTSA spokesperson stated, "I think the vast majority of people accept the fact that helmets protect them. There is no evidence that the helmet law discourages cycling or harms the health of New Zealanders - there is evidence that it has contributed to a reduction in cyclist head injuries."
In October 2008, Minister for Transport Safety Harry Duynhoven pondered, "I wonder if we never had helmets what our cycle population might be... I'm not advocating getting rid of helmets, I'm just saying I wonder what the social effect of helmets has been." Advocate Rebecca Oaten was appalled by his remarks.
Read more about this topic: Bicycle Helmets In New Zealand
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