Talking points
- Most common fine issued to cyclists by police in NSW is for not wearing a helmet
- The fine for not wearing a helmet is $25 in the NT.
- The fine for not wearing a helmet in NSW is $344
- The fine for driving a car in a dedicated bike lane in NSW is $191
- Seven Council areas had zero helmet fines including Hunters Hill, Dungog & Bogan
Bike fines have become the "quickest and easiest route" to a search and the "socio-economic litmus test" of policing as they disproportionately hit those in lower-income areas, Redfern legal centre police accountability practice head Samantha Lee said.
Often for a young person, a bike is their only mode of transport, and if they get stopped for riding on the footpath, asked why they haven't got a helmet, that escalates into a search and they may get annoyed and swear.
"It leads to the trifecta," Ms Lee said. "Fine for not wearing a helmet, fine for offensive language, and then fine for resisting arrest."
NSW Police declined to answer detailed questions about warnings, where and how bicycle fines have been issued.
Read the full story here (The Sydney Morning Herald, 25 May 2020)
