No Go-Pro attach to Motorcycle Helmets.

[gordon_s1942]

I only caught part of the News report relating to a now finalised Court Case (Vic or NSW?) where a motorcyclist was fined and lost points for 'Not wearing an 'Approved Crash Helmet'.
The argument being that the rider had a Camera attached to the Helmet and and as this wasnt 'approved', he was now considered not be wearing an 'Approved Crash helmet'.

I havent seen any further reports on this and wondered if anyone had any links to the case and what it means regarding where a cycle rider (motor or pedal) can mount such a Camera without being fined.

[coalminer]

[ol' boy]

Not Wearing an Approved Helmet.
What on earth do you mean Officer?


You might enjoy reading this gordon


More here:


Its not really a test case, its already been thrown out of court before, Judge thought it was a waste of time
I guess it depends which Judge you get.

I guess the point is, if you mount the camera on the bike, is the bike now in breach of ADR's?

Perhaps the Police need to remember, that when you get thrown in the back of a Divisional Van, there is NO SEAT belts as they drive you to the station.
But apparently you are safe and with in the law, even if you have a head on with a truck.
Why.... because the law says so.

[gordon_s1942]

Well, from what I remember of the story is that they upheld the conviction but reduced the fine imposed.

During the report about this incident, it said this decision was contrary to the Laws in other States and thats what I was curious about, what is the Law in each State regarding the attachment of a camera to a Crash Helmet?

[WhiteOx]

I guess it depends on how it was attached to the helmet.
If you're going to drill holes in it then you'd think the structure of the helmet would be weakened to some extent.
Kinda like hacking bits out of your car and expecting it to be structurally sound.

[Tiny]

It shouldn't be long before a helmet manufacturer will take the plunge & build a helmet model with integrated camera.
As long as the helmet passes crash test standards & gets certified, then there will be zero the cops can do about it.
I wouldn't mind betting that there is already one available somewhere.

Yep quick google reveals all.






Just need to add a recording device.

[jok11n]

I think the issue really comes about because so often GoPro on helmet = Hoon behaviour, not what this guy was about but the amount of sportsbike wankers you see riding like lunatics with GoPro's attached does stand out

[hoe]

helmet laws are a bit of a grey area, what is legal in one state is not legal in others. there is no uniform standard across australia.

[jok11n]

helmet laws are a bit of a grey area, what is legal in one state is not legal in others. there is no uniform standard across australia.

yeah there is an Australian standard applicable for bike helmets but the states interpret the meaning differently which is pretty ridiculous, your $1000 helmet bought overseas for a few hundred dollar saving is no good due to missing that all powerful AS sticker and it is somehow not as safe as a $49 Polycarbonate helmet from Aldi, way to go Australia

[ol' boy]

I think the issue really comes about because so often GoPro on helmet = Hoon behaviour, not what this guy was about but the amount of sportsbike wankers you see riding like lunatics with GoPro's attached does stand out

And to add to that, the amount of AU YouTube channels with guys posting footage of their riding, group rides, adventure rides is only on the increase.
So much of the footage is showing an offence or several offences, and plenty of posters leave themselves open to be found with bike rego visible at some point.

Most of it harmless to light hooning, but is breaking a law in some way or another.
Then you have the real idiots that go out with a Go-Pro to try and out do something they saw online.

Leaves the poor rider who uses a cam for video evidence in a very tricky place.

[jok11n]

Leaves the poor rider who uses a cam for video evidence in a very tricky place.

yep, they're the ones that lose out in the end, if you get knocked off your bike that evidence could be vital, too many car drivers have got away already, now the technology is here it's being killed because of the wankers

[mandc]

So I guess a Queensland motorcycle cop better not head to Vic.



Even the police wear them in some states but it is illegal in other states.....what a crazy system.

[warbo]

It shouldn't be long before a helmet manufacturer will take the plunge & build a helmet model with integrated camera.

When I ride my dirt bike I use these

There are so many advantages over something like a gopro.

1: Not going to get damaged if you have a cropper and land on your head
2: Not going to get damaged by branches etc
3: No need to mount it
4: No grey area regarding the helmet issue

I'm going for a day ride tomorrow. I always feel like a kid with a new toy the day before lol.

EDIT: I guess what I use is not going to be any use to a road bike rider, so is probably irrelevant. But I do come across heaps of dirt bike riders intrigued with the goggle camera solution.

[ol' boy]

Thats awesome warbo!
Perfect for the Snow or Dirtbikes.
Love the diving mask too.

Enjoy your ride and remember, always try and ride outside your ability, make it more fun the others

As for the Helmet Cam Debate, there are plenty of other locations to mount a Camera that doesn't interact with AS ratings.
Mount it on the bike
Mount it on your chest with the appropriate strap.

Looks like a new law will be written, but until then, this will not be allowed

[warbo]

Enjoy your ride and remember, always try and ride outside your ability, make it more fun the others

Mate I think that's why I keep getting invited on rides, everyone is guaranteed some form of entertainment lol.

The last few months I've hooked up with some guys that are pretty much A grade riders and I can't believe how much my riding has improved just following their lines and noticing differences in stances etc etc.

I better put the goggles on charge so I can post up any "mishaps" :-)

[ol' boy]

All that standing up and counter weighting the outside foot peg while looking 80 meters down the track...
I'm too lazy for that now mate, its just as easy to slide down the seat and roll it on until the front wheel starts floating over everything with a big smile on ya face

Last time someone took a camera on one of our rides, it was the club camera where the battery is worn in a backpack!
How times have changed!

[warbo]

Yeah I know, a lot of guys my age have given it away but I just can't seem to lose that adrenalin rush, it keeps me going back. There are some pretty mad hill climbs here, ranging from 100m to 1200m and they're not always tracks, you have to make your own way.

Aside from that, all the dirt bike riders I know are top blokes, young or old. You might get the odd dick but they just don't get invited on the next ride.

Hey and I'm with you too. Just power over the damn logs lol, as long as that front wheel gets over.......happy days!

[ol' boy]

Don't forget your Camelbak

[mtv]

Interesting timing for this story to pop up:

Motorbike helmet camera debate making riders’ heads hurt.

THEY are two fast growing trends — riding motorbikes and videoing with small action cameras.
But now a high-level legal battle is looming over the right of motorcycle and scooter users to combine the two by video recording their journeys for enjoyment and safety.
At the heart of the issue — affecting 700,000 licensed two-wheeled riders — is Australian safety standards which have not kept pace with technological changes.
The spark for the fire was a magistrate’s decision this week to ban the use of cameras on helmets for safety reasons.
But the case could be taken to the Supreme Court.
On Wednesday biker Max Lichenbaum was fined $150 by a magistrate in Frankston, Victoria, for wearing an action camera on his helmet.
No conviction was recorded but the magistrate had first considered a fine of $289.
Mr Lichenbaum, a middle-aged rider, is considering taking the case to the Victorian Supreme Court and has the backing of the Independent Riders’ Group (IRG).
The offence cited in the Magistrates Court was a breach of Victorian helmet standards, but IRG spokesman Damien Codognotto said today “helmet standards are a mess in this country”.
And Mr Lichenbaum’s legal team have told him they could not get public access to those standards set by VicRoads.
“The (Australian Design Rule) has been a real mess in recent years,” Mr Codognotto told news.com.au today.
“And the reason for that is the bureaucracy cannot keep up.”

A motorbike rider in Victoria was fined for wearing a camera on his helme, but in other states of Australia, such as Queensland, the technology have been embraced by police. Pic: Jack Tran.Source:News Corp Australia

Helmet-mounted video cameras are used by motorcycle police in Queensland and Western Australia and for many private riders they are a source of enjoyment and legal self protection.
The problem is that while they might be allowed in many states, they might not be legal, and the concern is court action might be needed to resolve the issue.
The recordings can be used should a rider be hit by a motorist in what are called cases of SMIDSY — Sorry Mate I Didn’t See You.
“At a time when motorcycle helmet standards are again under review, we find that not only are our helmets illegal as we ride from state to state ... but it appears that in Victoria at least, it is also illegal to use an aid that can significantly assist in ‘witnessing’ traffic incidents involving other vehicles, particularly when a solo rider,” said an IRG member and blogger Cate.
She wrote: “There is overwhelming evidence, particularly overseas, and anecdotally in Australia, of the benefits of riders of motorcycles, scooters, and bicycles, wearing helmet camera’s, as not only documentary evidence of incidents involving other vehicles, but as a deterrent of victimisation from other vehicle drivers.”

[gordon_s1942]

It was this report as quoted by MTV that I saw on the news that prompted my starting of this thread and the query of just what is legal in any State.
My belief is the extremely broad interpretation that because NO form of attachment has been approved to allow any item to be on the helmet other than Visors, Duck Bills, Goggles etc, this is what has allowed the Rider to be charged and fined for having a 'Camera' on his helmet.

Yet as weirdo shows, it seems having a 'Camera' incorporated into a pair of Googles is quite acceptable !!
But then, Googles are NOT required to ride any sort of vehicle or or required to conform to any ASA standard do they ??