Crash Helmets For Council Traffic Officers Suggested

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27733, 10 August 1955, Page 11

Crash Helmets For Council Traffic Officers Suggested

The City Council’s traffic department seemed reluctant to equip its officers with crash helmets, yet they had to ride motor-cycles at high speeds through the city, said Cr. T. H. McCombs when the council met on Monday evening. “Conclusive evidence showed that in the British Army crash helmets stopped major accidents from becoming fatal ones,” he said. “Our officers have to ride at high speeds through the city streets, yet the department does not propose to issue them with crash helmets until the last possible moment when the Government regulations are introduced.” In the time he had been a member of the council three traffic officers had been injured in motor-cycle accidents. The council had always agreed that a traffic officer injured on duty must be treated during the time he was off as being on duty, and it had a responsibility to insist that they should wear crash helmets, said Cr. McCombs. There was a great difference between Army dispatch riders dodging shell

holes a'nd gunfire and traffic officers riding round the streets, said Cr. N. R. Forbes, chairman of the traffic committee. Throughout New Zealand there was a lot of controversy about crash helmets. The motor-cycle clubs and even the Standards institute had not been able to agree on a suitable type. The regulations stated that a motorcyclist did not need to wear a crash helmet unless he was travelling at more than 30 miles an hour. Were officers to ride round in their soft caps and when they saw some “lunatic” travelling at 50 miles an hour change their helmets “in mid air as they give chase?” he asked. Cr. McCombs: That is just a silly argument. “Everyone who has worn crash helmets, including the Transport Department officers, has complained about them,” Cr. Forbes said. ' “They cause severe headaches and a head rash. When we get over the difficulties I am sure the traffic committee will be only too happy to see our officers wearing them.”