Here at Helmet Freedom we have often thought about suggesting to ABC Television’s ‘The Gruen Transfer‘ that they do an episode of ‘The Pitch’ – where two ad agencies are tasked with selling the unsellable – on the topic of mandatory helmets… for car occupants.
It shouldn’t be such a hard sell you would think, give that the evidence shows that they are more at risk of head injuries than bicyclists… and it wouldn’t be inconvenient at all to have a few helmets handy whenever you want to go for a drive to buy the milk.
Yesterday we blogged about an awful advertising campaign by the RTA to promote cyclists safety – by speaking to them as though they are all small children who can’t think for themselves… not to mention their faulty logic and lack of factual content.
Today, we have been made aware of an anti-bicycle-helmet-law campaigner in Western Australia who has created an advertisement in the spirit of the original RTA campaign. But this one is different. It contains facts and cost the taxpayer $0.
Listen to the RTA Helmet Advertisement Parody
(the original, expensive, taxpayer funded ad is here)
OK, helmets have been around since racing car drivers first wore them in 1900 AD. All car drivers should wear helmets so their skulls don’t get bashed in.
Today, helmets are not recommended for all kinds of sports … football, gymnastics, soccer, rugby … because they increase the risk of accidents and injuries. And you know, there’s no difference between their injury risk and yours.
So why do they think bike riding is so special? Don’t think that little bike ride to the shops is warranted because the helmet is uncomfortable and inconvenient, and you don’t want to get done by the cops? Well I’ve got news for you. Even avoiding those short bike rides can mean you don’t get regular exercise, so you could have a big fall in your overall health and suffer a major heart attack.
So if you want to have fun improving your health and lowering injury risk for all road users, write to your local MP and demand repeal of the mandatory bike helmet laws!
Authorised by Australians who don’t want to be punished for exercising.
So go on, write to your local MPs. Use one of our pre-formatted letters and feel free to edit it and add your own thoughts. While you’re at it, send this page to your friends so they can hear the ad campaign as it is unlikely to be played on the radio anytime soon…
It is important to remember the power of marketing. According to marketing logic: Cycle helmets exist and are mandatory in countries where cycling is rare, QED cycling is dangerous. Driving is common, motoring helmets are not common or mandatory, QED driving is safe. No data required!