It’s difficult to say what has led to Orange having more than double the number of cycling fines over the past three-and-a-half years than in Bathurst or Dubbo.
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You would hope it is through efficient policing rather than cyclists ignoring the road laws.
But the figures released by Revenue NSW to the Central Western Daily show riders in the City of Orange area have been issued with many more penalty notices than those in the Bathurst and Western Plains regional council areas.
Maybe it’s a geographic thing, or a population thing, but whatever the underlying reasons it does show that some cyclists in Orange are not following the rules – and in particular are not wearing helmets.
The heads of cycling groups in Orange said they were unaware of members being fined or riding without helmets.
The debate over helmets has sparked a lot of controversy in Australia.
They are compulsory here but rarely worn out of races in much of Europe.
But, as Orange Cycle and Triathlon Club president Mitch Bland points out cycling is a different environment in Europe where it is much better encouraged and catered for with facilities including bike paths.
And it should be said, cycling is accepted much better by motorists than in NSW.
The state government’s Centre for Road Safety said there were no exemptions from wearing a bike helmet in NSW.
“Research shows that helmets reduce head injuries by up to 74 per cent in crashes with motor vehicles,” it said.
“On average, nine bicycle riders are killed and more than 1900 seriously injured in NSW each year.
“Bicycle riders represent about 2.5 per cent of total road fatalities and about 16 per cent of serious injuries.”
But not all this has to do with helmets.
Many of these crashes involve bikes and cars and they need to give each other space.
Stories of cyclists and motorists arguing over road space around Orange abound and it appears the two groups are not getting on.
The government’s A Metre Matters campaign aims to ensure that cars give cyclists room when passing.
But cyclists also need to be responsible in ensuring they are not taking up more than their share of road space where there is room.
After all, this is not just about getting along, it is about people staying safe when out on the roads.
