Is not wearing a bike helmet punishable with pepper spray?

Out of curiosity: how many kiwis realise they've been dangerously oversold on bicycle helmets? There's a reason they're not required anywhere else (except Oz): they're nowhere near as effective as promoters in NZ claim. Your helmet law is held up worldwide as an example of how NOT to make cycling safer. Do your own research: cyclehelmets.org/

sorry, but the police and their apologists have to go. Break the law and expose this organisation for the curse to this world that they are

trains---i have been saying now for a few years that nz passenger trains should be "sitting only" about the height of the average 4wd, naturally of carriage length; made in nz. no platform would be required. cheap to make etc etc

This is about ignoring police instructions, failing to stop etc. What is the cop meant to do if people who are breaking the law just ignore him when challenged. If u think that it'd be a good idea to allow people who might be breaking the law to choose to ignore the police, refuse to stop, run away without challenge (like Sean did) that's crazy !

The more the nanny state is fed, the more it will take, I'd like to find where that cop lives, he needs a random unpleasant vist to his front door, if that law comes to britain, I'll be breaking it every day, it's our life, not theirs. Tom, Crystal Palace, London.

Skin cancer is on the rise even in children, so forcing someone to use the current cycle helmet design endangers their safety as the helmets do not provide adequate sun protection. A hat under the helmet blocks important peripheral vision and is probably what is responsible for the increase in cyclist accident hospital admissions. I believe it is un-lawful to endanger someone safety end of story.

Ignoring the stupidity of laws mandating the wearing of a "helmet" that is neither designed to or capable of preventing serious head injury... ignoring the ill effects on cyclist numbers and serious head injuries per rider that result from such laws... ignoring issues of choice, liberty and victimless "crimes"... ignoring the bone-head cop who was unnecessarily using pepper spray and then decided to use his car as a weapon (if a member of the public did that they'd be charged)... even ignoring that the cop didn't see the wild irony in enforcing a helmet law (meant to protect the cyclist from car drivers - regardless of effectiveness of the helmets) by running a cyclist over with a car. How on EARTH did that anchor get his job? I know it's not a normal Kiwi way of speaking... how on earth does someone who completely ignores punctuation and puts full-stop pauses in for spaces and vice versa get a job as a news anchor? Come on New Zealand - save the on-screen jobs for people who can speak clearly! The Kiwi accent isn't a tough one to understand (though for a Pom I am kinda well travelled and have Kiwi friends, so that might help) he's not the best person to be delivering the news! While you're finding a new anchor - get rid of those stupid helmet laws too - they don't do anyone any good. All the best from the cold and rainy island about 11076 miles NbW of Cape Reinga.

phil , mike et al ..you are truly morons ! The police officer ( it would seem ) was trying ( unfortunately for society ) to save the " poor offender " from hurting himself ! Think about it ! If the officer saw your sons biking down the road with no helmet on and 2 minutes later fall off his bike hitting head on the sidewalk causing brain damage , you would squeal like stuck pigs that the officer was in deriliction of duty !! You were not a party to the body laguage that may have occured , I see that the guy was instructed to do something and failed to do so , end of story ! He was asked NOT to ride his bike any further , so what does the retard do , goes around the corner , jumps on his bike and carries on ! Hmm running late for work . Perhaps he should learn a little self discipline like getting up on time , wearing a helmet , following basic laws , not getting confrontational ( remember the 4 times being asked to stop and ignoring that request ) . The officer should be given an award for his patience in dealing with an obviously challenged person !

This act of violence is seriously overboard for not wearing a helmet, the officer should be charged with intentionally using a vehicle to cause harm to a person, he should thank his lucky stars this man was not killed by his senseless actions. If it is now coming to the point that the threat of pepper spray is considered for such a minor issue I would not want to stick around to see what else this person would do if I was being threatened with pepper spray for not wearing a damn helmet, he should have issued him a ticket and left it at that.

It seems to me that a lot of you are taking this guy at his word. How much of what he said was true? Lets just wait to see the whole story be told. For those of you that missed it, he wasn't rammed because he wasn't wearing his helmet, he was stopped after escaping from the police, after being stopped for not wearing his helmet. Damos, get yor facts right and stop relying on US TV shows. We don't have misdemeanor offences in NZ and it's a $55 fine for not wearing a helmet.Nigel, are you saying that there was a drowning woman who was ignored by the cop? I didn't see that in the story.