The answer to all our problems

You know all those issues we cyclists had with safety. Like being run off roads. Like being treated like second-class citizens. Well, I can say now that fear no more comrades, divine intervention has given us deliverance.

I present to you, the Smart Hat.

From Sydney designer, Toby King, this aesthetically pleasing wonder helmet, provides a full suite of safety features including:

-Rear view mirrors

-Proximity sensors

-A motorised wiper system for bad weather

-Automatic lights

-indicators

-speedometer

And a place for your registration plates!

Yep that's right, you'll get all the wonders of feeling and being like a car, while still being a bike! And let's face it, it does look wonderful, doesn't it?

I think we can all pack up the cycling advocacy movement now and go home. Once this concept design comes to fruition (King is currently looking for investors), cycle safety concerns will be a thing of the past...

But in all seriousness this sort of thing really annoys me.

Bikes are not motor vehicles. They don't interact with traffic the same way. They don't interact with pedestrians the same way. They're fragile, they're slow moving, and they need space on the road, like, say, with separated infrastructure.

Initiatives like King's "concept design" hijack proper debate. We start talking about registration and mandatory helmet legislation rather than the things we know work; separated infrastructure, rider and driver education, increased participation strategies, and the encouragement and proliferation of better attitudes on our roadways.

I get that King is coming from a point of trying to improve cycling safety, but it's disheartening to see people even thinking in these terms; that concepts like this are the way forward. It sadly reflects how ridiculous the conversation has become in Sydney, and NSW.

We're talking about a state that is actively considering the licensing and registration of cyclists. I mean seriously.

That's all.

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