Vicroads just announced yesterday that they have changed the road rules in Victoria to allow riders to wear European approved helmets. This means you have the choice of wearing an Australian Standards AS1698 approved lid or one bearing the EC 22.05 or later approval.
Read the official blurb here: https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/safety-and-road-rules/motorcyclist-safety/protective-clothing-for-riders
This is great news in many ways;
- We now have a far greater choice of helmets we can legally ride with in Victoria. Riders have been buying helmets overseas for years and running the gauntlet. Now they can wear that helmet with pride.
- I assume distributors and retailers in Australia will now be able to import and sell helmets bearing the EC mark. I could be wrong on this count though. I have heard that it costs around $20,000 for a distributor to put a helmet through the Australian Standard testing so you can understand why we don’t get the full range of helmets available here.
- Euro spec helmets are typically lighter because the shells don’t have to withstand the same spike penetration test. Having a lighter hemet on your head can definitely reduce fatigue over a long day.
I recently got the new Touratech Aventuro helmet while we were in Europe. I can now legally wear this helmet over here too which is great. Read the review I did on it here: maschine.com.au/touratech-aventuro-helmet-review/
As far other states of Australia goes, Queensland are ahead of the curve and they changed their laws earlier this year to allow Euro spec helmets too. We hear NSW is not too far behind.
It begs the question though. If a Victorian rider is wearing an EU approved helmet in NSW, will they get fined for wearing a helmet that isn’t Australian Standards approved?
Can any lawyers answer that one for us???