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Naked cyclist fined in NZ - for not sporting a helmet

No action against 33-year-old for riding in the buff - but police say he should still wear a lid

Police in New Zealand have fined a man who was riding his bike in the nude – because he wasn’t wearing a cycle helmet. As in Australia, helmets are compulsory for all cyclists in New Zealand.

According to Stuff.co.nz, officers spotted the unnamed 33-year-old yesterday afternoon on the high street in the port city of Timaru, which lies between Canterbury and Dunedin on the country’s South Island.

While police stopped short of telling the man to put a lid on his nakedness, they did pull him up for failing to wear one on his head.

Sergeant Randel Tikiti said that the man had not been charged with indecent exposure since committing such an offence would “depend on what could be seen.”

It was reported that the man had been drinking, although a spokeswoman for Transport New Zealand confirmed that drink-driving laws there do not apply to cyclists.

"But,” she went on, “there is an offence of careless use of a vehicle, and as 'vehicle' is defined in a way that includes bicycles, it could be used.

"While impairment on its own would unlikely result in a conviction, impairment combined with erratic driving behaviour – ie weaving all over the road and getting in the way of other drivers -possibly could.

"There is a maximum fine of NZ$3,000 [approximately £1,500] and the court may disqualify from holding of obtaining a driver's licence for a period."

Police declined to charge the man with careless use of a vehicle, however, instead charging the man with failure to wear a helmet.

In 2010 another nude cyclist in New Zealand, Nick Lowe, won a High Court appeal against his conviction for offensive behaviour. He had been fined NZ$200 [around £100] after a female motorist complained.

At the time, he said: “It's a lifestyle thing. To put clothes on is uncomfortable. It's not about exhibitionism, I'm just uncomfortable in clothes."

Allowing the appeal, the judge noted that Lowe had been arrested on World Naked Bike Day and may have been showing solidarity for that event.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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7 comments

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zagatosam | 9 years ago
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I suspect that naked cycling would not go unnoticed or unpunished here in Dubai, helmet or not. Can you imagine the consequences if you were naked, lidless AND Jewish though? There's always someone worse off than yourself  20

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birzzles | 9 years ago
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If he is Jewish he'd be sporting more helmet, not that i'm an expert.

Love this story, NZ sounds an ace place - brilliant laid back attitude.

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jazzdude | 9 years ago
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I hope it wasn't a rental bike!

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fret | 9 years ago
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Not if he was Jewish

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ChancerOnABike | 9 years ago
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How could they charge him with not sporting a helmet if he was naked... Surely it was sporting too much helmet that got the police's attention  1

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Kapelmuur | 9 years ago
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"not sporting a helmet". I see what you did there  16

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leqin | 9 years ago
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There is absoluty no proof that clothing prevents accidents  24

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