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Crash Helmets - A Red Flag to Plod?
Andy North - 30/5/06 at 11:45 AM

I have been giving this some thought for a while. Instead of just safety glasses I really should be wearing a crash helmet when out and about (in the GT1, not in the street ), but I am concerned as soon as plod see you they will pull you over.

I know it is not illegal to wear one, just wondered what peoples experience was?


Hellfire - 30/5/06 at 11:50 AM

Never been pulled over yet and unlikely to happen either. Wouldn't consider wearing anything less on motorways or at relatively high speed.


David Jenkins - 30/5/06 at 11:51 AM

I wear one nearly all the time in my 7, driven past loads of plod-mobiles - never even get a second glance from the boys in blue...

...I reckon it would be different if I was in a tin-top though!

David


flak monkey - 30/5/06 at 11:51 AM

Why would they be more likely to pull you over if you are wearing a helmet?

[Edited on 30/5/06 by flak monkey]


Marcus - 30/5/06 at 11:53 AM

quote:

Why would they be more likely to pull you over if you are wearing a helmet?



Something to do with racing on a public highway (as if )

Marcus


Fozzie - 30/5/06 at 11:56 AM

If you talk to plod, they are more likely to say that wearing a helmet in a '7' makes perfect sense! (Not that I wear one)!
I cannot think why you would get pulled over for wearing one.

Fozzie


Andy North - 30/5/06 at 12:00 PM

I always drive within the limits

I am still waiting for my first encounter with French plod. Anyone been to Le Mans and had problems with crash hat?


Andy North - 30/5/06 at 12:04 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Marcus
quote:

Why would they be more likely to pull you over if you are wearing a helmet?



Something to do with racing on a public highway (as if )

============================


More the perception of racing on public highways


Andy


smart51 - 30/5/06 at 12:30 PM

I have driven past a few police cars without problem. I was even pulled for not having number plates on my way home from the DVLA inspection. They checked my appointment letter, drivers licende and insurance cover note, walked round the car looking for faults, radioed in to somewhere to check and then let me go. No mention was made of the crash helmet.

Is it illegal to wear one? I haven't heard of that before.


Fozzie - 30/5/06 at 12:40 PM

No it isn't illegal to wear a crash helmet in an 'open' car like a 7. It is illegal to wear a crash helmet in a tin-top on the public road.
Andy lives in Plevin, France? Do not know what the laws are there though, but I for one, cannot see why it should/would be illegal.

HTH Fozzie


David Jenkins - 30/5/06 at 12:41 PM

quote:
Originally posted by smart51
Is it illegal to wear one? I haven't heard of that before.


Not in an open car - it's really easy to justify it as a road safety enhancement.

As I said above though, it is easy to question your motives in an ordinary tin-top - I doubt whether there's a specific offence, but they could use it as a way in to find some other offence.

David


gingerprince - 30/5/06 at 01:02 PM

Offer to take plod out for a run on the motorway at 70mph without aeroscreen or helmet and see whether he thinks it's a good idea now

I always wear mine when going any distance. For a quick blast locally I'll often just wear safety shades for that quick cobweb-removal


David Jenkins - 30/5/06 at 01:33 PM

quote:
Originally posted by gingerprince
I always wear mine when going any distance. For a quick blast locally I'll often just wear safety shades for that quick cobweb-removal


Ditto.


Andy North - 30/5/06 at 01:55 PM

Looks as if I can now go and buy a nice new crash helmet

I have so far avoided using one on the road in France, even when I went to the Exeter show I didn't bother and that was cold.

It is just they do not permit french registered kits, so I try to keep a low profile but that does not stop people tracking me down to look at the car....but that's another story.


DarrenW - 30/5/06 at 03:32 PM

quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
quote:
Originally posted by gingerprince
I always wear mine when going any distance. For a quick blast locally I'll often just wear safety shades for that quick cobweb-removal


Ditto.



Ditto.

Ive passed plod loads of times wearing helmet with no probs. Had one going v.slow behind me last week, i guess checking out my details and didnt get pulled. i wouldnt drive any distance without helmet.


lsdweb - 30/5/06 at 04:22 PM

I guess they'd pick you up for a tinted visor though because that's just dangerous and illegal


flak monkey - 30/5/06 at 04:26 PM

quote:
Originally posted by lsdweb
I guess they'd pick you up for a tinted visor though because that's just dangerous and illegal


Dont start that debate again

The conclusion was that as there is no regulation saying you have to wear a helmet in a car, then the regs regarding visors should be void essentially.... I see plenty of bikers riding around with tinted visors which is illegal.


stevebubs - 30/5/06 at 07:18 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Andy North
I am still waiting for my first encounter with French plod. Anyone been to Le Mans and had problems with crash hat?


I've been with the BEC group Simon (chaos999) organises a few times and a few of the cars got pulled at various times (one time, they pulled 7 of us at once as we were driving to Carrefour)

Not one blink at the helmets...more interested in keeping alcohol and hooliganism levels down...


Viper - 30/5/06 at 07:27 PM

quote:
Originally posted by lsdweb
I guess they'd pick you up for a tinted visor though because that's just dangerous and illegal


tinted visors aren't illegal, ones that are too dark are, which is a bit of a joke considering you can wear sunglasses in a car.........


wildchild - 31/5/06 at 01:12 PM

and given you can wear sunglasses under a clear visor on a bike. which you then cant flip up out of the way if you go into a tunnel as you would be able to with a dark visor.

my next lid will be one of those caberg ones with a fighter pilot style dark visor behind the clear one.


David Jenkins - 31/5/06 at 01:13 PM

That's what I've got - VERY useful indeed.

Comfortable helmet too, with decent ventilation.

David

[Edited on 31/5/06 by David Jenkins]


AlexS - 31/5/06 at 08:43 PM

Yep dads got one of those i used it for my day at oulton really comfy and loved the inner flip down bit (that may just be childhood fighter pilot fantasy sneaking in there )


mad4x4 - 17/7/06 at 12:29 PM

quote:
Originally posted by lsdweb
I guess they'd pick you up for a tinted visor though because that's just dangerous and illegal


No worse than wearing sunglasses


lsdweb - 17/7/06 at 07:00 PM

But it is in the eyes of the law! Excuse the pun.


John Bonnett - 21/7/06 at 06:01 PM

I seem to remember reading that some bikers helmets are illegal for use with cars because of the restricted aperture through which you look. Anyone else bring this to mind?

John


John Bonnett - 22/7/06 at 11:49 AM

I am still waiting for my first encounter with French plod. Anyone been to Le Mans and had problems with crash hat?

I think French policemen are a law unto themselves. If they feel like stopping you they will. It is lucky we did not beat them in the World Cup final. It could have made things very tricky getting back from the Classic Le Mans! I have known them during the 24 hour race to stop every single British car and breath test the drivers. Also demanding to see all documentation and warning triangles etc. Other times they just don't seem to notice us.

John