Are helmet cams legal in NZ?

**Largs Saint** · 29th September 2015, 07:22

Read an article on line which was saying that cops in Australia were ticketing bikers with helmet cams. Here is the link

http://motorbikewriter.com/police-cr...n-helmet-cams/

Are helmet cams breaking any laws in N.Z.?

**Akzle** · 29th September 2015, 07:45

only the law of not being a fucken douche.

Anyone is entitled to film in a public place. By legislation.

**Ulsterkiwi** · 29th September 2015, 11:31

Nope and its a state by state thing in Aus, it seems the Victoria and NSW police have a hard on for things clamped to helmets (including some say bluetooth devices) They probably do not have any actual crime or risk to the public to worry about in those states which is why they have been busy prosecuting people. QLD, SA and WA all seem to be ok with it.

Again its an object lesson in how things are not nearly as bad in NZ as some would like us to believe.

Funnily enough I was watching "The Force" last night, a bike cop pulled over a fella riding a CBR600 on his learners licence, $1100AUD fines and lost his licence for 6 months or something. (fines not just for riding non-approved bike) Anyhoo, the interesting thing was the two GoPro mounts on the helmet of said law enforcement officer. The footage was shot in Sydney.

**Paul in NZ** · 29th September 2015, 11:58

It could be a reaction to the Schumacher incident... Certainly my new MTB helmet has a breakaway mount. Interestingly - not a light mount that I actually wanted so... We printed one here at work on a 3D printer... I was pretty blown away... Damn things are actually useful...

**pritch** · 29th September 2015, 12:21

Originally Posted by Paul in NZ

It could be a reaction to the Schumacher incident...

No, it's just that Australia is a police state. The Schumacher incident will influence me though, if I get a camera I'll mount it on the bike.

**Tazz** · 29th September 2015, 12:43

Legal.

Don't turn into a dick that goes looking for 'bad drivers' to film and has a crack at some sad ass vigilante shit though please. There are already enough of those around.

Originally Posted by pritch

No, it's just that Australia is a police state. The Schumacher incident will influence me though, if I get a camera I'll mount it on the bike.

Isn't that jazz just media speculation? Or have they actually come out with some facts now?

**EJK** · 29th September 2015, 12:47

Originally Posted by Tazz

Legal.

Don't turn into a dick that goes looking for 'bad drivers' to film and has a crack as some sad ass vigilante shit though please. There are already enough of those around.

But I want to be famous on Youtube and show the world how awesome I am catching bad guys in action.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/news...ught-on-camera

**pritch** · 29th September 2015, 12:55

Originally Posted by Tazz

Isn't that jazz just media speculation? Or have they actually come out with some facts now?

I thought it was medical. Wherever it came from it seemed to make sense; sticking a hard object on the outside of a helmet just doesn't seem like a good idea. Having said that, one of my helmets has a small battery pack low on the back for a radar detector hud. The various Australian

wouldn't like that either.

**Tazz** · 29th September 2015, 13:34

Originally Posted by EJK

But I want to be famous on Youtube and show the world how awesome I am catching bad guys in action.

It is true that Youtube celebrit-ism = instant hit with the laaaaaadiessssss. History proves it:

On the other hand, some people are content to know they are cool because mum said so.

Originally Posted by pritch

I thought it was medical. Wherever it came from it seemed to make sense; sticking a hard object on the outside of a helmet just doesn't seem like a good idea. Having said that, one of my helmets has a small battery pack low on the back for a radar detector hud. The various Australian

wouldn't like that either.

Will have to look it up out of interest as I rock one on the odd frolic out the back paddock, but it is less securely mounted than my visor/peak (you know the MX style thingos) which is certainly a bigger and more securely mounted item that has been crash tested with the helmet.
I don't know about skiing but with bike ones nothing is drilled, it's all just double sided tape or velcro which the wind can remove let alone sliding down around Pak n Save car parks.

Edit: Just had a look pritch. No mention of cameras in any recent articles and the ones from 2014 that mention it say it is 'speculated' or 'under investigation', which are really great words for journalists to use when they really have no fucking idea what is going on, but need to up their word count so they get paid more for the article

**Ender EnZed** · 29th September 2015, 13:38

Originally Posted by Largs Saint

http://motorbikewriter.com/police-cr...n-helmet-cams/

Article is from November last year.

Anyone heard anything more recent?

**Asher** · 29th September 2015, 17:42

There was a Facebook post a week or two back from the group challenging the law in Victoria.
From memory it's not the issue of having a camera on your helmet but as soon as you attach anything to your helmet it voids the Australian/NZ standard for the helmet and the fine the police are handing out are for using a non approved helmet.

**Largs Saint** · 30th September 2015, 00:48

I want a helmet mounted camera principally for insurance purposes. Having fallen foul of a car driver that thought it would be a cunning plan to turn right on a double laned roundabout using the left lane without indicating and subsequently depositing me on the tarmac. This was swiftly followed by I didn't see you mate and then the ambulance crew saying "You young fellows on motorbikes cause no end of problems for us."

In these circumstances, video evidence is mighty useful in proving who was driving like a dick.

**onearmedbandit** · 1st October 2015, 11:27

Originally Posted by Tazz

Legal.

Don't turn into a dick that goes looking for 'bad drivers' to film and has a crack as some sad ass vigilante shit though please. There are already enough of those around.

There's a couple riders down here that do that, the footage is cringe worthy.