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Pinched from ozbiker.org
Glad to see that real crime is so taken care of in WA the powers that be have time for this.....what a crock...
WA - fined for 'Tipping the Hat' at funerals
Western Australian Police Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan has vowed to crack down
on bikers who flout laws requiring them to wear helmets on the way to funerals
in a move that could see bike club leaders hit with fines totalling thousands of
dollars.
Bikers who refuse to wear helmets will face fines of $100 and lose three demerit
points under owner-onus laws from January 1.
With many bikes registered to clubhouses to avoid police detection, club
presidents are likely to be the hardest hit by the changes.
Mr O’Callaghan said fines that could total thousands of dollars would be passed
on to the club leaders.
But individual riders whose bikes are not in their own name will escape losing
demerit points unless the club identifies them.
A club that fails to take reasonable measures to be able to comply with a
driver-identity request made by police faces fines of up to $5000.
Police Minister Michelle Roberts first raised the idea of putting an end to the
so-called “tipping of the hat” tradition in January when she spoke out against
200 bikers not wearing helmets for the Perth funeral of Gypsy Jokers founder Les
Hoddy.
But when another 100 bikers were able to ride through the streets of Bunbury
without helmets in May in attending the funeral of Bunbury Coffin Cheater Kevin
Flynn, the Opposition stepped up the pressure on Mrs Roberts to make good her
promise.
Mr O’Callaghan said police could use a new camera system launched last month,
which closed a loophole that had let motorcyclists speed through speed cameras
for almost 20 years, and the owner-onus laws to take action rather than
intervene in a procession.
“If you try to intercede while there is a procession in progress and the bikers
break away there is a danger that someone will get injured or killed,” he said.
Asked if he was concerned that bikers would thumb their nose at the laws and
refuse to pay fines, Mr O’Callaghan vowed to pursue those prosecuted in the
courts.
Mrs Roberts said she had been pushing for the changes for some time and was
pleased bikers would no longer be able to flout the law.
Local media couldn't get a comment from local OMC's
