Naked cyclist ticketed for not wearing a helmet

A naked cyclist in New Zealand has been ticketed by police for not wearing a helmet, not for his lack of clothing. And despite having apparently been drinking, he wasn't charged for drink-driving either.

The man was stopped on Timaru's High St at 3.30pm on Sunday and Timaru police Senior Sergeant Randel Tikitiki said he wasn't charged with indecent exposure, because that would "depend on what could be seen".



Tikitiki said the cyclist could also have been charged with careless use of a vehicle, but police opted to charge him with not wearing a helmet. A New Zealand Transport Agency spokeswoman said there was no legal alcohol limit for cycling. "But 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," she said.

"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 $3,000 and the court may disqualify from holding of obtaining a driver's licence for a period."