Rebecca Oaten, ‘Helmet Lady’ who fought for cycle safety in New Zealand, dies aged 83

Palmerston North's Helmet Lady, Rebecca Oaten, campaigned to make it compulsory for cyclists to wear helmets after her son had a bike accident in 1986. Photo / Jure Gasparic

Rebecca Oaten, known as Helmet Lady because of her campaign to make cycle helmets compulsory, has died aged 83.

Oaten became instrumental in bike safety after her son, Aaron Oaten, was knocked off his bike while riding to school in 1986.

He was 12 at the time and hit his head on a concrete gutter, leaving him in a coma for eight months.

When Aaron eventually woke up, he was paralysed from the neck down and could not speak.

Doctors told Oaten a bike helmet would have prevented the injuries from being so severe.

This sparked her campaign to ensure cyclists wore helmets so other families would not have to experience similar trauma.

Over six years, Oaten and her son visited hundreds of schools together, explaining what it was like for her to look after Aaron and educating the school kids they spoke to about the dangers of riding without a helmet.

The Palmerston North woman also helped to launch the Protect the Brains Trust, which lobbied across the country to make bike helmets compulsory.

Rob Storey, who was Minister of Transport between 1990 and 1993, said he would make the change if the trust could get 50% of New Zealand cyclists to wear a helmet voluntarily.

On January 1, 1994, the law was changed and cyclists had to wear a helmet or face a $35 fine. That fine has risen to $55 today.

Oaten became the inaugural winner of the Kidsafe Hero of the Past Award in 1998 and continued to care for her son until his death at the age of 37 in 2010.

Her obituary said she died peacefully on September 20 aged 83 and a private family memorial will be held for her later in the year.