Bicycle helmet laws by country
Encyclopedia
The wearing of bicycle helmet
s, and attitudes towards their use vary around the world. Compulsory use of helmets has often been proposed and is the subject of much dispute (see Bicycle helmet laws
), based largely on consdierations of overall public health. Only two countries (Australia and New Zealand) currently require and enforce universal use of helmets by cyclists. In some other jurisdictions, partial rules apply - for children, in certain states or sub-national areas, or under other limited conditions.
and the Netherlands
have a strong cycling culture and have amongst the lowest levels of helmet use.
In European Union
countries the European Directive 89/686/EC sets the standards for bicycle helmets.
was the first country to enact mandatory bicycle helmet use for all cyclists. Mexico City has had mandatory cycle helmet laws repealed, and in Italy the Federazione Italiana Amici della Bicicletta managed to block a proposed helmet law. While bicycle helmets are not required to be worn by law in the United Kingdom the British Medical Association
advocates for the compulsory use of helmets. Cyclists' Touring Club
, the largest cycling advocacy organisation in the UK, consider helmet wearing as personal choice rather than being mandated by legislation. In 2002 an attempt was made to introduce bicycle helmet legislation in Poland but it was opposed by cyclists' organisations.
Bicycle helmet
A bicycle helmet is a helmet intended to be worn while riding a bicycle. They are designed to attenuate impacts to the skull of a cyclist in falls while minimizing side effects such as interference with peripheral vision...
s, and attitudes towards their use vary around the world. Compulsory use of helmets has often been proposed and is the subject of much dispute (see Bicycle helmet laws
Bicycle helmet laws
Some countries and lower jurisdictions have passed laws which make riding without a helmet illegal. The scope and details of such laws vary.-Introduction:...
), based largely on consdierations of overall public health. Only two countries (Australia and New Zealand) currently require and enforce universal use of helmets by cyclists. In some other jurisdictions, partial rules apply - for children, in certain states or sub-national areas, or under other limited conditions.
Use
DenmarkDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
have a strong cycling culture and have amongst the lowest levels of helmet use.
In European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
countries the European Directive 89/686/EC sets the standards for bicycle helmets.
Legislation by country
AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
was the first country to enact mandatory bicycle helmet use for all cyclists. Mexico City has had mandatory cycle helmet laws repealed, and in Italy the Federazione Italiana Amici della Bicicletta managed to block a proposed helmet law. While bicycle helmets are not required to be worn by law in the United Kingdom the British Medical Association
British Medical Association
The British Medical Association is the professional association and registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association’s headquarters are located in BMA House,...
advocates for the compulsory use of helmets. Cyclists' Touring Club
Cyclists' Touring Club
CTC and the UK's national cyclists' organisation are the trading names of the Cyclists' Touring Club.CTC is the United Kingdom's largest cycling membership organisation. It also has member groups in the Republic of Ireland...
, the largest cycling advocacy organisation in the UK, consider helmet wearing as personal choice rather than being mandated by legislation. In 2002 an attempt was made to introduce bicycle helmet legislation in Poland but it was opposed by cyclists' organisations.
| Country | Date enacted | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 1989 | |
| Canada | 1995 - New Brunswick 1995 - Ontario 1996 - British Columbia 1997 - Nova Scotia 2002 - Alberta |
In 2007 the Saskatoon city council voted against mandatory helmet use. |
| Czech Republic | Under 15 years of age only. Revised to under 18 with effect from July 2006. | |
| Croatia | 2008 | Under 16 years of age only. |
| Finland | 2003 | Not enforced (no fine). |
| France | No requirement | |
| Germany | No requirement | |
| Hong Kong | No requirement | In 2009, Transport Secretary announced that government had no intention of introducing mandatory helmet law, based partly on "international views that a mandatory requirement may lead to a reduction in cycling activities." |
| Iceland | 1998 | Under 15 years of age only. Iceland has considered - but not pursued - extending its helmet law to adults. |
| Israel | 2007 | Not enforced. Starting from 2011, only applies under 18 years of age, in interurban ways and during sport events. |
| Italy | No requirement | |
| Japan | 2008 | Under 13 years age only. |
| Malta | 2004 | |
| Mexico | Mexico City Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole... repealed mandatory helmet laws in 2010. |
|
| New Zealand | 1993 | |
| Poland | No requirement | |
| Portugal | 2004 | As of 2005 a time frame for application of the legislation had not been developed. |
| Singapore | No requirement | |
| Slovenia | 2000 | Under 15 years of age only. |
| South Africa | 2004 | Compulsory for all cyclists but in practice the law is not enforced. No fine had been agreed. |
| South Korea | 2006 | Under 13 years of age only |
| Spain | 2004 | Required on interurban routes except when going uphill or in very hot weather, or for professional cyclists. |
| Sweden | 2005 | Only applicable to children under 15 years old. No penalty for children cycling alone who do not obey the law. Also applies to Segway use. |
| Switzerland | No requirement | |
| UAE | 2010 - Dubai | |
| United Kingdom | No requirement | |
| United States | Varies | Varies by jurisdiction and by age of cyclist. 21 states and the District of Columbia have statewide mandatory helmet laws, either for children or for all ages. 29 US states have no statewide law, and 13 of these states have no such laws in any lower-level jurisdiction either. More details here http://www.helmets.org/mandator.htm |