Should bike helmets be compulsory?
Do they offer protection or a false sense of security?
Do they save lives?
Well, it depends on who’s asking and who you ask.
Helmets are made of hard plastic and lined with foam, to state the obvious.
If your head makes contact with a hard object like the ground or a pole, they reduce the force of impact to the skull. However, this is less effective when riding at speed.
Of course, to be effective, a helmet needs to be well fitted. There’s also the problem ofcounterfeithelmets made in China that come with a local safety sticker but lack the safety benefits.
So the pro-helmet stance holds that they reduce the risk of serious head injury or death.
By comparison, a company like PedalMe subscribes to an idea calledRisk Compensation.
This is a school of thought in safety where those wearing protective gear take greater risks and therefore have more collisions. For example, this would posit that those wearing seat belts drive more recklessly than those without.
This approach also looks at the idea of social health. It asks whether the safety aspect of helmets outweighs the health benefits of cycling because helmet laws deter people from taking up cycling.
Where are bike helmets legally required?
Bike helmets are completely mandatory in only a few countries, including Argentina, Finland, Sweden, Namibia, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
And it’s downright confusing in Canada and theUS, where laws differ on a local level, according to the state, the city, and the rider’s age.
Last week, Seattle city officialsoverturned the helmet requirementin response to discriminatory enforcement of the rule against homeless people and people of color. The city of Tacoma had previously repealed the requirement in 2020 due to similar concerns.
The city of Tacoma, Washington, repealed its requirement in 2020, citing similar equity concerns.
What’s it like living somewhere with compulsory helmets?
The idea of not wearing a bicycle helmet seemed really alien to me when I moved to Germany from Australia in 2014.
I find that there are massive differences between Australia and Europe regarding bike safety. When I learned to ride a bike, people told me, “Ride like the car drivers are trying to kill you and stay on the footpath as much as possible.”
The reality is that there is a huge culture of disrespect and antagonism towardscyclistsin Australia. We also havepoorer quality roadsand fewer bike lanes.
There’s little effort to police or prosecute drivers who open their car doors on riders, or drive unsafely around bikes.
And, significantly, unlike places like Berlin and Amsterdam, few drivers are cyclists themselves.
Helmets are a barrier to micromobility success
In 2014 the city of Dallasremoved the requirementfor people aged 18 and older, as a means of encouraging more bike-sharing.And it worked. Compulsory helmets make it harder to introduce a cycling culture.
For example, in Australia,
And yes, you needed a helmet. You could buy one cheaply at a nearby 7/11 convenience store for $3.60 ($5 AUD), but thesespontaneous rides became difficult when there were no shops nearby.
Incidentally, it’s the same for the currentescootersin Australia, but the helmet comes locked to the escooter. A friend told me, “I haven’t got lice yet, fingers crossed!” So maybe, there’s hope yet.
Just for some bang for your buck, I’m going to show you some rather embarrassing and hilarious helmet ads from my childhood:
This one’s got a kinda metaverse meet Second Life vibe:
Apologies for the quality. I suspect the owner ripped them from a VHS cassette….
Story byCate Lawrence
Cate Lawrence is an Australian tech journo living in Berlin. She focuses on all things mobility: ebikes, autonomous vehicles, VTOL, smart ci(show all)Cate Lawrence is an Australian tech journo living in Berlin. She focuses on all things mobility: ebikes, autonomous vehicles, VTOL, smart cities, and the future of alternative energy sources like electric batteries, solar, and hydrogen.
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