Australia's biggest bike-riding organisation is open to changing its near 30-year support for mandatory helmet laws, and it's looking to the people to help guide its decision.

Key points: Bicycle Network undertakes policy review on helmet stance

Bicycle Network undertakes policy review on helmet stance Review invites public to take part in an online survey, will consider expert studies

Review invites public to take part in an online survey, will consider expert studies Policy review is expected to be completed by April 2018

Love them or hate them, wear them on your head or leave them swinging from the handlebars, helmets are one of the more divisive issues among cyclists.

Bicycle Network, which boasts a 50,000-strong membership, has supported mandatory helmet wearing for people who ride bikes since Australia introduced them in the early 1990s.

It is now undertaking a policy review to assess its long-standing position on the issue — which could lead to a change.

As part of the review, the group is inviting everyone to take part in an online survey.

Bicycle Network chief executive Craig Richards said the group had received more than 10,000 responses since the survey opened at the beginning of the month.

"We've got a huge response in a short period of time, which I guess goes to show just how interested so many people are ... in this question of mandatory helmet laws," he said.

"Helmets is one of the hot topics in bike world that comes up ... people from overseas who look at Australia think it's an odd position to take, because they don't have mandatory helmet laws.

"Some people in Australia say 'there's nothing to think about, of course it should be compulsory, they protect your head and your head's important. We don't want bike riders getting hurt.'

"There's both side of the coin, people have opinions on either side, some very strong opinions ... but we're doing our best to remain as neutral as we can, look at both the arguments from both sides, look at the evidence on both sides, then make a decision on the policy."

Bicycle Network seeks out expert opinion

Mr Richards said the survey was just one part of the organisation's overall review of its position.

They are also combing through expert studies on the matter — and are calling for anyone with information they think could make a difference to let them know.

"We'll ask the experts' opinion, and we'll also do a literature review ... the review of credible studies into the world of mandatory helmets, it's a huge number of studies," he said.

"So there's a fair bit of work in making sure we review that carefully.

"We'll also look at other evidence and statistics, so we'll take all these bits of evidence, we'll weigh them up, and that's how we'll make a decision on what the policy should be.

"We want to make sure we haven't missed any ... we're in the process of combing through them, looking at them carefully, if other people have particular pieces of research they think are important we ask they please point us to them."

Mr Richards said they wanted the policy review done by April next year.

Social media offers mixed reaction

ABC Brisbane's Facebook page put the question "should bike helmets be mandatory" to its followers on Monday.

The responses varied:

Duncan Walker: Yes especially as I had concussion from a fall from a bike with a helmet on. The doctors said I would have been brain damaged had I not been wearing a helmet.

Yes especially as I had concussion from a fall from a bike with a helmet on. The doctors said I would have been brain damaged had I not been wearing a helmet. Johnny Worthington: Inside a very messy discussion, I would hope that everyone would agree that for kids under 18, yes, it should be mandatory.

Inside a very messy discussion, I would hope that everyone would agree that for kids under 18, yes, it should be mandatory. Phillip Clarke: If people don't want to wear one then no public medical funds when they have an accident.

If people don't want to wear one then no public medical funds when they have an accident. Jim Fazl: They should be mandatory. Just like seatbelts, helmets save lives and prevent serious injury.

They should be mandatory. Just like seatbelts, helmets save lives and prevent serious injury. Steve Sturges: No, optional after the age of consent.

No, optional after the age of consent. Diane Noel: Whatever, let natural selection decide.

Whatever, let natural selection decide. Peter Whitty: Nope. Survived just fine for years before the nanny states.



The survey is available at the Bicycle Network website.