Inquiry into ‘nanny state’ laws told ‘helmets are utterly useless in collisions with motor vehicles’, are ‘inefficient’ and they discourage riding

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Australia’s mandatory helmet laws for cyclists should be abolished because they are deterring people from riding bikes and improving their health, a number of doctors and academics have told MPs.



A Senate inquiry into “nanny state” laws, chaired by libertarian senator David Leyonhjelm, has heard that the requirement to wear a helmet is “bordering on ridiculousness”.

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Australia became the first country to make all cyclists wear a helmet, with the laws phased in across states and territories between 1990 and 1992. Among wealthy nations, only New Zealand has similar helmet laws.

The laws mean that, in stark contrast to countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands where huge numbers of people cycle bareheaded, cyclists in Australia face a fine if they refuse to wear one.

Lisa Parker, a Sydney doctor, told the inquiry that there is “evidence of wider harm to population health resulting from the reduction in cycling”.

“It does seem odd that we, as a community, should have a law about something that reduces population health,” she said.

Andreas Schwander, a dentist, said the mandatory laws have proved “inefficient”.

“They have discouraged large proportions of the community from using their bicycles and most probably have caused a much worse impact on our nation’s health by keeping people away from this kind of exercise than they have given benefit by reducing head injuries,” he said.

John Trueman, an Australian National University academic, said: “Helmets are utterly useless in collisions with motor vehicles. Worse, they give both the cyclist and the motorist a false sense of security. It is well established, for example, that motorists give a helmeted cyclist less passing room.”

The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows that 1.15m people regularly cycle in Australia, about 6.2% of the population. Men are twice as likely as women to be regular cyclists, in contrast to some European nations where cycling is more evenly split between genders.

Various studies have provided conflicting claims about the effectiveness of helmets in reducing head injuries. VicRoads states that the helmet laws triggered a 23% reduction in head injuries two years after they were introduced.

But critics claim that helmet laws put people off cycling, causing far wider weight-related health problems due to Australians favouring driving, or not moving at all. One study found that 16.5% of people say they would ride more often if they were not required to wear a helmet at all times.

Chris Rissel, professor of public health at the University of Sydney, has written that cycling numbers dropped after the helmet laws were introduced and any reduction in head injuries could be attributed to there being fewer cyclists on the road.

“In safety terms there is a phenomenon called safety in numbers,” he said. “As more people cycle, our roads become safer for these cyclists.

“Drivers become used to seeing cyclists and adjust their behaviour, and infrastructure tends to be improved to better cater for cycling. Even if cyclists wear helmets they are less safe with fewer cyclists on the road than they would be with more cyclists about.

“Helmets are a barrier to new riders, particularly for occasional and non-regular riders. The need to wear a helmet reinforces the message that cycling is dangerous – with perceptions of danger a major reason people give for not cycling.”

But some cycling advocates believe improved infrastructure should be a priority over any changes to helmet laws.

“Bicycle Network’s community and member surveys consistently show the biggest barrier to riding a bike is the lack of bike infrastructure, not helmets,” said Chris Carpenter, spokesman for Bicycle Network.

“This is why Bicycle Network has spent years lobbying the Australian parliament for bike infrastructure funding.

“We are determined to see bike rider trauma reduced and recommend all bike riders in Australia wear a helmet and comply with helmet rules.”

The Senate inquiry, which will look into a wide range of laws that impact on people’s lives, will report by June next year.