Is it law to wear a helmet whilst cycling on the road?

[mechs]

Hi all, i'm new here so not sure i'm in the right place, plus I made a post then lot it unless posts are moderated before they go live.

Anyway i'm just wondering if it's actually LAW to wear a helmet whilst cycling on the road? The reason is that our friend got himself a second hand bike for going back and forward to the train station for work. He picked it up as it was only a short distance away but was stopped by the police who went over the bike and advised him to wear brighter clothing etc and said that by law he must wear a helmet.

I know it's common sense but id it really the law? As loads of folk (not me) don't wear a helmet He's got all the gear now though!

[eileithyia]

No it is not the law to wear a helmet, assuming you are in Britain..

[Vorpal]

It is absolutely not required by law. Many on here would argue that it isn't even required by common sense (but if they actually start arguing about it this thread will end up in the purgatory of helmet subforum )


The Highway Code https://www.gov.uk/rules-for-cyclists-5 ... w-59-to-71 says

You should wear

- a cycle helmet which conforms to current regulations, is the correct size and securely fastened

The should means that it is advice rather than a legal requirement, which is indicated by the use of the word 'must'

The police ought to know better.

[TonyR]

The CTC's position on helmets is here: http://www.ctc.org.uk/campaigning/views ... le-helmets

[Ayesha]

A friend of mine bought a second hand bicycle. On his way home from purchasing it, he was stopped by the police and told he was riding it on the wrong side of the road.

My friend explained, “I’ve just bought this bike and the bloke who sold it to me didn’t say anything about where on the road to ride it.”
The policeman was bemused. My friend went on to say “I don’t need to take a test either, and I don’t need insurance. Furthermore, I’ve paid for this privilege by paying my Council Tax, so all-in-all officer, I’ll ride it where I like.”

[TonyR]

A friend of mine bought a second hand bicycle. On his way home from purchasing it, he was stopped by the police and told he was riding it on the wrong side of the road.

My friend explained, “I’ve just bought this bike and the bloke who sold it to me didn’t say anything about where on the road to ride it.”
The policeman was bemused. My friend went on to say “I don’t need to take a test either, and I don’t need insurance. Furthermore, I’ve paid for this privilege by paying my Council Tax, so all-in-all officer, I’ll ride it where I like.”

Its quite common in the US to find people riding on the wrong side of the road for similar reasons to the advice given here that you should walk facing the traffic. However contrary to what you might expect from the walking advice, its much more dangerous than riding on the correct side of the road. Cyclists cycling the wrong way make up 25% of US cycling accidents but only 8% of cyclists for example.

http://www.bicyclinglife.com/Library/riskfactors.htm

[StellaLdn.]

That comment made me laugh. Talk about swift come backs.

However, it's a bit stupid to cycle on the other side of the road. You do that in London, you're road kill. Nobody can drive here. Plus it makes you go far slower.

On the helmet argument: you won't find me with one. Common sense and paying attention should prevent accidents. And if not, then there are many other parts that will get hurt before the head.

PS: I do put a seat belt on when driving, though. Not too keen shooting through the wind screen like a rocket in case I need to brake hard.

[[XAP]Bob]

Hi all, i'm new here so not sure i'm in the right place, plus I made a post then lot it unless posts are moderated before they go live.

Anyway i'm just wondering if it's actually LAW to wear a helmet whilst cycling on the road? The reason is that our friend got himself a second hand bike for going back and forward to the train station for work. He picked it up as it was only a short distance away but was stopped by the police who went over the bike and advised him to wear brighter clothing etc and said that by law he must wear a helmet.

I know it's common sense but id it really the law? As loads of folk (not me) don't wear a helmet He's got all the gear now though!

- not a legal requirement, and there are a number of campaigns to stop it becoming so (mostly referencing other jurisdictions where they have not been shown to be effective.
- Not necessarily common sense. Take a peek in the helmet sub forum to see where people are coming from when they say that.
- Actually wearing brighter clothing isn't necessarily obvious either - it depends on the background, which almost certainly changes along his route. Did the policeman advice a high vis belt for all the suits getting on the train?


But MOST importantly - excellent choice of transport, cheap, sustainable, reliable, and good for him
He'll probably find it easier if he puts some slick tyres (I'm assuming it's a mountain bike with knobbly tyres)

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Police recruit from the general public, so there you have it.
Would you trust some of your work mates to drive you in their car
Mis quotes from the police on the street are people who SHOULD of been filtered out at interview level by asking some questions on UFO's Aliens and self levitation
My gripe Is If you disagree with what the police say they can't even be bothered to check to see if they are correct .............just look blankly with no expression or comment either......pure sign of brain washing and arrogance I.M.O

[Si]

PLEASE NOTE.....the OP merely asked for a clarification of the law.

If anyone wishes to have a discussion about the merits and issues of helmet wearing please go to the Helmet section of the forum (below Campaigning)

[mechs]

Hi, thank you for all the replies. Yes i'm in the UK, Scotland. I'll need to update my profile I think.

I didn't think it was "law" as I also found the same link to the highway code and everything else I found basicly said if your in an accident without a helmet then try and claim damages then you haven't got a leg to stand on.

I'll have a look in all the sections, there's so many, just finding my way about here

[gaz]

.

[cycleruk]

Hi, thank you for all the replies. Yes i'm in the UK, Scotland. I'll need to update my profile I think.

I didn't think it was "law" as [color=#FF0000]I also found the same link to the highway code and everything else I found basically said if your in an accident without a helmet then try and claim damages then you haven't got a leg to stand on.[/color]

Again that's not true. They (insurance companies etc) will argue the lack of helmet to reduce or nullify the claim.

[thirdcrank]

... if your in an accident without a helmet then try and claim damages then you haven't got a leg to stand on. ...

All the right words, but not necessarily in the right order. (Adjusts specs and smacks cheeks. )

More on the lines of "if you have an accident which leaves you without your legs, some joker will suggest you should have been wearing a helmet." (With my usual proviso that the law may be different in Scotland.)

[TonyR]

They (insurance companies etc) will argue the lack of helmet to reduce or nullify the claim.

But so far that argument has not persuaded the Courts although they keep on trying.