Bicycle helmet laws

Some countries and lower jurisdictions have enacted laws or regulations which require cyclists to wear a helmet in certain circumstances, typically when riding on the road or a road-related area (such as a bicycle lane or path). In some places this requirement applies only to children under a certain age, while in others it applies to cyclists of all ages.

Research indicates that bicycle helmet laws reduce bicycle fatalities and injuries. Large increases in the rate of helmet wearing usually take place after helmet laws are passed. Evidence is mixed as to whether the helmet laws lead to less cycling.