Review on bike helmets for kids

Tuesday 24 June 2014

Australian laws on compulsory bike helmets will be reviewed by a Scrutiny panel ahead of next month’s debate on a proposed Jersey law that would make it mandatory for under-14s to wear helmets here.

The States approved the principle of a law way back in 2010, but the Transport and Technical Services department has only just put the finishing touches to the legislation.

They are all set to go for a debate on 15 July, but the Environment Scrutiny Panel say that they want to have a quick review of the way that similar laws have worked in other places, including Australia, before States Members have their final vote on the proposals.

The panel say that they have hired consultants to do a short review.

They say: “The consultants will carry out a desktop study of the proposals on behalf of the panel and review research and evidence from other jurisdictions, such as Australia, where legislation on the compulsory wearing of cycle helmets already exists, to see what impact this has had on road safety and numbers of people cycling.”

Deputy Andrew Green, who took the initial proposals to the States, is the chairman of the national brain injury charity Headway. He has campaigned for brain injury awareness since his young son Christopher suffered a severe brain injury after a cycling accident aged just nine.

The Deputy – who also serves as Housing Minister – has previously hit out at some States Members for using “myths and scaremongering tactics” to delay the introduction of the law.