What is the effect of helmet use on the popularity of cycling?

Answer

The effect of (mandatory) bicycle helmets on bicycle use is not clear. Several international studies show that bicycle use decreases after the introduction of helmet laws, even though most studies do not find such an effect or only find a temporary effect [9] [42] [49]. These international studies have probably little bearing on the expected effect in the Netherlands, since, relatively speaking, Dutch cyclists more often use bicycles for ‘transport’ and much less often for recreational purposes. Cyclists often find helmets uncomfortable, particularly for short rides (see the question Why do cyclists choose (not) to wear bicycle helmets?).

Requiring or stimulating bicycle helmets could make cycling less popular. This would be an unwelcome development from the perspective of public health (apart from crash involvement), the environment and urban traffic flow.

There are two international review studies of the effect of mandatory helmet use on the use of bicycles, both dating from 2018 [9] [42]. The first study [42] shows that the available research results are not unequivocal. It states that mandatory helmet use could indeed result in a decrease of the number of cyclists, but that this need not always be the case and that, if the number of cyclists initially decreases, that need not be of long duration. The second study is a mostly qualitative analysis of the available literature [9]. Based on their findings, the researchers conclude that there is little to no evidence of a substantial decrease of bicycle use due to the introduction of mandatory helmets. They have examined 23 studies/data sets and conclude that 2 of these studies support the hypothesis that mandatory helmets lead to a decrease of cycling, whereas 13 studies do not, and 8 studies show mixed results.

The abovementioned review studies only concern research done abroad, in particular in Australia and North America. The results probably have little bearing on the expected effect in the Netherlands. Moreover, the only Dutch study on this subject, a study among children aged six to eight, did not find any indications of an effect of bicycle helmets on bicycle use [18].

Part of fact sheet

Bicycle helmets

A bicycle helmet is intended to protect cyclists against head and brain injuries when they are involved in crashes.

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