Bicycle helmets

Globally, there are 28 countries where helmet use is mandatory. In some countries (or in certain states/regions of that country) it is mandatory for all cyclists, in others only for children/youngsters. Not all countries impose fines when helmets are not used. The table below provides an overview of countries where helmets have been mandatory since what effective date; if this only applies to children this is indicated by ‘age limit’ [17].

Country	Effective date	Age limit
Argentina	2004	All
Australia	July 1990 - July 1992	All
Canada	October 1995 - April 2015	All/17*
Chile	2009	All
Estonia	July 2011	16
Finland	January 2003	All
France	March 2017	12
Iceland	September 1999	15
Israel	July 2007/August 2011	All/18**
Japan	2008	13
Jersey	October 2014	12
Croatia	2008	16
Latvia	October 2014	12
Lithuania	Unknown	18
Malta	April 2004	All
Namibia	Unknown	All
New Zealand	January 1994	All
Nigeria	2012	All
Austria	June 2011	12
Slovenia	2000	15
Slovakia	Unknown	All
Spain	2004/2014	All/15***
Czechia	2001/2006	15/18****
United Arab Emirates	2010	All
United States	1987-2007	Various age groups leeftijdscategorieën
South Africa	October 2004	All
South Korea	2006	13
Sweden	January 2015	15
* In eight of ten provinces some form of helmet use is mandatory: in five provinces it is mandatory for all age groups and in three provinces up to age 18. In 2007, helmet use became mandatory for all age groups. Since 2011, children up to age 18 and all cyclists on rural roads have been obliged to wear helmets. * In 2014, the law was adapted for all age groups; mandatory helmet use for children up to age 16 and for all cyclists on rural roads, except when cycling uphill. **** In 2001, helmet use became mandatory for children up to age 16. In 2006, this was changed into children up to age 18.

Table 1. Overview of countries with bicycle helmet legislation (Source: [17])

In which countries is bicycle helmet use mandatory?

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