Long known as one of only two nations in the world that mandate cycling helmets for every man, woman, and child, Australia may be on the cusp of ending its prohibition of helmet freedom.
Without wading into the worn arguments about whether bike helmets themselves help or harm bikes as a movement, it’s important to note that mandating helmets absolutely discourages riding bikes in general. This was the case in Australia in the early 90s when cycling sans helmet was made a crime.
Riding levels tanked after the law went into effect, and have struggled to recover despite the global rise of bikes as an increasingly preferred mode of urban transport.
By all accounts, helmet laws are a disaster for cycling.
“@abcnews: Residents of Australia’s tiniest towns share what happiness means for them pic.twitter.com/fZfNSz35UF” Helmet free cycling?
— helmetfreedom (@helmetfreedom) July 15, 2015