Child cyclists would welcome a law forcing them to wear a helmet! That’s what a survey has found. While only 34% of the children asked said they always wear a helmet, 36% said they sometimes did and 30% said they never wore one, more than two-thirds of these kids would welcome a helmet wearing law for under-16s.

The anecdotal research was carried out by the Brain Injury Group in association with Activate Sport among 100 active youngsters aged 11 to 16.

The research also found that more boys than girls never wear a cycle helmet. While 20% of boys never wear a bike helmet, only 13% of girls follow suit.  Again, girls are most likely to always wear a helmet with 45% claiming to pop on a helmet every time they go for a spin on their bikes compared to 37% of boys.

Parents are setting an example – just

According to the research just over half of parents of the youngsters questioned always a wear a bike helmet. But the kids reckoned that if parents wear a helmet, they are much more likely to follow suit.

A spokesperson for the Children Brain Injury Trust said:  “It still baffles me why so many youngsters resist wearing a helmet while cycling. They clearly don’t realise how a split-second impact could result in a life-changing brain injury that could render them incapacitated, disabled or worse.”

Outdoor Look case study

At Outdoor Look we asked a mum and daughter their views about wearing cycle helmets. Mum Sue said: “I didn’t really think about wearing a bike helmet until my daughter Jess started riding her bike. Then I realised just how dangerous it could be for her, and for me, being out on the roads without a bike helmet.

“I also realised that it would be hypocritical to insist that Jess wore a helmet while I went helmet-free. So we bought our first bike helmets together. We also bought cycling jackets, hi viz obviously! 

“I have been surprised how comfortable the helmet is and it has now become a habit to wear the helmet when on my bike. In fact, Jess and I remind each other about putting on the helmets before setting out for our bike rides.

“A helmet is such an obvious safeguard yet it took for me to see the vulnerability of my own child to realise the danger I was putting myself in, too.”

What do other parents and children think about a law to enforce bike helmets in the UK?