Cycling helmets can save lives, we all know that. However, there will be no helmet requirement for cyclists for the time being. The federal government has now announced this. More about this in the post.
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Cycling is playing an increasingly important role in Germany and, at least since the Corona pandemic, many people have been using their bikes regularly. However, alongside pedestrians, cyclists are among the most vulnerable road users. Wearing a cycling helmet can help prevent or at least mitigate serious head injuries in the event of an accident. But not all cyclists wear a helmet. The need for compulsory helmet use has therefore been discussed repeatedly in the past. It is now clear that with the current federal government there will be no requirement for cyclists to wear helmets.
The answer to a so-called minor question shows that the federal government rejects the introduction of a helmet requirement for cyclists. The request was made by the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. The federal government would rather continue to rely on voluntariness when it comes to cycling helmets and encourage citizens to take personal responsibility. So that more people voluntarily use a bicycle helmet, the federal government instead supports campaigns and actions that are intended to raise awareness of the importance of wearing bicycle helmets.
The argument against compulsory helmet use states that the proportion of people who voluntarily wear helmets while cycling has been steadily increasing for years, so a requirement is not considered necessary. The data on helmet wearing behavior comes from surveys by the Federal Highway Research Institute.
How do you feel about this? Do you think an obligation makes sense? Write it to us in the comments.
Source: German Bundestag