As much as I sometimes try to avoid weighing into this debate, Australia has mandatory helmet laws for cyclists. And naturally, given the title of this blog, you’d have to ask – what do I think of helmet laws.

Now, like a lot of things in Australia, the arrangements from state to state are sometimes a little bit different. In the main, however, if you are an adult riding a bike in Australia you are generally required to wear a bike helmet that meets Australian Standards. A very suspicious part of me imagines that this is some kind of plot. But that’s for another time. The main part of me is neither definitively pro or con helmet wearing, but I have just acknowledged that as an Australian Cyclist Who Doesn’t Like Getting Fined, I wear a helmet. I feel more safe, and I chose to comply with the relevant legislation.

I appreciate that you may not want to do so. And that you may feel rather vehement about that. You may like to protest helmet laws, and I’d respect your right to do so.

More importantly for me, I have found over time that many women tell me that they don’t cycle because they have to wear a helmet. Because I don’t have time to overturn the helmet laws, or to arrange utterly safe cycling conditions, to personally educate every driver in Australia or to design the most aesthetically pleasing helmet on earth, I would rather encourage future amazing cycling mammas to get out on the road by letting them know that I think they look hot. Because they are riding a bike.

See how simple the equation is for me? Bike helmet wearing = bike riding = good thing.

For those who are interested, for example, Bicycle Victoria provides the following information about helmet laws in Victoria.

“Bicycle helmets are compulsory in Victoria.

Bicycle helmets became compulsory in Victoria on 1 July 1990. By law, Victorians must wear a helmet that has been approved to Australian Standards.

The law applies on roads, bike paths, bike lanes, shared and segregated footways and in other public places such as recreational parks and car parks.

Fines

There is a $146 fine for not wearing a securely fitted and approved bike helmet.”

But wait, there’s more… Surely there’s more, right?

There’s always more.

Bike light blitzes are underway in the fair city of Melbourne with all manner of good folk, falling prey to our ever vigilant Boys/Girls in Blue.