Sustrans and CTC have launched a petition to fight proposed legislation in Northern Ireland which would require cyclists to wear a helmet in any public place.
The Cyclists (Protective Headgear) Bill was narrowly approved by the Northern Ireland Assembly in January and is now being scrutinised by the Environment Committee.
The petition can be signed by anyone in the UK, whether they live in Northern Ireland, England, Scotland or Wales.
Sustrans, who this week celebrated breaking the 13,000-mile barrier on the National Cycle Network, and CTC insist they are not “anti-helmet” – but believe Northern Ireland would see a sharp reduction in the number of people who would cycle if the bill becomes law.
“Cycling for day-to-day journeys is a relatively safe activity and it gets safer the more people there are cycling,” said CTC’s campaigns and policy director Roger Geffen.
“This bill may be well-intentioned, but it will deter vast numbers of people from cycling, while increasing the risk for those who remain. At a time of mounting concern about obesity and climate change, scaring people into car-dependence is bound to shorten more lives than helmets would possibly save.
“I’d recommend our petition to everyone who enjoys cycling. With their support we can defeat this fundamentally flawed bill.”
Sustrans’ Northern Ireland director Steven Patterson added: “We share the wish of the supporters of this bill to improve the safety of cyclists but there are many better ways of doing this, such as giving every child on-road cycle training or reducing speed limits to 20mph in residential areas.”
