Right: this family would be risking a fine in Australia, but in some provinces of Canada, helmets are not compulsory for cyclists
Background information
(The following is an edited version of information available in full from the United States Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute. The full text can be read at http://www.bhsi.org/mandator.htm)In Australia, bicycle helmets are mandatory in all states and territories. Compliance is high but varies by area - in some cities it is over 90%; however, it is much lower in some rural areas. In Victoria cyclists' head injuries declined 41% after the introduction of compulsory bike helmets. There were 36% fewer child riders on the road, immediately after the legislation passed, but perhaps more adult riders. Injury reduction was below expectations, but significant. Hospital data from Western Australia showed that the number of intracranial injuries was reduced with increased helmet use, while head injuries were less serious, and hospital stays shorter.
New Zealand's national helmet law took effect in January, 1994. Although cyclists' injuries increased in the years thereafter, head injuries declined. Iceland's mandatory helmet law, covering children under 15, came into effect in October of 1998. The Spanish legislature passed a comprehensive bicycle law in mid-1999 that reportedly included a mandatory helmet provision.
The British Medical Association examined the evidence and recommended in 2004 that the United Kingdom adopt a mandatory helmet law for both children and adults. They had previously recognised the benefits of helmet use but had feared that a helmet law might reduce cycling, resulting in negative net health benefits. In 2010 Jersey is moving toward a new law that will require helmets for riders under 18, having rejected a proposal for an all-ages law. The United Kingdom's Transport Research Laboratory has found that in 2008, 34 per cent of riders in the United Kingdom were already wearing helmets on major roads, and 17 per cent on minor roads.
The Copenhagen Post reported in November, 2009 that a failed attempt to pass a Danish law requiring helmets for those under 12 was being revived after evidence that the proportion of Danish cyclists arriving at emergency rooms with head injuries was declining as helmet use there increased.
Canada has some provincial and local helmet laws. Ontario's helmet law for cyclists under 18 took effect in 1995. Other provinces have followed suit.
Finland passed a mandatory helmet law with an effective date of January, 2003. It covers all ages, but there is no fine associated with breaking the law. Spain adopted a mandatory helmet law for cycling outside of cities in 2004. Helmets are not compulsory in towns and may be removed while climbing steep hills. Iceland and the Czech Republic require helmets for those under 16. France is currently considering making helmets compulsory. Japan adopted a national helmet law in 2008 that requires children under 13 to wear helmets.