Written answers

Tuesday, 25 September 2012

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

Road Safety

Photo of Robert DowdsRobert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will outline the law in relation to cyclists wearing safety helmets. [40554/12]

Photo of Robert DowdsRobert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will consider making the wearing of safety helmets mandatory for all cyclists. [40555/12]

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 481 and 482 together.

At the present the Road Traffic Acts do not provide for the wearing of helmets by cyclists.  There has been much debate in recent times relating to the wearing of helmets by cyclists and whether or not such wearing should be made compulsory.  The consensus of those bodies concerned with road safety has been that the wearing of helmets by cyclists is best promoted on a voluntary basis by way of educational and publicity campaigns, such as those undertaken by the Road Safety Authority (RSA), rather than to impose a legal requirement with consequent prosecutions and penalties for contravention, particularly in the case of minors.  

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