Bike helmet law could be punctured by enforcement problem

Tuesday 15 July 2014

The States should approve a law making it compulsory for all children under 14 to wear cycle helmets - but it is unlikely to put the brakes on those who don’t.

That's the view of the Environment Scrutiny Panel, who have been reviewing the proposed law. They say it should be introduced for safety reasons, but have serious doubts about whether it can be policed. The law is due to be debated by the States this week.

If it is approved, the Police will be able to stop any child caught riding a bike without a helmet and get their name, age and address, with their parents facing a £50 fine.

Alternatively, the Connétable of St Brelade, Steve Pallett, has suggested fining children who are not wearing helmets “on the spot” - but accepts youngsters are unlikely to have the cash on them.  

Although the panel says this might be the way forward, it could be a long time before it is in place, considering that people are not fined straight away for other "civic offences" like littering, or not clearing up dog mess.

The Housing Minister, whose son was left with a brain injury after falling off his bike, has been pushing for the law for years, but does not want youngsters to end up with a criminal record because of legislation designed to protect them. But Deputy Andrew Green is confident such measures won’t be necessary and hopes it will become self-regulating with most children complying with the law.

The law won’t apply to children riding “Bessie Bikes” or bikes on the beach nor those using cycle tracks if an adult is walking alongside steering the bike.