Why wear a helmet when cycling?

May 26, 2022

Pourquoi porter un casque à vélo? - Neoca

The bike helmet, an often uncomfortable, unsightly, and bulky accessory. Despite all this, couldn't the helmet guarantee our safety and our lives? Would wearing a helmet prove useful? Quickly discover the answer to all these questions in our weekly Neoca article!

Is the helmet mandatory?

Cycling is synonymous with well-being and freedom, but let's not forget that it remains a regulated activity. Let's review the various obligations related to this practice:

Helmet: The helmet is mandatory for children under 12 years old; after this age, it is only recommended
Yellow vest: For cycling outside urban areas, the yellow vest is mandatory when visibility is insufficient
Lights: Various lights are mandatory on the bike: one or more rear reflectors, a white reflector at the front, orange reflectors visible from the side, and orange reflectors on the pedals. When light is insufficient, a white or yellow position light at the front of the bike and a rear position light are added to these lights.
Bell: An audible warning device is mandatory on all bicycles

The bike helmet is not mandatory; should it therefore be forgotten when cycling?

Is the helmet essential for our protection?

The helmet is not mandatory in France for those over 12 years old, however, it is highly recommended. Why such a debate surrounding this object?

According to the French Institute of Science and Technology for Transport , head injuries only account for 16.9% of bicycle falls. Despite this seemingly negligible figure, head injuries are the leading cause of death for cyclists.

Let's remember that in 2019, 187 cyclists died in road accidents and more than 1600 were hospitalized. It should be noted that this figure is likely higher as law enforcement is not always notified at accident scenes.

Thus, the risk of being killed is three times higher for a cyclist than for a motorist and four times higher than for a pedestrian.

One might then wonder about the role of the helmet in light of this data! To answer this ultimate question, the University of Australia conducted a study in 2016 , including the results of 40 international studies, representing no less than 64,708 cyclists. What were the results of this study? Wearing a helmet would reduce the risk of head injuries: 51% on average, including 33% for facial injuries, 69% for serious injuries, and 65% for fatal injuries.

Now that you're convinced, all that's left is to choose your helmet wisely. The Neoca helmet will be your asset for safety, but also style and compactness, you'll be proud to wear your helmet!