A review of educational and legislative strategies to promote bicycle helmets.

This paper examines the impact of several educational campaigns on bicycle helmet use, reviews the early experience two programmes have had with introducing helmet laws, and discusses their experience in the context of reducing bicycle-related injuries. Education is usually the first approach adopted to encourage the use of helmets. School-based educational programmes have several advantages, because they reach children who are likely to become cyclists, allow targeting of messages to different age groups, and have a captive audience. Some governments provide subsidies for buying helmets. The most common and successful campaigns to promote helmet use combine publicity, education, and helmet distribution strategies. Some countries or parts of countries, including Australia, New Zealand, several US states, and Ontario, Canada, have passed, or are considering, laws that require cyclists to wear helmets. The paper reviews the experience of helmet laws in Victoria, Australia and Maryland, USA, and discusses its implications for the future of helmet laws. It finally examines what behavioural, biomechanical, and operational research is needed, to support further efforts to reduce head injuries among cyclists.