Mandatory helmet law will not be introduced in Gibraltar for cyclists, although they have been made law for people riding electronic scooters.
Mandatory helmet law will not be introduced in Gibraltar for cyclists, although they have been made law for people riding electronic scooters.
This has been confirmed in answer to GBC questions following last week’s publication of e-scooter legislation.
The Government says current thinking including the major world cycling associations and federations is that helmets for bikes should not be compulsory.
It says there are very few countries in the world that have made cycling helmets compulsory and those which have done so have seen a decrease in cycling within their cities to the detriment of public health and the environment.
The Government explains Bicycles are momentum machines; they require human power to move, with maximum speeds rarely maintained.
E-scooters on the other hand, it says, can attain 25 kilometres at the flick of a switch without effort and are more unstable due to their smaller wheels and short handlebars.
None of the major recognised cycling cities of the world impose mandatory helmet laws.
Mandatory Insurance for e-scooter users is intended, but the product is not currently on offer in Gibraltar and therefore imposing compulsory insurance is tantamount to the outright banning of these devices
However insurance is slowly being rolled out across Europe and the Government believes that insurance will become available in the near future. It will become compulsory at that point using regulations which do not require the Act to be amended.
https://www.gbc.gi/news/helmets-will-not-be-made-compulsory-bicycles-will-be-e-scooters
