In Québec, head injuries are a major cause of death and hospital admissions among cyclists.
Helmets are very effective for preventing head injuries in all cyclists, whether falling off a bike or having a collision with a motor vehicle.
Promotion campaigns targeting children under 18 are effective for increasing use of bike helmets, especially when they are community-wide and accompanied by a free helmet distribution program.
In Québec, bike helmet use has increased considerably since 2010, reaching an average of 53% in 2014. In some regions, this proportion was around 70%, which is close to the maximum 80% achievable with a law making it mandatory to wear a bicycle helmet. Seventy-eight percent of children aged 5-9 years were wearing helmets.
Studies on the effect of laws making bicycle helmets mandatory suggest that this type of law can help reduce the number of deaths and hospital admissions among cyclists, but their limitations and sometimes contra…