Bicycle Helmet Rule Being Considered as Number of Accidents Increase

A mandatory requirement to wear bicycle helmets is currently being reviewed by the Transport Department in light of the rising number of cycling accidents in Hong Kong.

Secretary for Transport and Housing Frank Chan said in response to questions at the Legislative Council that with the combined efforts of the Transport Department and stakeholders, they were able to decrease the number of cycling accidents from 1,917 cases in 2017 to 1,738 in 2019. These numbers, however, started to increase again in recent years and has reached 2,994 cases in 2021.

At present, there is no mandatory requirement for cyclists to wear a helmet and wearing one varies from place to place.

The Transport Department had consulted trades and stakeholders, including automobile associations, cycling clubs, driving centres, food delivery operators, medical groups, operators of shared bicycles, and transport and logistics sectors, about whether helmets should be mandatory or not.

Some of the factors being considered in the requirement are the location where helmets would be required, the age of the cyclists, and the practices adopted in other places.

Chan said the department is collating and analysing the views they collected. They plan to consult lawmakers at the Legislative Council Panel on Transport meeting next month.