Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) will soon forward a proposal to the Malaysian Ministry of Transport to make helmet use compulsory for cyclists. This was said in a Tweet by Datuk Suret Singh, chairman of MIROS.
The proposal aims to reduce cyclists injuries in a crash, as research has shown cyclists, along with equestrians, run a high risk of head and brain injuries. However, for most Malaysian cycling groups, attending a ride usually means the cyclist wears a helmet on a voluntary basis, which a reminder saying, “no helmet, no ride,” appended to ride notifications.
In other countries, such as Australia which was the first to enact such a law, cycling requires the compulsory use of a helmet by law, which also includes children. Rule 256 of the Australian Road Rules states that “the rider of a bicycle must wear an approved bicycle helmet securely fitted and fastened on the rider’s head, unless the rider is exempt from wearing a bicycle helmet under another law of this jurisdiction,” with non-compliance attracting a fine.
In neighbouring Singapore, which is a fine country to live, a compulsory helmet law for cyclists has been in force since 2018. This includes bicycles whether power-assisted or not.
As if the helmet will save you when you fall on the tarmac due to a pothole. Government should govern themselves, not us.
Wearing facemask is mandatory too, so obvious.
Motorbikers pon tak tentu wear helmet, sembangg
Studies in US and Europe have SHOWED that Cyclist with or without Helmets involved in accidents have NO SIGNIFICANT difference in injuries. As EXPECTED due to exposure of body. Helmets ONLY protect the HEAD. If it involves injuries to the HEAD it is unlikely that HELMETS will save the cyclist. Either way ……… IT ONLY BENEFITS the Helmets manufacturers and discourage Cyclist that are going short distance to due their normal activities of shopping, food, etc. Usually not exceeding 1000m. So ………… Why MAKE life difficult for Cyclist ? It ONLY encourage more illegal ENFORCEMNT towards innocent cyclist. A REALLY STUPID IDEA. PS:- I am a hardcore CYCLIST and WEAR HELMET when cycling for Exercise or more than 3km.
In that case, bikers also can justify not wearing helmet lah.
the difference is in the speed bro. bikers usually go for higher speed, thus more serious injury. u cycle santai2 10km/h on lakeside expect serious injury? those wearing helmet usually go more than 25km/h
Really? Then why bother wearing helmet if “NO SIGNIFICANT difference in injuries”?
Quite the dumbest comment. I’m also a ‘hardcore’ cyclist who rides daily for aeons. Be it short ride or long ride, ‘research’ shows that protecting the head reduces critical injuries. Not sure where you read your research from, sounds like conspiracy theories to indicate that wearing helmets benefits companies only. Dont wear a seatbelt then if driving 500m to the convinience store. I had a friend who had extensive brain damage, literally falling off the bicycle as a pillion from 0m movement, not wearing a helmet. On the spot, within your ‘1000m’
Mandatory brains too. Some of them tend to leave theirs at home.
when i cycle my Cervelo S5, i wear my helmet so that i look more like a pro rather than for safety. hahahahhaa….
Enforce helmet wearing among bikera first……..I see too many pakcik makcik, adik adik, abang abang riders zipping away in-out without helmet. The same happened to politicians riding motorbikes without helmets during Sabah election in 2020.
Speaking of it, even some pos-malaysia bike riders are delivering letters without their helmet on.
So, apa macam? or semua ok later?
Yeah, always with “enforce this first than that” attitude. No wonder we are going nowhere.
Cyclist should convoy or race at Circuit/Sepang,
Not Motorcycle/Highway/Putrajaya road
Mandatory helmet wearing for cyclists is totally acceptable. Mandatory sourcing of safety approvals/standards and/or distribution and selling of helmets by crony companies is totally UNACCEPTABLE.
What this article doesn’t mention is that the Australian helmet law didn’t make cycling safer, it made it more dangerous. The only proven effect was to massively cut the number of cyclists, who then lost the overwhelming health benefits and so became a burden on the health service. Helmet laws are a disaster.