Velo: Helmet wearing rate on the rise
According to the bfu, almost half of all cyclists wear a helmet today. The rate is even higher for children.
The bicycle helmet is increasingly gaining acceptance in Switzerland: Today, 47% of cyclists already wear them - slightly more than last year (47%). This is reported by the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (bfu) based on a survey.
The rate of children wearing helmets is also increasing again for the first time, after falling in recent years to 63 % (2013) and 60 % (2014) respectively: today, 67% of children wear a helmet. According to the bfu, helmets are particularly important for this group, as children are exposed to a higher risk of accidents than adults. On the one hand, their cognitive and motor skills are not yet fully developed, and on the other, they are not yet familiar with traffic.
For fast e-bikes (from 25 km/h pedal assistance), the helmet has been mandatory since July 2012. According to the survey, most people comply with the law: 90% wear them. Helmets are also more widespread among slower e-bikes, where 67% wear them (2014: 63%).
But beware: a bicycle helmet alone is not much use if it does not fit correctly. The rules are: Two finger widths above the root of the nose, side straps equally full, space for a finger between the chin and the strap.
Only a suitable and correctly worn bicycle helmet protects against injuries. The video of the bfu shows what must be observed.
