A compulsory helmet on a scooter and bike. The government is working on changing the regulations

In European countries, the wearing of a helmet by cyclists and users of scooters is often recommended, and compulsory mainly for children. There are penalties for no helmet – in France up to 750 euros. Studies from Stockholm have shown that the helmet reduces the risk of shocking of the brain by 54 percent.

The Minister of Infrastructure Dariusz Klimczak announced on Thursday expert and social consultations regarding the introduction of the obligation to wear helmets by children using bicycles and electric scooters. Klimczak told PAP that the age will also be subjected to when you can ride such two -wheelers or it may be necessary to increase it.

Polish regulations do not impose on cyclists or users of scooters obligation to wear a helmet. However, this is recommended by experts, especially for children and seniors.

In 2025, 130 accidents were recorded with the participation of scooter users, of which 60 percent concerned people under 17.

Klimczak has noted that helmets already operate in many EU countries.

In Sweden, wearing a helmet while cycling or electric bike is mandatory for children and adolescents up to 15 years old. For non -compliance with this provision, parents or guardians may be fined in the amount of 500 crowns (around PLN 192). However, this provision does not include scooter users.

Regardless of the regulations, wearing helmets among the Swedes is common in every age group. People resigning from protecting the head often meet with social ostracism.

The effectiveness of helmets was confirmed in research conducted by the Royal Technology Institute KTH in Stockholm. It has been shown that wearing a bicycle helmet reduces the risk of brain shock by 54 percent, and the risk of cracks in the skull “drastically” drops compared to the lack of head protection.

The Swedish traffic organization NTF in its social campaign reminds that helmets have limited durability – it is recommended to replace them at least every 10 years, although the protective properties may deteriorate after 3-5 years, depending on use and storage conditions. The durability is negative, among others Sun exposure and extreme temperatures. The helmet should also be replaced after falling from a high height.

An alternative, more discreet form of protection was also developed in Sweden – Hovding helmet. Until 2023, it was produced as a collar worn around the neck, which in the event of an accident automatically opened, acting on the basis of an airbag and covering the cyclist's head.

In Great Britain, the law does not impose the obligation to wear a protective helmet for cyclists or bicycle users and electric scooters – this applies to both adults and children. Despite the lack of such a requirement, in the event of a collision or accident, no helmet may have legal consequences, including a reduction in compensation. This is due to the British Road Code, which recommends “wearing a bicycle helmet in accordance with applicable regulations.” The obligation to wear a helmet applies to people moving a motorcycle or moped on public roads – the helmet must then meet British safety standards.

It is similar in Ireland, where there is also no legal obligation to wear a helmet while cycling. In 2020, attempts were made to change this right and a bill was presented, which was aimed at introducing the obligation to carry a helmet by children under 16, but the Ireland government finally decided not to implement it.

In Germany, there is also no nationwide obligation to wear a helmet while cycling. However, in some lands, such as Berlin or Brandenburg, the introduction of such a provision is considering. In 2014, the Federal Court stated that the lack of a helmet could affect the assessment of the cyclist's fault in an accident. In the case of children, the obligation to wear a helmet depends on the land – e.g. in Berlin, children up to 12 years old must have it, in other places it is only a recommendation.

In Finland, according to the Road Traffic Act, using a helmet while cycling is “recommended”. The provision is recommended and its purpose is to disseminate the use of helmets as an important protective element. Cyclists, however, are not punished with a ticket for driving without a helmet. The “decisive recommendation” of wearing a helmet, according to the last amendment, which entered into force in June, was also expanded to users of electric scooters. The helmet is mandatory when moving a moped, scooter or light tricycle or e.g. a quad.

According to the survey conducted a few years ago by the Finnish Road Safety Agency, only a dozen or so percent of respondents decided that the helmet when cycling “is not needed”. In practice, most cyclists use in various parts of Finland (on average two out of three), and especially for children and adolescents.

Similar regulations apply in Norway, where the use of helmets while cycling is not mandatory regardless of the cyclist's age, but the police and road safety organizations recommend using it in each case. To ride an electric scooter, you must be at least 12 years old, and using it up to the age of 15 is only possible in an attestable helmet. Hulajnog users must also have civil liability insurance.

According to the report of the Norwegian National Road Administration (SVV) from May 2025, in the last five years 12 people were killed on Norwegian roads involving electric scooters – none of them had a helmet on their heads. At the same time, the University Hospital in Oslo assessed that out of 350 patients – cyclists and users of scooters – who went to the facility as a result of road accidents, the vast majority suffered head injuries. According to experts, up to three quarters of deaths or severe injuries could be avoided if the injured had a helmet at the time of the accident.

In Portugal, the obligation to wear a helmet applies only to people on electric bikes. For other vehicles, such as traditional bikes or scooters, the authorities only recommend using head protection.

The Portuguese Road Code provides for penalties from 60 to 300 euros for electric bicycle users who drive without helmets.

In recent years, there has been a debate in Portugal regarding the need to use helmets. He joined in it, among others The mayor of Lisbon Carlos Moedas, according to whom it is necessary to withdraw the obligation to have a helmet while riding an electrically powered bike.

In Spain, recipes for cyclists have been tightened recently due to the increase in the number of accidents. Only in 2024 46 cyclists were killed on Spanish roads. The most important change is the introduction of the obligation to carry a helmet by all cyclists on all types of roads. Until now, helmets were only recommended for people over 16 when driving in cities. There is a fine of 200 euros for driving without a helmet. Lack of a helmet, however, can be justified, including health reasons – after presenting the appropriate medical certificate – or extremely high temperatures that could threaten the cyclist's health.

In the Czech Republic, the road code imposes the obligation to wear a helmet by people under 18 when cycling. From the beginning of 2024, an additional provision has been introduced, which obliges children to put on helmets transported in special bicycle seats and in bicycle trailers. Cyclists aged 15 to 18 who drive without a helmet can be fined with a fine of 1000 crowns (about PLN 170).

Despite the applicable regulations, wearing helmets is not common in the Czech Republic. The police and non -governmental organizations run numerous campaigns encouraging to use helmets, addressed to all age groups. One of such actions, conducted, among others Through the police under the slogan “on a bike only in a helmet”, he uses a photo of a man with a clear scar on his head, which is fed with a spoon – symbolizing the effects of a lack of protection.

It is estimated that about 50 percent Adult cyclists in the Czech Republic use helmets. In 2023, one of the deputies tried to introduce a widespread obligation to wear them, but the proposal met with resistance, including on the part of the Ministry of Transport.

In France, however, helmets from 2017 (necessarily fastened with CE certificate) are mandatory for children under the age of 12 years driving a bicycle or transported on it. There is a fine of up to 750 euros for a lack of a helmet. For adults, helmets are optional, but clearly recommended. In 2022, the Senate rejected the offer to introduce helmets. David Belliard's deputy Head of Paris then cited data from 2019 showing that among 4782 cyclists who suffered half the accidents on the road half were without helmets, and 45 percent. in helmets. The percentage of fatal accidents was also similar: they constituted 3.5 percent. all accidents without helmets and 4 percent accidents when the cyclist was in a helmet. (PAP)

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