Will cyclists in Germany soon be required to wear a helmet?
Transport ministers in Berlin and Brandenburg both expressed support this week for mandating helmet use for cyclists.
"The helmet requirement would be a sensible contribution to improving road safety," Berlin's Minister of Transport Manja Schreiner (CDU) said in response to a query from the German Press Agency (DPA).
The issue came to the fore after Brandenburg's Minister of Transport, Guido Beermann (CDU), expressed the same view on Monday.
Berlin's traffic authority already recommends wearing a protective helmet for reasons of road safety. However, a more general requirement to wear a helmet can only regulated at the federal level, not by Berlin alone.
And not everyone is in agreement with the state transport ministers: the German Cyclists' Association (ADFC) has said it would oppose the move.
"The introduction of a helmet requirement leads to a decrease in bicycle use, as demonstrated by figures from countries such as Canada," said the deputy chairman of the Brandenburg branch.
A helmet mandate would also impede the transition to more sustainable transportation, the ADFC spokesman said.
"How safe and attractive cycling works can be seen in the Netherlands: first-class infrastructure, many cyclists, and no one wears a helmet there."
READ ALSO: Why making Germans wear bike helmets may actually be harmful
By law, in order to be roadworthy, bikes in Germany are required to have a white front light, red brake light and a loud-sounding bell, as well as being in good working order. If not, you could face a fine.
But a Federal Court of Justice (BGH) ruling in 2014 in the case of a cyclist who crashed into a car door made clear that not wearing a helmet does not have a bearing on your responsibility for a crash.
Currently, anyone under the age of 12 in Germany is required to wear a helmet.
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"The helmet requirement would be a sensible contribution to improving road safety," Berlin's Minister of Transport Manja Schreiner (CDU) said in response to a query from the German Press Agency (DPA).
The issue came to the fore after Brandenburg's Minister of Transport, Guido Beermann (CDU), expressed the same view on Monday.
Berlin's traffic authority already recommends wearing a protective helmet for reasons of road safety. However, a more general requirement to wear a helmet can only regulated at the federal level, not by Berlin alone.
And not everyone is in agreement with the state transport ministers: the German Cyclists' Association (ADFC) has said it would oppose the move.
"The introduction of a helmet requirement leads to a decrease in bicycle use, as demonstrated by figures from countries such as Canada," said the deputy chairman of the Brandenburg branch.
A helmet mandate would also impede the transition to more sustainable transportation, the ADFC spokesman said.
"How safe and attractive cycling works can be seen in the Netherlands: first-class infrastructure, many cyclists, and no one wears a helmet there."
READ ALSO: Why making Germans wear bike helmets may actually be harmful
By law, in order to be roadworthy, bikes in Germany are required to have a white front light, red brake light and a loud-sounding bell, as well as being in good working order. If not, you could face a fine.
But a Federal Court of Justice (BGH) ruling in 2014 in the case of a cyclist who crashed into a car door made clear that not wearing a helmet does not have a bearing on your responsibility for a crash.
Currently, anyone under the age of 12 in Germany is required to wear a helmet.
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