Helmets.org

Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute

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Where to Find Mandatory Helmet Laws



Our list of Helmet Laws

We keep a current list of mandatory helmet laws by state and local jurisdiction.


The National Traffic Safety Board

The NTSB has made an unprecedented study of bicycle injuries and countermeasures, announced in 2019. They recommend major improvements in almost all of the elements that make up the bicyclist environment, and also the passage of all-ages helmet laws. An early press release in November 2019 said the study would be available soon.


LAB Position Paper

The current helmet position paper of the League of American Bicyclists is not on their site at present but here is their reaction to the NTSB recommendations saying they oppose mandatory helmet laws.


How to treat standards

Advice for anyone writing a new helmet law on what helmet standards to reference.


Ohio Youth Bicycle Helmet Ordinance Toolkit

"Assisting local communities in educating decision makers on the importance of a youth bicycle helmet law." If you are lobbying for a law, the Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics has produced this unique guide.


Texts of Laws

We have a number of mandatory helmet laws from states and localities in the U.S. on our site, and have direct links when available. These are recommended for unique features:

States

Counties and cities

More Laws

Exemptions for some riders in some laws


We have a page on helmet law exemptions with some of the exemptions that have been written into laws. A helmet law with exemptions is more difficult to enforce, since with some of the exemptions police cannot determine whether or not a bare headed rider might be exempt.

Evaluations of Helmet Law Effectiveness


Other Views - some even opposed to ours!

We have a page up of responses to points raised in the Internet "helmet wars". It includes links to a number of sites that oppose helmet laws.