Everyone has their own reasons for choosing whether or not to wear a helmet. Some people feel safer and more confident if they do wear one; while others decide not to wear one because they think helmets make cycling appear exceptionally dangerous (which it isn't!) – and a few just don’t want to mess up their hair!

CTC thinks that it should be up to you to decide whether you want to wear a helmet or not, and is opposed to making it compulsory.

Compulsion laws in other countries have reduced the number of people who cycle – and the more people who cycle, the safer cycling becomes.  What's more, cycling is such a healthy activity that people are far more likely to gain from it than otherwise. It's therefore important not to put anyone off.

Several recent reports (including four papers in peer-reviewed medical journals) have found no link between changes in helmet wearing rates and cyclists' safety - and there are even cases where safety seems to have worsened as helmet-wearing increased.

For analysis of the recent Government study into the effectiveness of cycle helmets see below or follow this link.