Photo/Illutration Cyclists commute in Nagoya in November 2021. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

New legislation next year will encourage all cyclists to wear helmets, but the decision on whether to use the potentially life-saving protection will still be left to the public.

The Diet in April passed revisions of the Road Traffic Law that will impose a “duty of effort” rule on all cyclists to wear helmets.

Cabinet members at a meeting on Dec. 20 approved an order for the revised law to take effect on April 1.

Earlier revisions of the same law that went into force in 2008 imposed a “duty of effort” on parents to ensure their children under 13 were wearing helmets when riding bicycles.

A duty of effort only requires people to “make an effort” for something specified under the law. They are not legally obliged to do it, and there are no penalties for violations.

Local bylaws around Japan also include rules on helmet-wearing for both children and adults. But again, these rules are nonbinding.

Cyclists on road bikes and other racing-style vehicles usually wear helmets in Japan. But the hordes of shoppers, students and commuters on “mamachari” and other more practical bicycles often ride without the head protection.

Officials at the National Police Agency are urging all cyclists to wear helmets because, basically, they save lives.

According to the NPA, 336, or 93.1 percent, of the 361 people who died in cycling accidents last year were not wearing helmets. The ratio is 88.5 percent if injuries are included.

Among people aged 65 or older who died or were injured while cycling last year, 95.1 percent of them were helmetless.

Among elementary school pupils, who are already under the “duty of effort” rule, 72.3 percent who were killed or injured while on bicycles were not wearing helmets.

An analysis of cycling accident statistics over the past five years shows that cyclists without helmets were around 2.2 times more likely to die in accidents than those with the head protection.

“Children or cyclists who ride sporty bicycles are increasingly wearing helmets,” said Makoto Baba, founder of the bicycle helmet committee, a citizens group. “But many cyclists still do not feel the need to wear helmets.”

Baba, 67, added, “I hope the revision of the law will provide an opportunity for cyclists to develop an awareness about helmets and encourage them to wear them.”

Shigeki Kobayashi, 73, chairman of the bicycle usage promotion study group, a nonprofit organization based in Tokyo, welcomes the revised legislation.

“It’s good that we have the duty of effort,” he said. “But we need to create an environment to make sure more cyclists wear helmets.”

According to the group, some U.S. states and countries, such as Australia, legally require cyclists to wear helmets. Violators can be fined in some areas.

However, countries including the Netherlands and Germany, where cycling is very popular, have no legal requirements for helmet-wearing.

“A legal obligation to wear helmets results in a declined use of bicycles,” Kobayashi explained.

He says what separates such countries from Japan is that they have more bicycle paths and routes that cyclists can safely use.

Kobayashi also said that drivers in the Netherlands, Germany and other bicycle-friendly nations are more aware of the safety of cyclists than motorists in Japan.

Many areas of Japan are improving infrastructure for cyclists. But in the meantime, the country should do more to encourage helmet-wearing, Kobayashi said.

Local authorities and schools could further educate cyclists about the benefits of wearing helmets, while local governments could distribute free helmets or provide grants for purchases, he said.

He also said helmet use could increase if technology was developed to allow cyclists to lock the headgear with their parked bicycles to prevent thefts.

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