Bicycle helmets

You must wear a helmet when you’re riding a:

• bicycle - including e-bike
• e-scooter
• human powered scooter.

If you don’t follow these rules, you can be fined.

It's also illegal to ride an e-unicycle, hoverboard or segway on a public road, footpath or shared path in Victoria.

Choosing a bicycle helmet

When choosing a bicycle helmet for you or your child, make sure:

• it is not damaged
• it fits firmly and comfortably on your head – the gap between your eyebrows and helmet should be no more than two fingers wide
• the helmet doesn’t tilt too far forwards, backwards or sideways – the rim of the helmet should sit just above your eyebrows
• the straps around your chin are firm, not slack, and the straps make a ‘v’ just under your ears
• it has a label showing it meets any of the approved safety standards. 

For children’s helmets, measure the size of your child’s head just above your child’s eyes and ears. Select a helmet to fit a head of that size.

Helmets should usually be replaced every 5 years because the protective foam can wear out over time. If a helmet is involved in an accident or dropped on a hard surface, it should be replaced immediately.
 

Approved safety standards

Victorian laws allow you to use bicycle helmets that meet any of the following safety standards:

• Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 2063:2008 Bicycle helmets,
• Australian New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 2063:2020 Helmets for use on bicycles and wheeled recreational devices
• Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 2063:1996 Pedal cycle helmets (to be phased out on 03 April 2026)
• European Standard EN 1078:2012+A1:2012 Helmets for pedal cyclists and for users of skateboards and roller skates
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission standard US CPSC 16 C.F.R. Part 1203 Safety Standard for Bicycle Helmet
• American Society for Testing and Materials Standard ASTM F1447-18 Standard Specification for Helmets Used in Recreational Bicycling or Roller Skating
• Snell Standard B-95, 1995 Bicycle Helmet Standard, 1998 revision, Standard for Protective Headgear for Use in Bicycling.

When buying a bicycle helmet, it is important to check it has a label on it showing it meets one of these standards.

Bicycle helmet exemptions

You may be exempt from wearing a helmet if your religious headdress means a helmet won’t sit correctly on your head.

You may also be exempt for medical reasons. If so, you must carry a medical certificate from your doctor when you ride. This certificate may expire if you have a short-term condition.

Relevant medical conditions may include:

• severe skin conditions
• hearing aids or bionic ears
• a head that is larger than normal
• a head injury that may be more painful while wearing a helmet.

Helmets reduce the risk of a serious head injury

In 2016, the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) issued a statement supporting mandatory bicycle helmet laws. The AHPPC is made up of the chief health officers of each Australian state and territory.

Also in 2016, a comprehensive, systematic review of 40 helmet-related studies was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology. The review found bicycle helmets reduce the chances of a serious head injury by almost 70 per cent.

Two years after introducing bicycle helmet laws in 1990 there was:

• a 16 per cent reduction in head injuries in metropolitan Melbourne
• a 23 per cent reduction in head injuries in Victoria.

Rules for helmets

The rules for helmets are published the Road Safety Road Rules 2017:

• Part 14: division 2, rule 244B – Wearing of helmets and other requirements for users of scooters
• Part 14. division 3, rule 244P – Wearing of bicycle helmets by persons travelling on electric personal transporters
• Part 15, division 1, rule 256 – Bicycle helmets

You may be fined for not wearing a bicycle helmet.