Cyklokoalicia: Compulsory helmets for cyclists should be scrapped

The obligation for cyclists to wear helmets on roads outside towns and villages, which has been in force since February 2009, should be scrapped, claims the civic association Cyklokoalicia (Cycling coalition) as part of the process of commenting a planned amendment to the Road Traffic Act. They claim that the only effect of the law hasn't been a marked decline in injuries, but in the number of cyclists instead. The association maintains that cyclists themselves should be free to decide whether they'll use helmets or not. Cyklokoalicia president Peter Netri explained that a helmet increases the risk of accidents, as it's an additional piece on one's head that might cause the head to sort of 'hook' onto an obstacle. Moreover, drivers tend to behave in a different manner towards cyclists without helmets than those who are wearing one, as to the latter case they are less careful. Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry is going in a different direction, planning to make the rules for wearing helmets even stricter, making it mandatory also for children carried on adults bicycles.