Bicycle helmet law in Netherlands unlikely

Unpopular measures would be needed to reduce the number of injuries and deaths in traffic, suggests a new study published today by the Road Safety Research Foundation (Stichting Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Verkeersveiligheid). The measures include compulsory helmet requirements for children and the elderly, as well as moped riders. Minister of Infrastructure Melanie Schultz van Haegen does not see this happening. The Minister announced on Friday that the compulsory helmet law is very unlikely to happen. She wants to see how wearing a helmet could be encouraged, but it has to remain voluntary. Other solutions for improving road safety include a speed assistant (ISA) on navigation systems to help drivers to keep to the speed limit, stricter enforcement of speed limits, doubling the control of alcohol consumption and better cycling path lighting. The government objective to reduce the number of road fatalities to 500 and injuries to 10,600 by the year 2020 is unlikely to happen. That is why Minister Schultz van Haegen asked the safety institution to come up with proposals to make the roads safer. The study came up with 18 different suggestions to promote road safety. "We have to choose a few sensible measures from it." Says the Minister about the study that concentrates mainly on municipal and provincial roads.