DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL has said that the use of helmets by those availing of the Dublinbikes scheme would not be possible to enforce.
This week the council voted to approve a massive expansion to the scheme that will see 58 new stations for the popular service with 950 extra bikes and 2,000 extra stands around the city.
Last year eight cyclists were killed last year on the roads – one while cycling a Dublinbike without a helmet . The man, who suffered fatal head injuries when he fell off his Dublinbike and hit the rear bumper of a taxi, was a Brazilian student living in the city centre. At the time, the city coroner Brian Farrell recommended that the council look at making helmets available to users for hire with the scheme.
In response to a query by TheJournal.ie, the council said that, while it recommends all users of the scheme wear helmets, it is not mandatory. A spokesperson said the use of helmets “would not be possible to enforce” and “therefore it wasn’t included.”
The Road Safety authority said that as a cyclist, you are a vulnerable road user and your bicycle will not protect you if there is a crash.
“The law does not require you to wear a helmet. However, in the interest of road safety, and in your personal interest, you should wear a helmet at all times,” it recommends.
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