The Australian Government will introduce a new helmet standard for the nation’s riders that will accept certain internationally accredited helmets for use locally.
Helmets that meet the Euro standard and the several standards accepted in the United States will be deemed to meet the Australian standard.
The standards in these jurisdictions are roughly equivalent to the Australian standard.
According to federal authorities, the introduction of helmets meeting approved overseas criteria will result in greater competition in the market and significantly lower costs to the consumer.
The move accepts a recommendation by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission which found that the industry would save up to $14M each year.
The Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services, Stephen Jones, said cyclists will also benefit from the new safety standard as they will be able to access a greater variety of helmets at lower prices as suppliers pass on cost savings to consumers.
Before making its recommendation, the ACCC consulted a range of stakeholders including industry and retail associations, businesses, consumer advocacy groups, product safety consultants, state and territory governments and local and international regulators. Most stakeholders supported the ACCC proposing a new safety standard.
Separate to the new safety standard, State and Territory road safety authorities administer laws that govern which helmets can be legally used on public roads in each jurisdiction (road ‘use’ laws).
Currently, all States and Territories require cyclists to wear a bicycle helmet that complies with the voluntary Australian standard only.
"The Government encourages the States and Territories to update their road use laws in line with the new safety standard," Mr Jones said.
The new safety standard provides a transitional period of 18 months. During the transitional period, suppliers must meet the requirements of either:
- the Consumer Goods (Bicycle Helmets) Safety Standard 2024 or
- the Trade Practices (Consumer Product Safety Standard) (Bicycle Helmets) Regulations 2001.
After the transitional period, suppliers must meet the requirements of the Consumer Goods (Bicycle helmets) Safety Standard 2024.
Full details of the new standard can be accessed via the Federal Register of Legislation.
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