Helmet use strongly recommended for riding bicycle or specified small moped! Current safety standards for bicycle helmets and cautions for children under one year

Due to the partial revision of the Road Traffic Act, bicycle riders are strongly recommended to wear a helmet as of April 1, 2023. In the same way, specified small moped riders are also strongly recommended to wear a helmet as of July 1, 2023.

Nevertheless, safety standards of helmets for bicycle and specified small moped riders have not been officially set in Japan. Currently there are three voluntary safety marks used for bicycle helmets in the Japanese market: the SG mark of conformity to standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Association (Japanese voluntary standards); the JCF mark of conformity to standards set by the Japan Cycling Federation; and the CE mark of conformity to the European Union standards. On the other hand, some helmets are sold without any of these marks. In addition, it is conceivable that specified small moped riders, who are strongly recommended to wear a helmet, use a bicycle helmet.

Incidentally, helmets for children under one year are not sold in Japan, while children under one year could be given a ride on a bicycle. It is conceivable that a marketed helmet is put on a child under one year.

Therefore, NCAC decided to examine 9 brands of bicycle helmets without any mark of conformity to safety standards and to conduct product tests using a 4-month-old dummy to share relevant information and issue a consumer alert.

Video

Helmet use strongly recommended for riding bicycle! Scene of safety tests(YouTube)

Cases reported to the Medical Facilities Network

Cases without helmet use

When a boy was riding a bicycle, a 2t truck came from the opposite direction and the truck's door mirror collided with the boy's bicycle. Then he fell down.
When a girl was riding a bicycle on a downslope road, she fell down with her bicycle.
A small boy was sitting on a front safety seat. When his brother was about to sit on a backward seat, the bicycle fell down. The brother hit his head on the floor.
A key ring with a bicycle key was caught by a rear wheel of a bicycle. The bicycle rider lost balance and fell down with the bicycle to a 2-meter ditch.

Test results

Examination of helmets without any safety mark

As for shock absorption capacity, None of the nine products satisfied the SG standards, the Japanese voluntary safety standards.
As for strength of retainers (chin strap including the fastener), eight out of the nine products did not satisfy the SG standards, the Japanese voluntary safety standards.
As for performance (tight fit) of retainers, six out of the nine products did not satisfy the SG standards, the Japanese voluntary safety standards.
Four out of the nine products did not show any precaution for use on the surface.
Instruction materials were not attached to seven out of the nine products.

Helmet use for children under one year

It was not possible to properly put a helmet on a four-month dummy.
It was not possible to put a helmet on a four-month dummy carried on a bicycle rider's back.

Advice for consumers

Helmet use is strongly recommended to all bicycle and specified small moped riders. Wear a helmet for safety when riding a bicycle or specified small moped.
Choose a bicycle helmet with a mark of conformity to safety standards.
Follow your instruction manual and use a helmet properly.
Currently it is difficult for a child under one year to have a ride on someone's bicycle. If you need to carry a child under one year to somewhere, think of another way.

Request for cooperation to online shopping mall operators

Encourage shopping site operators to initiatively and properly show the marks of conformity to safety standards.

Request to the government

Further inform consumers of the necessity and effectiveness of bicycle helmets and how to choose them.
Further inform consumers of marks of conformity to safety standards.
Continue to pay attention to product accidents and take appropriate measures as necessary.

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