More than three years on, the legislation has still not been implemented.
This situation is clearly unacceptable and those responsible for the process grinding to a halt should count themselves lucky that no child has been badly injured.
The issue of cycle helmets once again hit the headlines in Saturday’s paper when cyclist Michael McCaffrey spoke publicly for the first time about a crash on Beaumont Hill last year which nearly killed him.
He was lucky to walk away from the accident after his heart stopped at the roadside. The 36-year-old father of three spent two months in a coma and is now calling for a new law making it compulsory for all cyclists to wear helmets irrespective of their age.
In 2010, Deputy Green, the former head of the local branch of the brain injury charity headway, proposed the very same thing in the States, but was defeated by a single vote. Has the time come for the issue to come back to the States?
There will be those who cry nanny state and argue that cyclists should be free to choose whether they wear a helmet or not.
Others have argued that such a law would send out a message that bikes are unsafe and lead to fewer people cycling and enjoying the health benefits derived from getting in the saddle.
It is unclear whether a proposition to compel adults to wear helmets would be approved today, but it is right that the issue should be raised again for debate.
Action must be taken to implement the 2010 vote. Adults might be able to make informed choices about helmets, but it is our responsibility to protect children.
Priority must be given to drafting a law requiring children to wear helmets. In the meantime, parents have a key role to play in making sure their children are safe. There is no sensible argument against Deputy Green’s successful proposition. The doubters, if there are any, should simply think back to those who opposed the wearing of seat-belts and consider how much attitudes have now changed.
