Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing legislation to make it compulsory for cyclists using public roads to wear high-visibility or brightly coloured clothing and a protective helmet.

There are no plans to make it compulsory for cyclists to wear high visibility clothing or a protective helmet when cycling. However, cyclists should ensure that they can be clearly seen by other road users, both for their own safety and for that of others.

The Government strongly encourages cyclists to wear helmets, and this is reflected in The Highway Code. A previous assessment concluded that the safety benefits of mandating helmets would be likely to be outweighed by the fact that it would put some people off cycling, thereby reducing the wider health and environmental benefits.