A government commission has come out against making it compulsory for children to wear a helmet while cycling and wants to lower penalties for speeding.
The National Transportation Commission says forcing young people – under 16 – to wear a helmet risks putting them off cycling. It also says it would be difficult to apply the law.
The idea was first put forward by the Federal Council, which is alarmed at the growing number of accidents involving young cyclists. But the commission says it doesn’t believe wearing a helmet would bring any health benefits.
The commission is also recommending changes to the strict requirements of the road safety programme, ‘Via sicura’. It believes there are too many limitations and courts are hampered to make decisions based on circumstances. It also wants to remove the mandatory minimum prison sentence of a year for serious offences and allow the courts flexibility.
The Federal Council has already signalled it supports the move.
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