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The right helmet

You must wear a certified bike helmet, not one designed for skateboarding or other sports.

Cycling gear

Check your helmet for damage

Helmets are designed to absorb just one impact. If your helmet has been dropped or in a crash, it may not protect you. It doesn’t matter if the outer plastic shell is scratched, but if the inside polystyrene is cracked, replace it.

Ideally you’d buy a new helmet every 5 years.

How to check your helmet

  1. Hold the helmet so the inside faces up.
  2. Check there’s a ‘certified bike helmet’ sticker inside. That means the helmet’s safe for cycling.
  3. Work your hands around the rim of the helmet, gently trying to pull it apart. If you see any cracks in the polystyrene, the helmet needs to be replaced.
Photo of a hand pressing down on the interior rim of a bike helmet to check for damage.

Fit your helmet correctly

Take a minute to make sure your helmet fits right every time you head out for a ride.

Fit

Like this
Woman wearing her helmet correctly.
  • Make sure there’s a maximum two-finger gap between your eyebrows and the rim.
  • Turn the dial at the back to tighten the cage if the helmet has one.
Not like this
Woman wearing her helmet incorrectly pushed back off her forehead.
  • Do not wear your helmet pushed back off your forehead. 
  • It will not protect the front of your head or may come loose. 

Buckle

Like this
A man indicates how the helmet should fit by placing two fingers under each ear.
  • Slide up the buckles on both sides. 
  • It’s a good fit when they sit under your earlobes.
Not like this
A man wears a helmet without the buckle being secure.
  • Always fasten the buckle to keep your helmet secure.
  • A helmet without the buckle fastened will offer no protection. 

Chin strap

Like this
A man wearing a bike helmet places one finger under the chin strap.
  • Tighten the chin strap so you can just fit one finger in.
Not like this
A man wearing a helmet with a large space between his chin and the strap of the helmet.
  • If your chin strap is loose, your helmet could fall off. 

Tips

Like this
The back of a woman's head. She is wearing a helmet, with her hair tied in a ponytail below the helmet.
  • Tie long hair low to sit below your helmet.
Not like this
A woman wears a helmet with a cap underneath it.
  • Do not wear a hat or beanie underneath your helmet as the helmet will not sit correctly.
  • When purchasing a helmet for a child, get one that fits them now, rather than one that they will grow into.
  • Be wary of buying a second hand helmet. Even if it looks okay, it may have been damaged.
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