TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Health Promotion Administration said Sunday that 80.4% of individuals aged 12 and above in Taiwan do not wear helmets while riding bicycles.
The administration said that bicycle commuting has become popular in Taiwan. Of the approximately 5.11 million cyclists nationwide, only about 11.7% consistently wear helmets, per CNA.
Taiwan’s road safety regulations do not mandate helmet use for cyclists. Most people have not developed the habit of wearing helmets, and bicycle accidents have increased by 31% compared to nine years ago, the administration said.
Former Health Minister Chiu Wen-ta (邱文達) said that most cyclists in Taiwan are children and young people. He noted that those not wearing helmets have a death rate three times higher than those who do in bicycle accidents, with head injuries accounting for 60% of fatalities.
There is an average of over 5,000 bicycle accidents each year, with 2,000 to 3,000 cases involving head injuries, Chiu said. Fatalities number around 300 annually, accounting for 5% to 8% of all traffic accidents.
The number of bicycle-related fatalities in Taiwan reached 229 in 2023. Taichung recorded 3,484 bicycle-related injuries and deaths that year, the highest among the six major cities, followed by Tainan and Kaohsiung.
According to the WHO, road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young cyclists aged five to 29, causing approximately 1.19 million deaths worldwide annually.
Chiu suggested implementing a mandatory helmet law for cyclists, with insurance not covering accidents for those not wearing helmets. He said the policy could be phased in, starting with school outreach and subsidies for purchasing bicycle helmets.
Most commuters find it inconvenient to carry helmets with public bicycles. Chiu also suggested that Taiwan consider Japan's automatic helmet rental machines or introduce foldable helmets priced between NT$2,000 (US$60.67) and NT$4,000 each.
