In a written question submitted to infrastructure minister Michelle Haywood in the House of Keys, the lower house of the Isle of Man\u2019s parliament, Rob Callister, the MHK for Onchan, asked whether the government was planning to make wearing a helmet compulsory for people on bikes.<\/p>\n
In response, Haywood said that there are currently no plans to introduce a mandatory helmet law for cyclists, noting that the Road Traffic Act 1985<\/a> prevents the Department of Infrastructure from implementing such a measure.<\/p>\n According to the Act, it is compulsory for people to wear helmets while riding a motorbike or a horse, but not a pedal cycle, while the Isle of Man\u2019s Highway Code suggests that a helmet should be worn by cyclists, but does not require them to do so.<\/p>\n > \u201cPeople find helmets unpleasant\u201d: Dutch government launches \u2018Put It On\u2019 campaign urging cyclists to wear helmets as serious cycling injuries continue to rise \u2013 but activists say scheme \u201cdistracts from real issues\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cSection 24 of the Road Traffic Act 1985 allows the department to make regulations that require a person driving or riding in or on a motor vehicle of a specified class or riding on an animal of a specified class to wear a protective helmet of a specified description,\u201d Dr Haywood, the MHK for Rushen, said in her written response to Callister\u2019s question.<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, this provision does not allow the Department to make regulations to require cyclists to wear protective helmets.<\/p>\n \u201cUnder Section 59 of the Isle of Man Highway Code, it is suggested that a cycle helmet which is the correct size and is securely fastened should be worn, as opposed to must be worn.\u201d<\/p>\n Haywood added that her department does not have any plans to update the Road Traffic Act in order to introduce a bike helmet law \u2013 though she did note that the situation will be \u201cmonitored\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cAt this time, the department does not have any plans to update the Road Traffic Act 1985 to allow regulations to be made that make the wearing of helmets for cyclists mandatory,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, this situation will continue to be monitored, as the safety of cyclists and all road users is a priority to the department.\u201d<\/p>\n >\u00a0Cyclist stopped by police three times and \u201ctold to put bike in van\u201d after a \u201cload of complaints\u201d from motorists on foggy climb<\/a><\/p>\n This is the second time in under three months that Haywood\u2019s department has been forced to put the brakes on calls for legislation concerning cyclists.<\/p>\n In June, the department also insisted that it has \u201cno plans\u201d to prohibit cycling on the island\u2019s Mountain Road \u2013 despite a petition calling for cyclists to be banned from the \u201cperilous\u201d route attracting over 300 signatures<\/a>. Yes, that many.<\/p>\n The petition, titled \u2018Ban cyclists from the Mountain Road in Isle of Man\u2019 and launched by resident Lee Smith on change.org, concerned the A18 Snaefell Mountain Road, a fast-moving 13-mile-long A-road connecting Ramsey and Douglas and featuring a derestricted speed limit.<\/p>\n The road is also part of the famous Isle of Man TT and ascends steadily to an elevation of 400 metres above sea level, characterised by its sweeping bends and often changeable weather.<\/p>\n Cyclists are currently not allowed to use the route during the early summer TT season or during the Manx Grand Prix in August and September, periods when other vehicles using the road are also limited in that they are only permitted to travel in the direction of the course.<\/p>\n According to Smith\u2019s petition, cyclists should be banned from the road at all times, because they cause a \u201cbacklog of traffic\u201d while also \u201cincreasing the risk of collisions\u201d, arguing that people on bikes cause the \u201crisk factors to multiply\u201d, and that they should instead be forced to use alternative routes \u201cwithout interfering with primary traffic\u201d.<\/p>\n The petition failed to grain much traction with the Isle of Man\u2019s residents, however, attracting just 25 signatures during its first two weeks \u2013 until, that is, 3 FM, the island\u2019s self-proclaimed \u201cfeel-good radio station\u201d, shared the campaign online, causing the number of supporters to jump to 339.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, those 339 signatures \u2013 bizarrely \u2013 weren\u2019t enough to spur the Isle of Man\u2019s government into action, with the Department for Infrastructure later admitting that it is yet to receive the petition<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have no plans to restrict cyclists from any roads in the island, except during the TT period,\u201d a spokesperson for the department said.<\/p>\n >\u00a0Why is Dan Walker\u2019s claim that a bike helmet saved his life so controversial?<\/a><\/p>\n Of course, the Isle of Man\u2019s (albeit brief) helmet debate this week isn\u2019t new to these islands, where calls for legislation governing cyclists\u2019 protective equipment pop up on a regular basis.<\/p>\n In June 2023, for example, Conservative MP Mark Pawsey introduced a compulsory cycle helmet bill into the House of Commons<\/a>, arguing that if mandatory safety measures are acceptable for motorists, they \u201cshould surely be acceptable for cyclists\u201d.<\/p>\n Addressing concerns that a mandatory bike helmet law would be difficult to enforce, Pawsey said: \u201cWhile it would certainly create an additional burden on the police, it doesn\u2019t strike me as being particularly difficult to enforce in comparison with other offences.<\/p>\n \u201cIf mandatory safety measures are acceptable for car drivers, they should surely be acceptable for cyclists. Now we know that cyclists are the most vulnerable road users.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Isle](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/isle-man-tt-course-picture-copyright-simon-wilkinson-swpixcom.jpg\" "\\"Isle")
Isle of Man TT course (credit: Simon Wilkinson)<\/p>\n![\"Cyclist](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/cyclist-stopped-police-while-riding-isle-man-mountain-road-2-credit-chris-glencorse.png\" "\\"Cyclist")
Cyclist stopped by police while riding on Isle of Man Mountain Road (credit: Chris Glencorse)<\/p>\n![\"Cyclists](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/cyclists-traffic-lighs-london-c-simon-macmichael.jpg\" "\\"Cyclists")
Cyclists at traffic lights, London (credit: Simon MacMichael)<\/p>\n