Australia: New standard for bicycle helmets

 

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has completed a review of the safety standard for bicycle helmets and recommended the Minister update it to now reference two voluntary Australian standards and four overseas voluntary standards. The Minister has agreed with the ACCC’s recommendation, and the new safety standard commenced on 22 March 2024. The new safety standard is published on the Federal Register of Legislation.

A helmet for use when riding a bicycle is a regulated bicycle helmet, whether or not it is also for use with one or more other wheeled‑recreational devices.

However, a regulated bicycle helmet is not any of the following:

 (a) a helmet for use mainly:

 (i) for downhill mountain bicycle competitive racing (or related practice); or

 (ii) for BMX bicycle competitive racing (or related practice);

 (b) a helmet that is a toy;

 (c) a motorcycle helmet.

A regulated bicycle helmet complies with the requirements in this Part if the regulated bicycle helmet complies with each provision of any of the following standards:

(a)    Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 2063:2020, Helmets for use on bicycles and wheeled recreational devices

(b)     Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 2063:2008, Bicycle helmets

(c)     European Standard EN 1078:2012+A1:2012, Helmets for pedal cyclists and for users of skateboards and roller skates

(d)    American Society for Testing and Materials Standard ASTM F1447:2018, Standard Specification for Helmets Used in Recreational Bicycling or Roller Skating

 (e) U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (16 C.F.R. Part 1203), Safety Standard for Bicycle Helmets

 (f) the Snell Standard – Snell B‑95, 1995 Bicycle Helmet Standard, 1998 revision Standard for Protective Headgear for Use in Bicycling

To find out more about product compliance regulations in Australia, please contact the Product Compliance Institute directly.