Even when the child is travelling in a child’s seat or bicycle trailer, a helmet will be mandatory. There was a lot of debate before introduction. The Greens were in favour of voluntary measures, the liberals wanted an obligation for everyone. The compromise: a legal obligation with no sanctions attached. Austrian authorities want to find out first of all what an awareness campaign will lead to.
For that matter, a large majority of the Austrian population supports the mandatory wearing of a helmet, according to a survey by Kuratorium für Verkehrssicherheit. Of all motorists and cyclists surveyed, 96% were in favour of an obligation to wear a helmet until age 11 and 91% want this up to and including age 16.