Cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet

Road Safety Rules 2017 (Vic) r 256(1)

Magistrates' Court sentencing outcomes, 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2023

Charge data

In the Magistrates' Court, 366 charges of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet were sentenced in the three years to 30 June 2023. The most common sentence for a charge of this offence was a fine (43.7%, or 160 of 366 charges).

On SACStat, a charge is a single count of a sentenced offence. Charge data is most useful in understanding how a specific crime is usually sentenced.

Case data

In 355 cases sentenced in the Magistrates' Court in the three years to 30 June 2023, each case included at least 1 charge of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet. In those 355 cases, 334 people were male and 21 people were female. The most common sentence was a fine (30.4%, or 108 of 355 cases).

A case is a collection of one or more charges against a person or company sentenced at the one hearing. Case data is most useful in understanding the total sentence usually imposed on people found guilty of a particular crime.

Figure 1: Sentencing outcomes for all charges of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet (366 charges)

Note: The graph only includes data for the most severe sentence imposed for the charge. For example, only imprisonment is included for combined orders of imprisonment and a community correction order. Other in the graph may include probation, recognizance release orders (for Commonwealth offences) and residential treatment orders. Historical offences may include suspended sentences.

Bar graph of sentencing outcomes for charges
Figure 2: Imprisonment lengths for charges of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet (1 charge)

Note: The graph only includes imprisonment that was not part of an aggregate sentence (non-aggregate imprisonment).

Bar graph of imprisonment for charges
Figure 3: Community correction order lengths for charges of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet (30 charges)
Bar graph of community correction orders for charges
Figure 4: Fine amounts for charges of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet (34 charges)

Note: The graph only includes fines that were not part of an aggregate sentence (non-aggregate fines).

Bar graph of fines for charges
Figure 5: Sentencing outcomes for charges of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet by financial year (366 charges)

Note: The graph only includes data for the most severe sentence imposed for the charge. For example, only imprisonment is included for combined orders of imprisonment and a community correction order. Other in the graph may include probation, recognizance release orders (for Commonwealth offences) and residential treatment orders. Historical offences may include suspended sentences.

Bar graph of yearly sentencing outcomes for charges
Figure 6: Number of charges of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet by financial year (366 charges)
Bar graph of charges by financial year
Figure 7: Average imprisonment lengths for charges of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet by financial year (1 charge)

Note: The graph only includes imprisonment that was not part of an aggregate sentence (non-aggregate imprisonment).

Bar graph of imprisonment for charges by financial year
Figure 8: Average community correction order lengths for charges of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet by financial year (30 charges)
Bar graph of community correction orders for charges by financial year
Figure 9: Average fine amounts for charges of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet by financial year (34 charges)

Note: The graph only includes fines that were not part of an aggregate sentence (non-aggregate fines).

Bar graph of  fines amounts for charges by financial year
Figure 10A: Sentencing outcomes for all people for cases of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet (355 cases)

Note: Other in the graph may include probation, recognizance release orders (for Commonwealth offences) and residential treatment orders. Historical offences may include suspended sentences.

Bar graph of sentencing outcomes
Figure 10B: Sentencing outcomes for males for cases of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet (334 cases)

Note: Other in the graph may include probation, recognizance release orders (for Commonwealth offences) and residential treatment orders. Historical offences may include suspended sentences.

Bar graph of sentencing outcomes for males
Figure 10C: Sentencing outcomes for females for cases of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet (21 cases)

Note: Other in the graph may include probation, recognizance release orders (for Commonwealth offences) and residential treatment orders. Historical offences may include suspended sentences.

Bar graph of sentencing outcomes for females
Figure 10D: Sentencing outcomes for people aged 18 to 24 for cases of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet (40 cases)

Note: Other in the graph may include probation, recognizance release orders (for Commonwealth offences) and residential treatment orders. Historical offences may include suspended sentences.

Bar graph of sentencing outcomes for people aged 18 to 24
Figure 10E: Sentencing outcomes for people aged 25 to 54 for cases of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet (288 cases)

Note: Other in the graph may include probation, recognizance release orders (for Commonwealth offences) and residential treatment orders. Historical offences may include suspended sentences.

Bar graph of sentencing outcomes for people aged 25 to 54
Figure 10F: Sentencing outcomes for people aged 55 and over for cases of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet (27 cases)

Note: Other in the graph may include probation, recognizance release orders (for Commonwealth offences) and residential treatment orders. Historical offences may include suspended sentences.

Bar graph of sentencing outcomes for people aged 55 and over
Figure 11: Imprisonment lengths for cases of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet (98 cases), including imprisonment only (75 cases) and imprisonment combined with a community correction order (CCO) (23 cases)
Bar graph of imprisonment
Figure 12: Non-parole periods for cases of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet (75 cases)

Note: Imprisonment terms do not include a community correction order.

Bar graph of non-parole periods
Figure 13: Community correction order lengths for cases of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet (83 cases), including community correction orders without imprisonment (60 cases) and community correction orders combined with imprisonment (23 cases)
Bar graph of community correction orders
Figure 14A: Sentencing outcomes for all people for cases of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet by financial year (355 cases)

Note: Other in the graph may include probation, recognizance release orders (for Commonwealth offences) and residential treatment orders. Historical offences may include suspended sentences.

Bar graph of yearly sentencing outcomes
Figure 14B: Sentencing outcomes for males for cases of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet by financial year (334 cases)

Note: Other in the graph may include probation, recognizance release orders (for Commonwealth offences) and residential treatment orders. Historical offences may include suspended sentences.

Bar graph of yearly sentencing outcomes for males
Figure 14C: Sentencing outcomes for females for cases of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet by financial year (21 cases)

Note: Other in the graph may include probation, recognizance release orders (for Commonwealth offences) and residential treatment orders. Historical offences may include suspended sentences.

Bar graph of yearly sentencing outcomes for females
Figure 14D: Sentencing outcomes for people aged 18 to 24 for cases of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet by financial year (40 cases)

Note: Other in the graph may include probation, recognizance release orders (for Commonwealth offences) and residential treatment orders. Historical offences may include suspended sentences.

Bar graph of yearly sentencing outcomes for people aged 18 to 24
Figure 14E: Sentencing outcomes for people aged 25 to 54 for cases of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet by financial year (288 cases)

Note: Other in the graph may include probation, recognizance release orders (for Commonwealth offences) and residential treatment orders. Historical offences may include suspended sentences.

Bar graph of yearly sentencing outcomes for people aged 25 to 54
Figure 14F: Sentencing outcomes for people aged 55 and over for cases of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet by financial year (27 cases)

Note: Other in the graph may include probation, recognizance release orders (for Commonwealth offences) and residential treatment orders. Historical offences may include suspended sentences.

Bar graph of yearly sentencing outcomes for people aged 55 and over
Figure 15A: Number of cases of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet by financial year for all people (355 cases)
Bar graph of cases by financial year for all people
Figure 15B: Number of cases of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet by financial year for males (334 cases)
Bar graph of cases by financial year for males
Figure 15C: Number of cases of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet by financial year for females (21 cases)
Bar graph of cases by financial year for females
Figure 15D: Number of cases of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet by financial year for people aged 18 to 24 (40 cases)
Bar graph of cases by financial year for people aged 18 to 24
Figure 15E: Number of cases of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet by financial year for people aged 25 to 54 (288 cases)
Bar graph of cases by financial year for people aged 25 to 54
Figure 15F: Number of cases of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet by financial year for people aged 55 and over (27 cases)
Bar graph of cases by financial year for people aged 55 and over
Figure 16: Average imprisonment lengths for cases of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet by financial year (98 cases), including imprisonment without a community correction order (75 cases) and imprisonment combined with a community correction order (CCO) (23 cases)
Bar graph of imprisonment by financial year
Figure 17: Average imprisonment lengths and non-parole periods (NPPs) for cases of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet by financial year (3 cases)

Note: NPP Cases in the graph indicates that only cases with a non-parole period are included.

Bar graph of imprisonment and non-parole periods by financial year
Figure 18: Average community correction order (CCO) lengths for cases of cyclist fail to wear an approved bike helmet by financial year, including community correction orders without imprisonment (60 cases) and community correction orders combined with imprisonment (23 cases)
Bar graph of community correction orders by financial year

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