News

Funded by the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) through the Skyltfonden program, a new national joint effort is now launching to increase bicycle helmet use across Sweden. NTF leads the work, bringing together municipalities, regions, companies and other organisations around evidence-informed actions – while the SAFER community contributes research expertise, networks and knowledge support to strengthen both implementation and learning.

Cycling safety is a major public-health and road-safety challenge: each year, around 20–30 cyclists are killed and about 2,500 are seriously injured in Swedish traffic. Head injuries are a key concern – Trafikverket notes that head injuries are the most common injury causing cyclist fatalities, and that nearly half of very seriously injured cyclists have head injuries. 

Against this backdrop, helmet use remains one of the most effective and immediately available protective measures. According to Trafikverket, bicycle helmets reduce the risk of head injury by at least 50%, and if everyone used a helmet, cyclist fatalities could be reduced by roughly 25%. 

A shared structure for action and learning
The joint effort is designed to make it easy for organisations to join, make their actions visible, and access shared support. NTF will establish a website where participating organisations can register and describe planned measures to increase helmet use.

Key activities in the initiative
The work combines mobilisation, communication support and follow-up, including:

• sharing and distributing communication materials (e.g., films and guidance) and, when needed, producing new materials
• compiling and monitoring research and evidence, in collaboration with SAFER, to make relevant knowledge accessible to participants
• conducting a survey on bicycle helmet use as a basis for communication (motivations, barriers and potential “triggers”)
• hosting webinars and collaboration dialogues where organisations can share experiences and discuss challenges – partly together with SAFER
• carrying out helmet observations in all 290 Swedish municipalities during spring/early summer 2026, with feedback to municipalities and potential follow-up over time 

SAFER’s contribution: research connected to practice
Through collaboration with SAFER platform, the initiative gains access to SAFER’s broad research network, ensuring links to relevant experts and up-to-date scientific knowledge. This strengthens the conditions for targeted actions and for lessons learned to be translated into improved approaches.

The joint effort is designed to support both implementation and learning: participating organisations are encouraged to follow up their actions and report completed activities so that the work can be refined, scaled and strengthened over time. 

Welcome to join the collective effort and get involved!