Bicycle riders in Japan will be required to make efforts to wear helmets starting on April 1.

The Cabinet approved an ordinance related to the revised road traffic law on bicycle safety on Tuesday. All bike riders regardless of age must make efforts to wear head protection.

The law also says people must try to make sure that anyone they ride with also wears a helmet.

Under the current law, guardians must try to have children under 13 wear helmets.

The National Police Agency says the accident fatality rate during the five years through 2021 among cyclists who were not wearing helmets was 2.2 times greater than those who were.

The ordinance is only an obligation to make efforts to wear headgear, so offenders will not be punished. But officials say they hope everyone will regularly wear helmets to minimize injuries.