Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Female reversed at speed out of a drive, without looking and hit a friend
who was cycling on a grass verge adjacent to the footpath, between
footpath and road. Location is close to, but not in a village and
footpath is rarely used by pedestrians.

Police were called and PC suggested it was now the law to have to wear a
helmet if on the road, but as he was on the grass verge it was OK. PC
also suggested he would have been 'done', if riding on the actual
footpath. The road is ex-A1, wide, with very little traffic.

Have helmets become compulsory on the road

No

and I thought it was now OK to ride on footpaths in the country?

Officially only if it's designated for shared use.

Of course a blind eye is turned to young children using the footpaths but
really, footpaths are only for things moving at a pedestrian pace. When I'm
running, I frequently use the road in preference to the footpath as folk
reversing out don't expect (nor should expect) faster moving traffic on the
pavement.

Tim