2008 Woodie Awards
Bill may require minors to wear bike helmets
Chau Nguyen
Issue date: 1/15/08 Section: Community
Proposed legislation may put a price on the heads of Ohio's cyclists caught without helmets.
State Representative Michael Skindell (D-Lakewood), who sponsored companion legislation to state Senator Tom Roberts' (D-Trotwood) bill, gave sponsor testimony Jan. 9 before a committee from the Ohio House of Representatives regarding the legislation.
"It is a very important as far as public safety," said Sarah Harrigan, legislative aid for Skindell. "Bicycles produce the most injury out of any consumer product besides automobiles. In addition to that, the injuries are also quite severe and can also come at quite a high cost for tax payers when those injured
become incapacitated."
If passed, the bill would require bicycle operators or passengers under the age of 17 to wear helmets on roadways, making Ohio among the 20 other states and the District of Columbia that have similar helmet laws.
"The figures have been there, but there has been a rise in children not wearing proper safety equipment and people getting hurt from it," said Damien Hardy, legislative aide for Roberts.
Although the proposed legislation is designed to protect minors, Principal Vicki Brunn of Talawanda High School said the legislation would not have much impact on Oxford students.
"We're a large district as far as land mass," Brunn said. "We have a bike rack and it's usually full so we probably have 15 or so students who ride their bikes, but most of the kids ride the bus or drive to school."
Regardless, Brunn believes the choice to enforce helmet safety lies with the parents, not the state.
"If parents want their kids to be safe riding bikes, it should be the parent's responsibility to make sure their kids wear a helmet, not the government's," she said.
If the law is passed, only warnings will be issued for violations during the first year. Following that, parents or guardians of minors caught without helmets would face a $25 fine.
State Representative Michael Skindell (D-Lakewood), who sponsored companion legislation to state Senator Tom Roberts' (D-Trotwood) bill, gave sponsor testimony Jan. 9 before a committee from the Ohio House of Representatives regarding the legislation.
"It is a very important as far as public safety," said Sarah Harrigan, legislative aid for Skindell. "Bicycles produce the most injury out of any consumer product besides automobiles. In addition to that, the injuries are also quite severe and can also come at quite a high cost for tax payers when those injured
become incapacitated."
If passed, the bill would require bicycle operators or passengers under the age of 17 to wear helmets on roadways, making Ohio among the 20 other states and the District of Columbia that have similar helmet laws.
"The figures have been there, but there has been a rise in children not wearing proper safety equipment and people getting hurt from it," said Damien Hardy, legislative aide for Roberts.
Although the proposed legislation is designed to protect minors, Principal Vicki Brunn of Talawanda High School said the legislation would not have much impact on Oxford students.
"We're a large district as far as land mass," Brunn said. "We have a bike rack and it's usually full so we probably have 15 or so students who ride their bikes, but most of the kids ride the bus or drive to school."
Regardless, Brunn believes the choice to enforce helmet safety lies with the parents, not the state.
"If parents want their kids to be safe riding bikes, it should be the parent's responsibility to make sure their kids wear a helmet, not the government's," she said.
If the law is passed, only warnings will be issued for violations during the first year. Following that, parents or guardians of minors caught without helmets would face a $25 fine.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Jay
posted 1/15/08 @ 12:07 PM EST
The nanny state continues. What's next, should the government tell us what to eat, how much to exercise? Good thing we have Hillary Clinton to tell us how to live our lives. (Continued…)
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