Cyclists’ Safety Is an Issue in Helmet Law Controversy
The editorial “A Cycle of Unnecessary Injuries” (July 2) misses the mark. Bicycling safety is a complex issue, and so many points were raised in the editorial that it is difficult to address them all.
Sen. (Marian) Bergeson’s bill is a bad piece of legislation that will not increase cyclists’ safety. This legislation is bad because of the precedent it sets in the California Vehicle Code. Singling out bicycles in this way opens the door for enactment of other legislation that will allow cities to pass mandatory side path laws or other such nonsense. Bicyclists riding legally on the street, in accordance with the California Vehicle Code, are at least 2.6 times safer than bicyclists riding on a side path. If the state goes further and allows cities to enact other local bicycle ordinances, history shows that bicyclists will be in much greater peril.
The law will pertain only to cyclists under 16 years of age and thus will create a “rite of passage” that only young people need to wear a helmet. In fact cyclists of all ages should wear a helmet.
The California Highway Patrol statistic was misleading and just shows that one cyclist out of 16 injured was wearing a helmet. The relevant statistic is that head injuries account for 80% of all fatal bicycle accidents. Most of these head injuries can be avoided if bicyclists will wear a helmet.
Seattle has an innovative bicycle helmet education program for children aged 5 to 9. Prior to the program, only one child in 20 wore a bicycle helmet, and now one child in three is wearing a bicycle helmet. The education program clearly works, but programs such as this are not enough.
This year 450 children will die in bicycle accidents. If we put properly fitted and approved helmets on all children, we will save the lives of 250 of them. If we teach these children how to ride safely with programs such as the “Basics of Bicycling” from the Bicycle Federation of America, then we will save the lives of 400 of them. If we do both, we will save the lives of over 420 of them.
It has been proven that we can reduce the death and injury of young cyclists by educating them. Sen. Bergeson’s bill will not substantially increase the number of young people wearing helmets, but by promising a “quick fix,” youngsters will not receive the training and encouragement that they need to bicycle safely.
Not only is it irresponsible for the California Legislature to pass this helmet law and call this problem fixed, but it is a disservice to all bicyclists in our state.
MICHAEL R. MOTT, Chairperson, Orange County Bicycle Coalition
