U.S. Panel OKs Uniform Helmet Standards

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission unanimously approved the first nationwide regulations requiring uniform safety standards for all bicycle helmets manufactured in the U.S., effective Feb. 1, 1999. Helmets have been proven effective in reducing death and injuries among children, the commission said. The new standards will strengthen chin strap requirements to prevent helmets from rolling off in case of a collision, and allow a field of vision of 105 degrees to both left and right. The new standards respond to the 1994 Children’s Bicycle Helmet Safety Act, in which Congress asked the CPSC to craft final safety rules.