SANTA MONICA—California may become the first state requiring helmet use for people of all ages. The state initially required minors under 18 to wear helmets.
According to the National Conference State Legislatures report, 91 percent of bicyclist’s were killed in 2009.
The California Bicycle Coalition started a petition. Ryan Price, Director of the California Bicycle Coalition, proposed that mandating a helmet law would discourage cycling.
“It would decrease the number of bicyclists on the road, which makes riding bikes for the individual less safe,” said Price.
A meta-study on helmets stated that there has been no evidence of an injury-reducing effect in countries that have introduced bicycle helmet legislation.
During a press conference State Senator Liu stated, “This law will help protect more people and make sure all riders benefit from the head protection that a helmet provides.”
Although the California Bicycle Coalition group is anti-helmet, their goal is to promote public health and safety. They are working directly with Senator Liu’s office in hopes of passing this bill in the next meeting.
