All - I just got this note from the California Bicycle Coalition. Although we need to wear helmets on NCCC rides, having a law mandating helmet us by all is not a great idea. In states where such laws have been passed, the number of bicyclists has decreased whereas the number of people on bikes nationwide is increasing, something like 60% over the past five years. The right way to encourage helmet use is to get more people on bikes and get them educated. We all are for riding with our helmets on, but not for having a law that sends the wrong message to all the people out there who are not .
Karl
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Dear CYCLIST,
On February 11th, 2015, State Senator Carol Liu introduced a bill (SB 192) that will require everybody to wear helmets when they ride a bicycle. This mandate sends the wrong message about bicycling and will produce the wrong result: it will discourage bicycling, making our streets less safe and Californians less healthy.
The California Bicycle Coalition's mission is to enable more people to bicycle for the health, safety, and prosperity of all Californians. Sign our petition today to oppose this bill. (http://calbike.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=35d4f5eca213b04e4e3d91af1&id=6a6609f646&e=d9198555bf)
The evidence shows that mandatory helmet laws make the streets less safe for people on bicycles -- and for everyone. Similar laws elsewhere have been demonstrated to decrease levels of bicycling. And we know that having more bicyclists and pedestrians on the streets makes them safer for everyone.
Just as importantly, bicycling is a healthy activity whose benefits far outweigh the risks. Bicycling with or without a helmet saves as many as 77 lives for every life lost in a crash. Per hour of participation, bicycling is three times safer than swimming, and twice as safe as riding in a car. And it’s getting safer. Since 2000, by rate, the risk of bicycling injury in California has dropped 45%.
We’re not against helmets. They are mandated in many competitive races, and amateur racers should follow that example. But they are not necessary for that slow, lazy pedal along a beach path or a quiet neighborhood street to pick up some milk at the corner store. To forbid riding without a helmet for every trip is unnecessary -- and a public health failure.
There are proven ways to make our streets safer while encouraging bicycling -- reducing speed limits on key streets, building protected bike lanes and bike paths, and educating motorists and bicyclists on how to drive or ride safely, to name a few. A mandatory helmet law is not one of them.
Senator Liu was a leader in the “safe routes to school†movement that helped to increase bicycling and walking to schools through education and infrastructure improvements. School children are healthier and safer as a result. Please join us in asking the Senator to take the next step: scrap the helmet mandate, and instead focus on measures that protect bicyclists and promote bicycling.
Sign The Petition
Thanks,
Ryan Price
Campaigns Director
California Bicycle Coalition
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Will this law protect us from these idiots? http://www.kvoa.com/story/28192027/n4t-investigators-which-drivers-are-cited-most-for-texting-while-driving
Statistically auto occupants are far more likely to suffer traumatic head injuries, therefore helmets should be required for them as well. http://www.howiechong.com/journal/2014/2/bike-helmets#.VONKhYY76nO
For us to be safer on the roads we must support policies that increase ridership by everyone, Copenhagen here we come. We need to speak up for protected infrastructure, bike friendly transit, bike ed and bicycle trains in schools, a state vulnerable user law, protection by the courts and law enforcement, etc.
http://m.fastcompany.com/3040634/7-cities-that-are-starting-to-go-car-free
Car free cities, no need for helmets or hi-vis!