Spokane Valley Bicycle Helmet Law, No Thanks

Submitted By Leslie

The Spokane Valley city council will vote on June 28th 2005 to impose a mandatory bicycle helmet law. The same lobbying group that pushed this law thru in Spokane, The Safe Kids Coalition, is behind the valley push. The Safe Kids Coalition has 16 Sponsors listed on their website. Two of the sponsors are bicycle helmet manufacturing companies, Bell Sports is the world's largest manufacturers of bike helmets, the other sponsor is Troxel bike helmets. "Follow the money" behind the lobbying group. I will say this lobbying group is good at what they do. They have been able to infringe on our rights in Washington State more so than any other state in the U.S. There are over 19,000 cities or municipal governments in the U.S. Of these 19,000 cities/gov. only 8 (excluding cities in WA) have imposed Mandatory helmet laws on adults. In WA state 25 cities/gov. have mandatory helmet laws for adults. When you consider the odds of dying from a bicycle injury are 375,412 to 1, about the same as it is for falling off a piece of furniture in your home and dying, it seems like a very unnecessary infringement on our rights. The lobby group uses a defense of health care costs. But the costs, it seems to me, are quite low compared to the $75 -$100 billion per year health-care cost for obesity, or the $75 - $150 billion per year health-care cost for smoking, or the $135 billion per year cost for alcohol related health care. I don't feel it is governments place to demand that we protect ourselves from ourselves. I don't have the right to tell them what to eat, or not to drink or smoke, and they don't have the right to tell me I can't ride my bike unless I wear a helmet. 23% of bicyclists killed had a blood alcohol level of .08% or higher, 47% of bicyclists killed lived in 4 states CA, NY, FL, and TX. One can expect to have some kind of crash for every 4,500 miles you travel on a bike. That’s a lot of riding. The law enforcement felt they would have difficulties issuing tickets to children, so the punishment if the law goes thru will be education for children, no punishment for their parents, for adults a $100 ticket, how does that make "Kids safe?" Does that mean I have to start carrying my purse on my bike so I have ID with me. The officers I talked to think their time, and our tax dollars can be put to better use. I know that the city council members don't have time to fully explore this subject. My comment to them is Vote your constituent, not the lobbyist, education not legislation, and keep the promise of the platform on which you ran for office which was to \"preserve the valley lifestyle" and "impose minimal government." To speak for the children, I will say that of the thousands of children in WA state, fatal injuries among ages 0-14yrs, (2002 latest data found) there were 12 pedestrian deaths, 20 drownings, 22 auto deaths, 16 burn injury deaths, 6 poisoned to death, 3 deaths by falls, 8 suicides, 21 homicides, 2 undetermined causes, and 2 bicycle deaths. It seems as though the efforts could be put to better use. I also have a concern that the relationship of trust and friendship that the law enforcement has worked so hard in the past years to create with children will be diminished. The cops will become someone who tattles on them, and gets them in trouble with their parents. The only way to have your voice heard before this vote happens is to call the council members at 921-1000 or attend the 2 remaining council meetings, June 14 & 28th, 6pm and speak your mind for 3 minutes. I'll be there. I won\'t be pushing too hard for the rights of parents and children, but I will definitely defend my right to protect my health and my body as I see fit, and not let 7 city council members decide what is best for me, on such a personal matter.

[Update: Spokane Valley Votes Against Helmet Law]

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