Helmets good for riders of all ages

June 11, 2009 07:20 am

— A bike helmet program sponsored by Evangelical Community Hospital, civic groups and a local restaurant was laudable for helping parents make sure their children have the protection required by law.
Violators, or their parents, risk a $25 fine for flouting the helmet law. Increasing the age to include all juveniles is worth exploring because teens may be just as likely to need the protection offered by bike helmets and are, assuredly, less likely to wear the gear without serious prompting.
Twice last weekend, teenage bicyclsts were injured when they were hit by cars. Police said neither rider was wearing a helmet, but neither was cited for the oversight, mainly because Pennsylvania law does not require all juveniles to wear bike helmets. Only bicycle riders 12 and younger have to wear helmets under Pennsylvania law.
It is not clear if either boy suffered head injuries, but the pair of incidents illustrates how older riders may need safety equipment every bit as much as the younger bikers on the road.
Consider: The average age of bicyclists killed on the road in 2007 was 40.
That could easily be the age of the dad accompanying a 12-year-old wearing a protective helmet.
There were 163 people, ages 16-34, killed riding bikes and another 16,000 injured. The same year, 107 children 15 and younger were killed in biking accidents and another 12,000 hurt.
Requring adults to where bike helmets may seem a step too far, particularly in a state where the love of liberty runs so deep that motorcycle riders are free to eschew protective head gear. Those who pedal the highways and byways may be more apt to support a helmet law than their motorcycle-riding neighbors. A recent poll found that more than half (62 percent) of bicyclists surveyed said they would support a helmet law that covered all riders.
Those who spend the most time on bikes seem to appreciate the need for protective equipment.
Helmets are a good idea for all riders, whether the equipment is required by law or not.