4-3-2007

Over the weekend, a little girl was riding her bike in Vancouver. She was hit by a vehicle and killed. She was not wearing a helmet.

The city of Vancouver does NOT have a bike helmet law on the books.

I had the opportunity to chat with Mayor Royce Pollard about the subject and why it is that a city as large as Vancouver doesn't have such a rule in place.

While he is fuzzy on the details, (and currently reviewing records from the time to refresh the city council's memory) Pollard tells me the city DID try to pass an ordinance about ten years ago but it ran into opposition from adults. According to his recollection, the original ordinance called for EVERYONE to wear helmets (adults and kids) and some adults were not in favor of being required to wear them. As a result, when the city turned to the county for input, the proposition failed.

Following this weekend's incident (and an incident in July where a seven-year-old boy was hit on his bike without a helmet) Pollard is pushing the city council to pass SOME law requiring helmets. Specifically, he wants to see kids required to wear helmets, musing that "if adults want to be stupid that's their choice" but kids need protection.

At this point, there's no time line for a law. Pollard asked the council to review records from the ORIGINAL proposal ten years ago and figure out WHAT worked and what didn't. They'll then turn to the community and find out what type of law the citizens would feel comfortable with. Then, talks start with the county (Pollard points out that on some streets in Vancouver, one sidewalk is city property and one side is county so co-operation is key). It could be months before a resolution is reached.

In the meantime, Pollard points out that, law or no law, Vancouver HAS been promoting bike safety for years, handing out free helmets and helmet-sizings. And, if a child wishes to participate in the "Ride with the Mayor" bike ride, they HAVE to be wearing a helmet.

** Side note: KXL Fire and Safety expert Karen Eubanks says bike helmets are so effective because head injuries that come from cycling accidents are actually BRAIN injuries. The helmet acts as a protective layer for your brain. Wearing a helmet reduces your chance of a brain injury by as much as 88%.