Bicycle riders beware

Beginning Aug. 17, it will be against the law in Seattle as well as King County to ride a bicycle while not wearing a helmet. Members of the King County and Seattle

Board of Health recently voted on the new bike-helmet regulation, which will now include the city of Seattle.

Previously, this rule excluded Seattle. Bicyclists violating the helmet law will face up to a $30 fine.

According to Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, wearing a

helmet will reduce head injuries by 65 to 85 percent. Dr. Alonzo Plough, director of Public Health-Seattle and King County strongly believes that bike helmets will save lives and reduce serious bicycle injuries. According to Larry Zalin, the public-information specialist at HIPRC, a large study was done earlier to test the effectiveness of helmets.

Statistics showed that wearing a helmet while bicycle riding decreases head injury by 69 percent, brain injury by 65 percent, and severe brain trauma by 74 percent. Zalin said that helmets work equally well for all ages; equally effective in automobile and non-automobile crashes if put on properly.

This issue will concern bicycle riders all over Seattle, especially university students who may not be wearing them if they travel a short distance on a hot day. There are lots of University of Washington students who ride bikes daily. The question is whether they will have to wear helmets even if they're only riding to get from the dorm to the class. Zalin guessed that this probability is high, since people have to abide by the law.

Matias Valenzuela, the public-education coordinator for Public

Health-Seattle and King County, said that the regulation will apply to the entire city of Seattle, including the UW campus.

"This rule will apply for all age groups, youth and adults," said Valenzuela. "We will work with local law enforcement on educating them

more about the regulation."

A UW police officer, Chris Jaross, said this new regulation will correlate with the seatbelt law: "It's a safety issue; people will learn through the fines."

Several UW students who ride bikes disagree with the new rule, saying that it's just another way for the government to rip them off. Some were angry, saying that even though it's a safety issues, putting it on while driving from "A" to "B" is ridiculous, especially for professional riders. However, most agreed, arguing that helmets would benefit people by saving them from serious injuries, similar to the "click-it-or-ticket" seatbelt regulation.

UW bicycle rider Charles Laird said that people should have an interest in the new rule since they pay for the healthcare.

"I think it's a good idea to wear them, but should it be mandated by the

government for the same reason the seatbelts are?" he asked. Others at the U were either skeptical or had no reaction to the issue. According to HIPRC, helmets should be properly worn. Other kinds of helmets that are used in other sports or jobs, like motorcycle, football, hockey or construction hard hats, will not work. Officials explain that each helmet is designed for protection on specific conditions and may not protect in bike crashes or falls. Bike helmets are said to be protective in head-first collisions at high speed. Most are lightweight and ventilated.

For information about the new regulation, contact Carolyn Edmonds,

Board of Health Chair @ 206-296-1001 and visit HIPRC website for helmet

information @ http://depts.washington.edu/hiprc/bikeq.htm

(Anna Sulkhanova is a student in the University of Washington School of

Communications News Laboratory.)