The first public hearing on a proposed child safety helmet ordinance is set to take place this evening in City Hall.
The ordinance would require children under the age of 16 to wear helmets when riding bicycles and other alternative forms of transportation on public roads, public bicycle paths, public areas and other public rights-of-way in the city. Along with bicycles, the ordinance would apply to those 16 and younger riding skateboards, motorcycles, ATVs, in-line skates, roller skates, Segways and unicycles.
The hearing is to be held during the Board of Aldermen’s regularly scheduled meeting at 5:30 p.m. Proponents and opponents of the measure each will have 15 minutes to speak. Individual speakers will be limited to three minutes.
A second public hearing is scheduled for the Board of Aldermen’s April 6 meeting. The board could then vote on the measure.
Lois Connington, Safe Routes to School coordinator for Starkville In Motion, is in favor of the ordinance.
“In my mind, wearing a helmet is parallel to wearing a seat belt,” Connington said. “It’s the same level of safety. When I’m driving, my car does not move unless everybody is wearing a seatbelt. I feel the same way about riding a bike. You don’t ride a bike without wearing a helmet. I think it’s very important to wear a helmet wherever you ride.”
The ordinance also states passengers who weigh less than 40 pounds, or are under 40 inches in height, are to be seated in separate child passenger seats; no person who is unable to maintain an erect, seated position, or is less than one year of age, shall be a passenger on a restraining seat; and all other passengers shall be seated on saddle seats.
The ordinance would not be enforced until six months after it is approved by aldermen. The six-month window would give residents a chance to purchase helmets and read up on the ordinance, said Dr. Ron Cossman, a member of the city’s Healthy Hometown and Starkville In Motion, who has pushed for its approval. According to Cossman, Starkville would be the first municipality in the state to pass a helmet ordinance.
Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.
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