Cyclists Run Over Helmet Law Idea

Published August 31, 2006 by The Austin Chronicle
By Daniel Mottola :: Photo: Julia Weatherby

Former Mayor Bruce Todd’s proposed
mandatory-bicycle-helmet ordinance, which barreled into City Hall last
Thursday and culminated with a marathon of opposing speakers spanning
well past midnight, has coasted to a stop for now, lacking the
additional council momentum needed to be voted into law, according to
multiple sources inside city hall. A technicality involving the way the
helmet law item was listed on the council agenda prevented any action
Thursday night, despite apparent interest (especially from Council
Member Mike Martinez) in putting it to a vote. Todd and his wife, PR maven Elizabeth Christian,
vow that “it ain’t over” and that the ordinance will eventually receive
a vote. They brought a parade of head-injury victims, grievous family
members, and health professionals before council for a highly emotional
presentation Thursday. Todd maintains that in a city policy environment
of competing interests and scarce resources, his helmet law is the
quickest, cheapest, and most immediate way to improve the safety of
bicyclists. The fate of a city Urban Transportation Commission resolution recommending an 18-month cycling-safety study in lieu of the law was also left in limbo following the council meeting.

Outside City Hall Thursday, all of the permanent bike racks were
full, as were three temporary city-provided racks and at least two set
up by Bicycle Sport Shop. Nearly 150 people signed up to
publicly disagree with Todd, and the hearing turned into one of the
largest congregations of Austin’s young and old bike communities in
recent memory. Many of the speakers identified themselves as cyclists
who ride as a mode of transportation rather than for sport. Before
expressing their individual disapproval of the proposed law, virtually
all of the speakers agreed that helmets were a good idea, if properly
used. Instead of spending the evening spanking Todd’s ordinance,
however, cyclists used the opportunity to articulate to the dais their
demands for safer, more bike-friendly streets. Those demands ranged
from actually implementing the city’s comprehensive bike plan, first
drafted a decade ago, to putting in more bike infrastructure, better
signage, improved education for all road users, and tougher law
enforcement for motorists who injure or kill people on bikes.

Cycling instructor and transportation consultant Preston Tyree,
who signed up as a neutral speaker, perhaps best framed the debate by
saying, “The real issue of public safety here is not in passing an
ordinance that may increase the use of helmets if it is enforced, but
in doing those things that allow us to avoid cyclist crashes in the
first place. … Cyclists are citizens and, through necessity or
choice, ride our public roadways. It is the city’s responsibility to
keep these streets safe for all users.”

Asked Monday whether he’ll change his focus from what’s been a
singular pursuit of the helmet law to encompass the other safety
efforts many called for, Todd said, “There’s no question we need the
total approach,” but he remained emphatic about the helmet law’s “low
cost and high benefit” and said other infrastructure-related tactics
“will take a lot of time and money.” Todd said he initiated an ongoing
dialogue with the Austin Cycling Association (which opposed the
helmet law) months ago, and he plans to serve on a city cycling-safety
committee. “I’ve offered to raise money from the private sector for
anyone who cannot buy a helmet,” a promise Todd said he’ll keep
regardless of the helmet law’s success.

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Steps to Safety

In June, the 1,500-member Austin Cycling Association voted against a
mandatory adult helmet ordinance for the city of Austin, instead
recommending a community awareness and education outreach campaign with
the goals of reducing bicyclist crashes and strongly encouraging adults
to voluntarily wear helmets. The following is a list of activities the
association recommends to improve bicyclist safety and to reduce the
social, physical, and economic cost of bicycle crashes to individuals
and society:

Adult (and child) bicyclist safety education

Widespread community campaign to encourage bicycling and voluntary adult helmet use

Low-cost and no-cost helmets for low-income adults and children

Roadway designs that accommodate bicyclists

Share the Road campaign

Enforcement of existing traffic safety laws

Bicyclist and motorist traffic-ticket diversion program