Helmet proposal restricts parent's role

The Moses Lake City Council's proposal to require children age 16 and younger to wear helmets when biking is nearing approval.

The proposal changed from its original version, which suggested the city require people of all ages wear helmets when they are biking, skating, riding scooters and skateboards.

The city council recently approved the first reading of the ordinance to only include bicyclists age 16 and younger.

Councilmember Karen Liebrecht cast the sole opposing vote.

Liebrecht, a mother and grandmother, said she feels it's a parent's right to education their child and not the government. Liebrecht said she is concerned about the enforcement of the ordinance because it would be too difficult.

She has a reason to be concerned. If approved, law breakers could receive $25 tickets. Children are attending school and not working full-time jobs where they can afford to pay helmet tickets. The task would likely fall to their parents, who may fail to pay the ticket if they're already failing to provide helmets.

The police department does have discretion and can warn offenders instead of writing tickets, according to a letter to the city council written by City Manager Joseph Gavinkski. If the ordinance does pass, we hope officers opt for education instead of issuing citations.

The Grant County Health District supports a helmet requirement for all ages and hopes it changes the culture in Moses Lake, Health District Administrator Jeff Ketchel wrote in a letter to the city council.

Moses Lake Police Chief Dean Ruffin said his officers respond to about six calls annually for bicycle involved collisions.

According to the Safe Kids USA website, helmet use can reduce head injury risk by 85 percent.

Annually, more than 700 Americans die from bicycle-related injuries, according to the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) website. The CDC didn't include if the deaths were related to head injuries.

Ketchel, of the Grant County Health District, told the city council The Safe Kids Program provided more than 1,500 helmets to Moses Lake kids in the last seven years. But there are still many children not wearing helmets, he claims.Helmet laws aren't new to other cities in our state.

City ordinances in Ellensburg and Goldendale require children ages 16 and younger to wear helmets. Some other Washington towns requiring bicycle helmets for all ages include Aberdeen, Bainbridge Island, Bremerton, DuPont, Eatonville, Fircrest, Gig Harbor, Kent, Lakewood, Seattle, Milton, Orting, Port Angeles, Port Orchard, Poulsbo, Puyallup, Renton, Spokane, Steilacoom, Tacoma, University Place and Vancouver, according to the state Department of Transportation's website.

The community of Orting requires bicyclists younger than age 17 wear helmets. The City of Poulsbo's ordinance states that bicyclists younger than 18 don helmets.

All military installations in Washington state require bicycle riders of all ages to wear helmets.

In Moses Lake, Councilmember Liebrecht brings up an excellent point of the parent's role in the issue. We agree it is the parent's job to make sure their kids have helmets.

The next city council meeting is 7 p.m., May 7.

Visit www.cityofml.com/index.aspx?NID=6 to see if the ordinance is listed on the upcoming city council agenda.

- Editorial Board