30% of people on the backs of bicycles in Seattle, Washington and the greater King County area neglect to wear a helmet, despite the fact that doing so is a breach of the law.  This has led the Seattle Police Department to issue 447 citations for the offense in 2011 alone, but even those numbers point to a general lack of fervor in terms of enforcement of an issue that’s usually more common among younger demographics.  If a ticket is issued, the recipient must pay a fine of just over $100, but police have said that they would rather stress education.  However, a doctor with the University of Washington believes that stricter enforcement would encourage adherence to the law.

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Officials with Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Georgia are telling any bike riders in the area that they are required to wear a helmet and utilize bike paths and the proper sidewalks.  Kids are especially singled out as needing to wear the correct safety gear.  Personnel on bikes are also being told to put plenty of space between themselves and pedestrians on the path.  Reflectors and adequate brakes are required equipment as well.

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Police officials in Indiana are encouraging the riders of motorcycles and mopeds alike to wear the proper safety gear and drive defensively when they head out on the road.  There has been a spike in crashes of such vehicles recently, with 109 riders already dying so far thus year.  118 people died in the entirety of last year.  Although not wearing a helmet is only against the law for teenagers younger than 18, officers want all drivers to err on the side of caution and utilize the device.

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Ontario Provincial Police in Canada are warning bicyclists to heed all necessary safety precautions when taking to the roads.  Even though the area does not require adults to wear a helmet, doing so is very much recommended.  Kids under the age of 18 are, however, required to utilize such a device under the Highway Traffic Act of Ontario.  Not doing so risks an $80 fine.  Buying a helmet is much cheaper, and it’s also much cheaper than the cost of a potential accident.

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Helmet laws, or the lack thereof, are coming under fire again following a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety which showed that almost half of motorcycle drivers don’t have the proper amount of insurance.  Thus, the financial penalties are often passed onto taxpayers.  As such, an editorial encourages Indiana lawmakers to pass a mandatory helmet law.  Taking into account a potential outcry from motorcycle enthusiasts, the editorial also offers a series of stipulations that riders might have to meet to go no-helmet, but it stresses that even this won’t be as successful as making helmets a requirement.

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