THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 18, 1995 TAG: 9506170111
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY PAM STARR, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 131 lines
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL sunny day, 78 degrees with a cool breeze. The perfect day for a leisurely bike ride.
Maybe you just want to pedal over to a friend's house. Or, you decide to make a day of it and traverse the winding paths through Seashore State Park.
If you're 14 or under, there's something you have to do before getting on that vinyl seat.
After July 1, you must cover your noggin with a helmet.
City Council passed a mandatory bicycle helmet ordinance for those 14 and under Tuesday stating that violators must pay $25 if they're found riding without a helmet. First-time offenders have it easy though. If they buy helmets before the due date on the fines, the fines could be suspended.
Why did they do that? You may be the safest rider around and never take chances, but statistics don't lie. Council members listened carefully as Kempsville Middle School seventh-graders T. Jack Bagby and Aisha Dharamsi threw out some frightening facts from the National Safe Kids Campaign:
In the United States, 300 children are killed each year in bicycle-related accidents.
About 400,000 children are injured in bike-related accidents each year that require emergency room treatment.
Eighty percent of fatal bike injuries and 75 percent of disabling injuries could have been prevented with a helmet.
L.D. Britt, chief of the division of trauma and critical care of Sentara Norfolk General and director of the shock trauma center, addressed the council after the children finished.
``Virginia Beach is in the top 10 cities in the country for raising children,'' he said. ``It would be an embarrassment to the city if we didn't support this ordinance.''
Another doctor, pediatrician Glenn Snyders, also supported the ordinance. The cost of one head injury would pay for an entire year of immunizations for all children in Virginia, he said. After a policeman and Police Chief Charles R. Wall spoke in favor of the ordinance, it seemed council members didn't really have a choice but to pass it.
But not everyone is in favor of another law. Even though this ordinance doesn't affect him, Siegfried Kuhn is upset.
The 67-year-old has ridden bikes over thousands of miles of rugged terrain in Europe and North America without ever wearing a helmet. If you know how to ``fall and roll,'' he said, a helmet isn't needed.
``I never had any of the slightest trouble, and I've ridden all my life,'' said Kuhn, a native of Germany who is skilled in judo. ``I'm into personal freedom - you can regulate everything. I think you have to stop somewhere.''
Kuhn is in a minority, though. Even people who run Oceanfront bike rental stands, for the most part, agreed that a helmet requirement is needed. Anyone who rents bikes now has to make helmets available for riders 14 and under at a ``reasonable cost,'' according to the ordinance.
``I think it's great,'' said Warren Smith, manager of Cherie's Bicycle & Blade Rentals. ``We already carry over 100 helmets because the insurance company has always required helmets for Roller Blades.''
Chip Wilson, who runs Beach Bike Rentals with his wife, Laurie, said they have helmets for rent and it won't affect their business one way or the other.
``It may cost us a little bit more but it's no big deal,'' Wilson said. ``The way they ride around here, I guess it is a good idea. I've seen a lot of bad accidents here.''
A dissenting view was offered by Jon Ceaser of Bonnie's Beach Bikes. The owner is ``not too keen about it'' because rental helmets spread lice and are not sanitary, Ceaser said.
``I guess we'll have to go out and buy helmets now,'' he said.
But Warren Smith said that helmets can be sanitized by spraying them with Lysol.
``We disinfect our helmets after each person,'' he said.
Tim Woolfordof Conte's Bicycle & Fitness Equipment is especially happy to see the helmet law passed. The avid cyclist was hit three times by cars and suffered concussions with each before he finally started wearing a helmet. Back then, he said, people just didn't wear them.
``We get a lot of people here who buy a helmet for their kids but not for themselves,'' said Woolford, 29. ``I always tell them my story of when I got hit. I was obeying every single rule but got hit from the rear. If parents would wear them, their kids would.''
President Clinton's daughter, Chelsea, Woolford noted, was seen riding without a helmet in California and a policeman pulled her over. California's law requires all riders under 17 to wear safety headgear.
``The next picture you saw in the paper was of all the Clintons wearing helmets when they rode bikes,'' said Woolford, laughing.
Several states and localities have adopted mandatory helmet laws since 1987. In fact, about a third of the population lives in states that have helmet laws of some kind. At least 20 cities and counties in the country have passed local laws regarding helmet use.
That's what Jack and Aisha and the other 12- and 13-year-olds in Carolyn Stamm's academically gifted class at Kempsville Middle School hope will happen with this new law - that it will spread statewide. The students lobbied for the bill's passage as a class project with Councilwoman Louisa Strayhorn's help.
Stamm said she's very proud and excited for her students, who also took third place in the International Community Problem Solving Competition last weekend in Rhode Island.
``I really believe in letting kids know they can make a difference,'' she said. ``They've learned life lessons - this particular group of kids seems to be interested in making a real difference.'' MEMO: Related story on page 13.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by STEVE EARLEY
Tim, Cecilia, center, and Julie Foley, of MOunt Crawford, already
wear helmets while riding.
``I'm in favor of everyone wearing helmets,'' said seventh grade
student T. Jack Bagby .
Aisha Dharamsi, 13, presented the council with bicycle accident
statistics.
Jon Ceaser of Bonnie's Beach Bikes, left, is ``not too keen'' on the
helmet requirements.
Chip Wilson, right, who runs Beach Bike Rentals with his wife,
Laurie, said they have helmets for rent and it won't affect their
business one way or the other. ``It may cost us a little bit more
but it's no big deal,'' Wilson said. ``The way they ride around
here, I guess it is a good idea. I've seen a lot of bad accidents
here.''
Chart
Bicycle Helmet Laws Nationwide
KEYWORDS: ACCIDENT GENERAL BICYCLE SAFETY by CNB