Bike Helmet Laws In The USA

Bicycle Helmet Laws

In the Review section of the Wall Street Journal of 2/16/2013, I read to my surprise that “more than 20 states have laws requiring bike helmets, with various age limits, as do localities.” On the webpage of the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS) website we read “No state has a universal bicycle helmet law. Only 21 states and the District of Columbia have statewide bicycle helmet laws, and they apply only to young riders (often riders younger than 16). Local ordinances in a few other states require bicycle helmets for some or all riders.”

This is typical Big Government paternalism. As a teenager, I was a speed demon on my bike and I never had any serious accidents. Such paternalism only reinforces timidity and fear of life in people. Remember, only Big Government can protect you! It should be left to parents and teenagers to decide whether to wear or not to wear.

Motor Bike Helmet Laws

On the webpage of the IIHS we read “The history of motorcycle helmet laws in the United States is characterized by change. In 1967, to increase motorcycle helmet use, the federal government required the states to enact helmet use laws in order to qualify for certain federal safety programs and highway construction funds. … Laws requiring all motorcyclists to wear a helmet are in place in 19 states and the District of Columbia”(emphasis added).

That is how Big Federal Government does it all the time to bribe state governments to comply. Very nice!

Seat Belts

From a Governors Highway Safety Association’s webpage we learn: “Seat belts are the oldest form of occupant protection, with Volvo patenting the first rudimentary seat belt in 1889. However, it wasn't until 1968 that the federal government required seat belts to be installed in all new passenger cars. …New York enacted the first state seat belt law in 1985 [actually 1984].” Here: “32 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have primary seat belt laws for front seat occupants. … 17 states have secondary laws. In many of these states, the law is primary for younger drivers and/or passengers. Rear Seats: In 7 of these states, rear seats are also included. The remaining 10 have no belt requirements for adults in rear seats.”

First for the Federal Government to force automobile manufactures to install seat belts in all new cars is a dictate, then for individual states to mandate the use of such seat belts is more big government intervention. Why not e.g. allow insurance companies to adjust their rates or damage compensation according to seat belt use?

As usual our busybody, know better legislators are too impatient to wait for the common man/woman to adjust and choose for themselves.

Consequences

Once big government gets the taste of or gets away with interfering with the life choices of their citizens, a vicious spiral usually evolves.

Just look at Mayor Bloomberg and his zeal to eliminate certain fats from restaurant menus or certain sizes of soft drinks.

What is next?