Explanation
This legislation is necessary to increase the use of safety helmets and reduce the number of children suffering from head injuries. This legislation also updates city code to reflect directives made by Ohio Revised Code in regards to the operation of a bicycle.
Bicycles are associated with more childhood injuries than any consumer product except the automobile.
Each year, approximately 400,000 children under age 14 are treated for bike-related injuries;
Approximately 10,700 children are hospitalized annually for a bicycle-related injury in the U.S. with an average length of stay of three days in the hospital;
One-third of children hospitalized for a bicycle-related injury were diagnosed with traumatic brain injury;
In 2006, children accounted for overbicycle related fatalities nationwide;
In 2006, bicyclists accounted for 14 percent of all bicyclists killed and 28 percent of those injured in traffic crashes;
It is because of these statistics that cities and states nationwide have enacted bicycle helmet laws. These laws are designed to significantly increase the number of children wearing helmets and reduce the number of head injuries and deaths among children.
As of January 2006, 20 states, the District of Columbia, and at least 148 municipal localities have enacted age-specific bicycle helmet laws, including 21 in Ohio.
A helmet is the single most effective safety device for reducing the severity of head injuries and the likelihood of death following a bicycle crash. Studies have shown that bicycle helmets decrease the risk of head injury by as much as 88 percent. Studies have also demonstrated that helmet laws have resulted in an 18.4% increase in the use of helmets by children, even when the laws are not rigorously enforced.
The economic impact of not wearing a helmet is enormous. Head injuries cause extraordinarily expensive, long-term impact to taxpayers. Moreover, a study conducted by researchers at the Center for Injury Rese...
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