The first public hearing on a proposed child safety helmet ordinance is set to take place this evening in City Hall.
The ordinance would require children under the age of 16 to wear helmets when riding bicycles and other alternative forms of transportation on public roads, public bicycle paths, public areas and other public rights-of-way in the city. Along with bicycles, the ordinance would apply to those 16 and younger riding skateboards, motorcycles, ATVs, in-line skates, roller skates, Segways and unicycles.
The hearing is to be held during the Board of Aldermen’s regularly scheduled meeting at 5:30 p.m. Proponents and opponents of the measure each will have 15 minutes to speak. Individual speakers will be limited to three minutes.
A second public hearing is scheduled for the Board of Aldermen’s April 6 meeting. The board could then vote on the measure.
Lois Connington, Safe Routes to School coordinator for Starkville In Motion, is in favor of the ordinance.
“In my mind, wearing a helmet is parallel to wearing a seat belt,” Connington said. “It’s the same level of safety. When I’m driving, my car does not move unless everybody is wearing a seatbelt. I feel the same way about riding a bike. You don’t ride a bike without wearing a helmet. I think it’s very important to wear a helmet wherever you ride.”
The ordinance also states passengers who weigh less than 40 pounds, or are under 40 inches in height, are to be seated in separate child passenger seats; no person who is unable to maintain an erect, seated position, or is less than one year of age, shall be a passenger on a restraining seat; and all other passengers shall be seated on saddle seats.
The ordinance would not be enforced until six months after it is approved by aldermen. The six-month window would give residents a chance to purchase helmets and read up on the ordinance, said Dr. Ron Cossman, a member of the city’s Healthy Hometown and Starkville In Motion, who has pushed for its approval. According to Cossman, Starkville would be the first municipality in the state to pass a helmet ordinance.
The Healthy Hometown Committee is seeking grants and other funds to help pay for helmets, which it plans to donate to city residents 16 and under through the Starkville School District, Cossman said. No city money would be needed, he said.
Persons found to be in violation of the ordinance would face a $15 fine, though the offender would have the opportunity to purchase a helmet approved by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in lieu of paying the fine. City police and the code enforcement officer would be in charge of enforcing the ordinance, Mayor Parker Wiseman said.
“The ordinance is not intended to be punitive,” Wiseman said. “I think it would be rare if it ever happened where somebody actually paid a fine. The remedy is aimed to be the purchase of a helmet, which can be done at a cost of $5 or less.”
“I personally think it’s a good thing,” Ward 5 Alderman Jeremiah Dumas said of the ordinance. “I think there are some details that have to be worked out. I don’t want a police officer chastising kids, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
School board candidates
The Board of Aldermen tonight also will interview the final candidates vying for a seat on the Starkville School District board of trustees. Walter Conley, Eric Heisel and Susan Tomlinson are still in the running to fill the seat vacated by Dr. Walter Taylor, who retired earlier this month.
Another candidate, L. Ann Carr, was in the running, but was ruled ineligible last week by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office because she lives outside Starkville’s corporate limits, but within the Starkville School District’s boundaries. According to the Attorney General’s Office, only two school board members can live outside corporate limits and Carr would have been the third in the Starkville School District. Current board members Bill Weeks and Keith Coble also live outside Starkville’s corporate limits, but within SSD boundaries.
First the dog ordinance, now this. Every time I turn around, I see progressives taking away more and more of our rights as Americans. There's no need for a stupid helmet law, let the parents decide what is right for their kids. What are you going to do, give a ticket to five-year-olds? Aren't there more important issues to tackle in Starkville that won't move us closer to a nanny state?
"In my mind, wearing a helmet is parallel to wearing a seat belt," Connington said. "It's the same level of safety. When I'm driving, my car does not move unless everybody is wearing a seatbelt. I feel the same way about riding a bike. You don't ride a bike without wearing a helmet. I think it's very important to wear a helmet wherever you ride."
This is hypocrisy -
the condition of a person pretending to be something he is not, especially in the area of morals or religion; a false presentation of belief or feeling. -- hypocrite, n. -- hypocritic, hypocritical, adj.
Actually the seatbelt does not provide the same level of safety as wearing a helmet and a seatbelt does. Tens of thousands of people receive crippling injury or death that could have been prevented if they had been wearing helmets in cars and trucks in this country each year. I don't know but I bet the number of fatal or crippling bicycle accidents that could have been prevented with helmet use is less than 50. I say do not try to pass a helmet law for bicycles unless one is attached for car and truck helmet use if your concern is for public safety and not selling helmets.
What?????? Get your panties out of a wad. What I am saying is that PARENTS (people like you) should have the right and responsibility to make rules for their children, NOT THE GOVERNMENT. PARENTS should be PARENTS and not leave the rearing of their children to LAWS OF THE LAND. We as American people need to stand on our own two feet and learn to live our lives as good, moral and decent people that most of us are. If you endanger your child, or don't have enough brains to rear them, THEN LET THE GOVERNMENT STEP IN AND TAKE THEM AWAY! It is my true belief that more people need to be nurtured or spayed, but then again, the government would have to step in and nip the problem in the bud where it would do some good. And before you guys get all your panties in a wad.... I IN NO WAY THINK THIS IS RELATED TO OR LIMITED TO ANY ONE CLASS, COLOR, RACE OR RELIGION!
Your exactly right freedomfighter one step at a time it should be left up to parent. Why not ban cars more kid get hurt in them than bikes or school sports.
Seatbelts - A good thing
Helmets - A good thing
Soda's, Candy, and Sugar - A bad thing (for some)
Trans-fat's , ETOH & Drugs, and Smoking - A bad thing
Do I want the government telling me what to do, when to do it and how to do it? Heck NO! What is next.. "You can only ware cotten purple panties on Tuesdays!" or "No, no, no you must ware boxers and not briefs!" Come on Americans!! Take back our rights (the few we have left) and tell PARENTS TO BE PARENTS and STOP having the government raise your kids and yourself.
Since when is it a right to promote childrens activities that, with a reasonable probability, can lead to paralysis, brain injury, or death? Are you people really wanting to allow, no, it seems encourage, unsafe behavior in your kids. As a parent, I feel it is my duty to ensure that my child grows up to adulthood. Then, and only then, can he make his own informed and mature decision about whether or not he wants to wear a helmet.
As to < 50 fatal or crippling cycling accidents, provide a citation for your statistic. If you don't have one, then don't just make stuff up. If you want, I can provide you with citations to dozens of scientific studies. Some say helmets reduce injury, others say little difference. Too many variables involved to say for certain, but we do know for certain that helmets do not make injury worse.
I can provide some anecdotal evidence. I know five people who have been involved in serious cycling accidents. All five were wearing helmets. Sadly, two died. The other three all owe their lives to their cycling helmet which kept their head from becoming mush. No, a cycling helmet will not necessarily save your life, but under some conditions it will greatly improve your chances.
Starkville has gone Crazy - What about our rights as parents- We already have the goverment telling us what to do. Soon it will be
who can have surgery etc. We need to take back our city. If we are going to require helment for children what about all these student at MSU riding around on bicyles. We need to get off this kick and get down to some serious business. We are adults and should be able
to make our own decision with our "Government" ruling our lives.
By some of your logic we shouldn't have any laws. The intent of the helmet ordinance is to increase general public safety. It is not a matter of debate that wearing helmets can save lives. Be a good parent put a helmet on your kid. It's no different than laws requiring seat belts. If you want to discuss the details of the ordinance such as the fee structure you may have a valid argument. This law is not about taking responsibility from parents but requiring responsibility of parents.
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