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                            BICYCLE HELMET LAWS:

             WATCH THIS SPACE for an Upcoming Report from NHTSA

CRI is working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) on a report profiling the experiences of six U.S. jurisdictions with
their bicycle helmet law, to better understand how bicycle helmet laws are
introduced, how they proceed through passage and implementation, and how
they are enforced and evaluated.  In brief, are these laws effective?

As soon as the report is final, this page will have information links for
ordering the report, and will include some key excerpts.  If you would like
to be notified when the report becomes available, please send an e-mail with
your name, address and phone number.

NOTE!  DUE TO TECHNICAL ERRORS BY THE WEB HOSTER, ANY E-MAILS SENT BEFORE
MAY 19, 2002 WERE NOT RECEIVED.  PLEASE SEND AGAIN.

You may also want to visit the site of another excellent source of
information about bicycle helmets and helmet laws, the Bicycle Helmet Safety
Institute.

Background on the report:

In each jurisdiction, local experts on the law’s adoption and implementation
were interviewed to gather information in a wide range of topics.  The
report includes a narrative description of each jurisdiction, as well as an
analysis of the common issues and experiences in the jurisdictions.

     For example, one question raised was:  What is the motivating factor
     that leads to the introduction of a bicycle helmet law in a
     jurisdiction?  Three factors were reported:  a high-profile crash
     galvanizing the community; an elected official taking the initiative;
     and an effort by a coalition of interests calling for the bill.

     Based on these six jurisdictions, a bicycle helmet requirement is
     usually proposed when some sort of coalition effort is in place.
     Tragic crashes were generally not the motivating factor. The elected
     official who decides to pursue legislation was the least common
     initiator of a law or ordinance.  In some cases, of course, more than
     one factor played a role.

For aficionados of bicycle helmet laws and bicycle safety efforts, the
report should be interesting reading.  Watch this page for publication
info!
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