Free Republic

Seattle drops bike helmet law because cops unfairly targeted people of color and homeless people: Black cyclists were four times as likely to be stopped as whites The King County Board of Health voted Thursday to repeal its decades-old mandatory helmet rule Data showed the rule was rarely enforced, but enforced disproportionately Since 2017, Seattle police had given 117 helmet citations, more than 40 percent of which went to people who were homeless Since 2019, 60 percent of citations went to people who were homeless Central Seattle Greenways found that black cyclists were almost four times as likely to receive...

"There can be no tolerance toward democrats and communists in a libertarian social order."

An Australian woman is fighting to get rid of compulsory bicycle helmet laws because she deems them to be "sexist." Sue Abbott of New South Wales believes that people should have the option of whether to wear bicycle helmets because forcing women to use helmets is "sexist." "It is a very sexist law because a lot of women have maintained hairstyles and would end up with helmet hair," Ms. Abbott explains. "And women have told me that’s one of the factors (for not riding bikes)." Specifically, Abbott is campaigning to make helmets optional instead of mandatory. She believes those who...

September 7, 2011 Helmet bill veto: 'Not every human problem deserves a law' Legislation mandating helmets for minors hitting the slopes has been vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown. The Democratic governor said in a veto message that his decision to reject Senate Bill 105 was driven by concerns about the "continuing and seemingly inexorable transfer of authority from parents to the state." "Not every human problem deserves a law," Brown wrote. Read more: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/09/helmet-bill-veto-jerry-brown.html#ixzz1XIbt5Y2S

ONONDAGA, N.Y. (AP) — Police say a motorcyclist participating in a protest ride against helmet laws in upstate New York died after he flipped over the bike's handlebars and hit his head on the pavement. The accident happened Saturday afternoon in the town of Onondaga, in central New York near Syracuse. State troopers tell The Post-Standard of Syracuse that 55-year-old Philip A. Contos of Parish, N.Y., was driving a 1983 Harley Davidson with a group of bikers who were protesting helmet laws by not wearing helmets.

ONONDAGA, N.Y. (AP) — Police say a motorcyclist participating in a protest ride against helmet laws in upstate New York died after he flipped over the bike's handlebars and hit his head on the pavement.

ONONDAGA, N.Y. (AP) -- Police say a motorcyclist participating in a protest ride against helmet laws in upstate New York died after he flipped over the bike's handlebars and hit his head on the pavement. The accident happened Saturday afternoon in the town of Onondaga, in central New York near Syracuse.

Our marijuana laws are clearly doing more harm than good. The criminalization of marijuana did not prevent marijuana from becoming the most widely used illegal substance in the United States and many other countries. But it did result in extensive costs and negative consequences. Law enforcement agencies today spend many billions of taxpayer dollars annually trying to enforce this unenforceable prohibition. The roughly 750,000 arrests they make each year for possession of small amounts of marijuana represent more than 40% of all drug arrests. Regulating and taxing marijuana would simultaneously save taxpayers billions of dollars in enforcement and incarceration costs,...

PORTLAND -- A motorcyclist who crashed and slid under a car after traffic slowed on Interstate 84 to watch President Obama's motorcade has died, authorities said Thursday. The motorcycle and the operator - later identified as Peter Gunderson, 59, of Portland - were both on fire after the crash.

Myrtle Beach helmet law quashed High court backs state standard By Lorena Anderson - landerson@thesunnews.com The S.C. Supreme Court unanimously ruled Tuesday that the city's helmet law is invalid, saying that the state has already answered the question of who must wear motorcycle helmets, and that the city of Myrtle Beach doesn't get to make that decision. "I love it. I think it's awesome," said motorcyclist Anthony Spinnato of Myrtle Beach. The S.C. Supreme Court today unanimously ruled Myrtle Beach's motorcycle helmet law is invalid because it is superseded by state law. But also, the court said it found the...

Posts on a number of threads at FR have correctly pointed out the damage done by many types of federal grants, dispensed with strings attached to states, and I’d been meaning to jot down some thoughts on the topic and respond. Of course, now I can’t find any of those threads, so I’ll just start one of my own. In reality, this is an issue of such importance it probably deserves its own thread. The offer of “federal funds” in exchange for the state taking some action desired by the feds is an implicit admission that it’s an issue on...

More than two dozen motorcycles crashed on a freeway in Oregon on Friday, blocking traffic for hours, police said. Oregon State Police said the bikers were behind a car when traffic unexpectedly slowed in the northbound lanes on Interstate 5. The collision sent bikes scattering across the road, near Wilsonville, south of Portland.

Helmet Law Protesters to Circle the NC Governors Mansion, with Freedom Rides in 3 other counties on New Years Day. Citizens who love freedom and want to defend individual liberties are urged to picket the Governors Mansion on New Years Day from 2 - 4 pm. On New Years Day, the helmet law in North Carolina will be changing to reference FMVSS 218 as its' standard. Motorcyclists have many questions, such as how they can ensure compliance with certainty, because FMVSS 218 is nothing that motorcycle operators and consumers can comply with. It is a manufacturers self-certifying standard. Janice MacKay...

Sec. 658c. (1) The helmet requirements under section 658(4) do not apply to a motorcycle operator if all of the following conditions are satisfied: (a) He or she is 21 years of age or older. (b) He or she has been licensed under this act to operate a motorcycle for not less than 2 years. (c) He or she has successfully completed a motorcycle safety course under section 811a or 811b. (d) He or she has in effect security in the amount of $20,000.00 for the payment of first-party medical benefits payable in the event that he or she is...

Rahn wanted Missouri to follow Illinois' lead by adopting a primary seat belt law. Rahn insists such a law could save lives. Rahn thought the bill had a chance because it also would have done away with the state's motorcycle helmet law. That's right. Had the bill passed, you could be stopped for not wearing a seat belt but not for riding a motorcycle without a helmet. The bill failed.

DEARBORN, Mich., May 26 /PRNewswire/ -- A bill designed to repeal Michigan's mandatory motorcycle helmet law would increase the number of state motorcycle deaths and injuries if passed into law, said AAA Michigan today (May 26). Members of the House Transportation Committee will vote tomorrow (May 27) on whether to move the bill forward. HB 4325, sponsored by Rep. Leon C. Drolet (R-Clinton Township), would remove the mandatory helmet requirement for all riders and passengers 21 years of age or older, but does not require motorcycle riders to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance coverage. "It is well established that...

YOU HAVE TO WONDER if Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) has a thing about safety. He doesn't like bans on assault-style weapons, has opposed requirements that motorcyclists wear helmets and last year vetoed a bill that would have let counties install speed cameras in residential areas to protect schoolchildren from lead-footed motorists. That's a lot of assists to the lobbyists who put safety last. Again this year, Mr. Ehrlich's stands on these issues will matter, and any second thoughts he might have would be welcome. Thanks to the ill-explained decision of State Sen. John A. Giannetti Jr. (D-Prince...

PRAIRIEVILLE, La. - In the smoky, windowless back room of Gail's Diner on Route 61, eight bikers gathered on a recent Sunday morning for a regular meeting of their motorcycle lobbying group. A few days earlier, a federal agency had released figures showing the average number of motorcyclists killed in crashes had doubled in Louisiana in the first two years after the state repealed its mandatory helmet law. The bikers at Gail's - a woman and seven men who roared up wearing denim and do-rags - believe that those numbers will be used as ammunition. "Every regular legislative session, there's...

Sorry, all. Check out Kerry on his Harley, just for laughs.

The kids have got it right when it comes to protecting their heads while they cycle or rollerblade. Now if someone could just tell their parents. The Canada Safety Council has found more kids than ever are using helmets to protect their noggins when they ride and skate. The same study shows only 40% of adult cyclists and in-line skaters take the same precaution -- and 52% never do. This is troubling news, according to Emile Therien, president of the safety council. "Head injuries account for a stunning 80% of bicycle fatalities," Therien said. Four out of five parents surveyed...