Text: SSB01065 Text: SSB01067 Text: SSB01000 - SSB01099 Text: SSB Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. INTENT AND FINDINGS. It is the intent of the
1 2 general assembly to require that all children under the age of
1 3 fourteen wear an approved bicycle helmet when riding on a
1 4 bicycle or when riding in a trailer towed by a bicycle. The
1 5 general assembly finds and declares the following:
1 6 1. Each year hundreds of children are killed and many more
1 7 injured in bicycle-related accidents.
1 8 2. Head injuries account for more than half of all
1 9 bicycle-related deaths and emergency room visits.
1 10 3. The single most effective safety device available to
1 11 reduce head injuries and fatalities from bicycle crashes is a
1 12 bicycle helmet. Helmets have been shown to significantly
1 13 reduce the risk of head injury and of brain injury.
1 14 4. In addition to saving lives and preventing injuries,
1 15 bicycle helmets save money in avoided health care costs and
1 16 other costs to society.
1 17 Sec. 2. Section 321.236, Code 2001, is amended by adding
1 18 the following new subsection:
1 19 NEW SUBSECTION. 14. Requiring the use of bicycle helmets
1 20 as provided in section 321.435.
1 21 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 321.435 BICYCLE HELMETS.
1 22 1. Local authorities may adopt an ordinance or resolution
1 23 that regulates the use of bicycles in any or all of the
1 24 following manners:
1 25 a. Prohibits a person under fourteen years of age from
1 26 operating a bicycle, or riding on a bicycle as a passenger,
1 27 unless that person is wearing a properly fitted and fastened
1 28 bicycle helmet which meets the standards of the American
1 29 national standards institute or the 1990 standard for
1 30 protective headgear for use in bicycling produced by the Snell
1 31 memorial foundation or another appropriate standard.
1 32 b. Requires a person under fourteen years of age who rides
1 33 on a bicycle while in a restraining seat which is attached to
1 34 the bicycle or in a trailer towed by a bicycle to wear a
1 35 helmet that meets the standards described in paragraph "a".
2 1 c. Requires a person regularly engaged in the business of
2 2 renting bicycles to provide a helmet to any person required to
2 3 wear a helmet by the ordinance or resolution who will operate
2 4 the bicycle, if the person does not already have a helmet. A
2 5 reasonable fee may be charged for the helmet rental.
2 6 2. A person regularly engaged in the business of renting
2 7 bicycles who is regulated by an ordinance or resolution
2 8 adopted under subsection 1, paragraph "c", and who complies
2 9 with that paragraph is not liable for damages for any injuries
2 10 sustained by a bicycle operator or passenger as a result of
2 11 the operator's or passenger's failure to wear a helmet or to
2 12 wear a properly fitted or fastened helmet in violation of an
2 13 ordinance or resolution adopted under this section.
2 14 3. A violation of an ordinance or resolution adopted under
2 15 this section shall not be considered admissible or material as
2 16 evidence of comparative fault under chapter 668.
2 17 4. The department of public health shall publish a list of
2 18 bicycle helmets that meet the standards described in
2 19 subsection 1, paragraph "a".
2 20 Sec. 4. MATERIALS TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES. The department of
2 21 public health shall work in conjunction with the Iowa safe
2 22 kids coalition to provide bicycle safety education information
2 23 to local communities for distribution in those communities.
2 24 EXPLANATION
2 25 This bill allows local authorities to adopt ordinances or
2 26 resolutions that regulate the use of bicycles in any or all of
2 27 the following manners:
2 28 Requires persons under 14 years of age who are operating or
2 29 riding on a bicycle to wear bicycle helmets.
2 30 Requires persons under 14 years of age who ride on a
2 31 bicycle while in a restraining seat attached to the bicycle or
2 32 in a trailer towed by a bicycle to wear bicycle helmets.
2 33 Requires persons renting bicycles to the public to provide
2 34 helmets to renters for a reasonable fee.
2 35 The bill also provides that persons renting bicycles in
3 1 compliance with such a local ordinance or resolution are not
3 2 liable for damages sustained as a result of an operator's or
3 3 passenger's failure to properly wear a helmet.
3 4 The bill provides that a violation of an ordinance or
3 5 resolution adopted under the Act shall not be evidence or
3 6 comparative fault under Code chapter 668.
3 7 The bill requires the department of public health to
3 8 publish a list of approved bicycle helmets.
3 9 The bill directs the department of public health to work
3 10 with the Iowa safe kids coalition to distribute bicycle safety
3 11 education information to local communities.
3 12 LSB 1829SC 79
3 13 nh/cf/24
Text: SSB01065 Text: SSB01067 Text: SSB01000 - SSB01099 Text: SSB Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
© 2001 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa
Comments about this site or page?
webmaster@legis.iowa.gov.
Please remember that the person listed above does not vote on bills. Direct all comments concerning legislation to State Legislators.
Last update: Thu Feb 15 03:35:21 CST 2001
URL: /DOCS/GA/79GA/Legislation/SSB/01000/SSB01066/010130.html
jhf