FOUNTAIN VALLEY : Schools Prepare for Bicycle Helmet Law

It’s been a challenge for Fountain Valley School District Trustee Julie Hoxsie to convince her 11-year-old daughter that wearing a bicycle helmet is for safety’s sake.

“It’s just going to take some time and adjustment,� Hoxsie said. “She notices her friends are not wearing them. It’s a tough concept, especially when a lot of her friends don’t have to� wear one, she said.

But on Jan. 1, Hoxsie’s daughter, Lauren, will have no choice. A new state law that takes effect that day makes it mandatory for bicycle riders under age 18 to wear helmets.

At a meeting last month, school trustees revised the district’s helmet policy to bring it in line with the state law. The revision means parents can no longer sign waivers to exempt their children from wearing helmets, said Fern Zahlen Williams, director of student services.

Last October, trustees approved a policy that required student cyclists in grades three through eight to wear helmets. The policy, which went into effect in January, allowed parents to sign waivers exempting their children from the requirement.

The state law supersedes the district’s policy, but Trustee Larry Crandall said it’s important to keep the local rule on the books.

“We want to make sure we send a strong message to the children in the school district that the district isn’t going to be lax on child safety,� Crandall said.

Williams said that this year, despite programs to encourage helmet use, a large number of parents with children at the middle schools chose to sign waivers. She said about 50% of the district’s estimated 3,300 students in the third through eighth grades ride bicycles to school. Younger children aren’t allowed to cycle to school.

Last year, Williams said, a girl riding her bicycle without a helmet was seriously injured when hit by a car. After that accident, some parents withdrew their waivers, she said.

With the new legislation making it unlawful to ride a bike without a helmet, parents will be forced to take the issue seriously, Williams said. Violators will receive a warning during the first year after the law takes effect. But beginning in 1995, citations of as much as $25 can be given to cyclists not wearing helmets.

“It’s got teeth in it. Parents are going to have to pay a fine. That’s going to make a difference,� Williams said.

Hoxsie said that despite the new law, it will take time to convince children and parents that wearing a helmet helps prevent injuries.

“It’s going take a while to catch on,� she said. “But as far as I’m concerned, it’s for the safety of our kids. It’s the best thing that could happen to them.�