this post was submitted on 22 Jul 2023
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Bicycles
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I guess enforcing helmets and a saftey course is counter productive if you value the increase of people using bikes. I understand, this is something you're passionate about and it's better for the environment and overall health of the community.
What I value more is not having children with lifelong brain damage. Adults can go ahead and make their own bad decisions. I don't agree that accessibility should be prioritized over saftey of children that have no road experience and underdeveloped risk assessment.
First, you were talking about enforcing helmets as something that should apply to everyone, now you are talking about kids. Meaning, you just moved the goal posts.
Second, and to go back to the point, if you are concerned about children's safety we need to have (a) proper bicycling infrastructure and (b) less and smaller cars. In the US, I'd venture there are more kids dying because they are being run over by those ridiculous trucks than because of bike accidents.
Third, at least here in Germany the law is quite simple: kids until age 12 must ride on the sidewalk. That basically (a) forces them to go slow due to pedestrians and (b) avoids the whole issue of having to deal with traffic. Helmets are not mandatory, but absolutely normal.
First, my entire original comment was focused on kids. I'm sorry that I wasn't explicitly clear on that but no I'm not moving goalposts.
I agree! But that's a long term goal that would require a lot of politics, money, planning, construction, and most of all time to happen. It's not all or nothing.