Del. Maggie McIntosh Supports Helmet Law
Via: Baltimore Sun, via: http://www.thewashcycle.com/2013/02/nancy-floreen-supports-helmet-law.htmlFor the bill's sponsor, Del. Maggie McIntosh, the issue is black and white. The idea dawned on the Baltimore Democrat as she passed by a cyclist during her morning commute. In the bike lane next to her car on St. Paul Street, a popular route for city cyclists, a rider was cruising along with traffic, head uncovered.
"I thought, 'Wow; we're doing all this stuff in the legislature to keep cars away from bicyclists, and we should,'" McIntosh said. "But there are people commuting to work on a busy city street and they do not have a helmet on.
So she thinks cycling is dangerous without a helmet? Well kinda:
Via: http://www.equinoxcenter.org/sustainability-blog/Factoid-Friday-Is-Biking-Safe.html
But that graphic is for national averages and I will strongly assert walking in Baltimore is far more dangerous then biking without a helmet.
If Maryland counties were a metro area and how it compares in pedestrian issues
Pedestrians involved in traffic crashes, Baltimore City represents 32% of the state!!!
FARS 2010 DATA (Maryland is still in the top 10 (worst))
In Baltimore we have one cyclist death vs 10 pedestrian deaths and 11 motor vehicle drivers deaths and the concern here is with one helmetless rider??? We need to end the thinking that cars are safe and cycling is not.