Reminder: Bike Helmets Required for Kids 17 and Younger

Now that the weather is nicer out and more people are out on bikes, it's worth a reminder that Oak Park last year decided to require bike helmets for children.

In December 2013 the Oak Park Village Board voted 5-2 to approve a law requiring children under 17 to wear bike helmets, punishable by a $25 fine or four hours of community service for their parents. 

A Village of Oak Park news release says, "Enforcement will focus on education rather than punishment." From the release:

The helmet requirement grew from months of study by the Board of Health, whose volunteer membership includes health care professionals. In making their recommendation for the new local law, Board of Health members presented information from the American Academy of Pediatrics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration about injuries and deaths caused by bicyclists who have accidents while riding without a helmet.

The Health Department has begun working on bicycle safety educational programs aimed at schools and investigating partnerships with local organizations that provide helmets.

For more information on the new helmet requirement, call 708.358.5480 or email health@oak-park.us.