The Observation Deck

Does Lakewood have a law requiring helmets for all those new scooters? Should it have one? The danger of head injury is just as great as on a bicycle or a motorcycle. Also, are there any age restrictions?

I think they are required for people under 18, as they are for bicycles, skateboards, and roller skates.

One thing about helmets: they create a way to blame the vulnerable, to blame someone who is often victim of other people's carelessness or negligence.

I support helmet wearing and do so most of the time on my bike. But the dangers posed by motor vehicles vs bicycles, scooters, and pedestrians are much greater than a helmet's ability to protect.

Nonetheless, accident reporting when someone on a non motorized vehicle is involved almost always makes a point of whether the person wore a helmet, as if that were the measure of right and wrong, and as if anything else were just "an accident."

Conversation about vehicle safety should be focused primarily on motorist behavior, as that is where the danger lies, and secondly on other vehicular behavior, like bikes and scooters. Helmets should be at least third on the list.

Common Sense; Seat belts in motor vehicles, helmets on two wheel vehicle. Traffic laws should be enforced for all.

Ed,

Does the state of Ohio have a helmet law for motorcycles?

Does the City of Lakewood?

I agree, it is common sense to wear a helmet.

I know though that the danger posed by thousands of pounds of steel rolling down the street at 25-35 mph is much greater than a helmet's ability to protect.

Regardless if you ride a bicycle, scooter, moped, motor scooter, or motorcycle, gear up properly for your own safety. However, helmets on scooters are impractical since they are rentals and normally used as a one-way conveyance. I detest parental laws, it’s not public safety its control, and the least qualified to be a parent is government.

You and only you are responsible for your safely and that means obeying traffic laws. Bicyclist are the most dangerous to themselves, perhaps it’s because we rode them as kids. Never assume a vehicle driver that is looking at you knows that you are there. Drivers are general looking for cars and may not see you due to inattentional blindness, or they don’t realize how far or fast you moving towards them. Always be aware of the traffic around you. Don’t allow yourself to go into target fixation, and be cognizant of potential situations like a car backing out a drive, a vehicle make a left turn, etc.

Regardless of who has the right of way, if you’re in an accident with a 3,500-pound vehicle, you will lose every time.

It is true that a person on a scooter or a bicycle will lose if they are hit by motor vehicle.

It is not true that they are entirely responsible for their own safety. The roads are used by everyone.

If you are driving a motor vehicle and you don't pay attention enough to see other legal users of the road, you are at fault.

If you can't pay attention enough to see other users of the road, you should not be behind the wheel. That is a much bigger issue than whether someone on a scooter or bike is wearing a helmet.

Motor vehicles by far pose the greatest danger on the road.

Helmets are common sense.

[quote="michael gill"]It is true that a person on a scooter or a bicycle will lose if they are hit by motor vehicle.

It is not true that they are entirely responsible for their own safety. The roads are used by everyone.

I think you missed the point. True, the roads are used by everyone. However, I didn't state they can't use the roads. It's about safety by being alert, anticipate, and take evasive action to avoid a accident. If you don't, you will discover who wins and loses in a collision with a motor vehicle.

Ohio law in part on scooters: "the law requires riders to be 16 or older to rent and ride an electronic scooter. Violators of the age restriction can be fined up to $150. The law also includes a statewide 20 mile-per-hour speed limit for scooters. Riders must yield to pedestrians, audibly signal before passing pedestrians, and use the front light and rear reflector when riding at night. The new law permits use of scooters on bicycle paths and lanes, though individual cities and parks can withdraw this permission, as well as add additional regulations or ban electric scooters altogether." Passing pedestrians etc. makes the assumption they are on sidewalks. What is not clear if scooters can use a city street without a bicycle lane.

No, I am not missing the point.

This is a discussion about helmets.

Helmets are common sense, and they are one factor contributing to safety of cyclists and scooters, but they are a relatively small factor.

No matter how conservatively a person travels the streets, even if they follow the law to the letter, even if they wear a helmet, the greatest determiner of their safety is the behavior of other people, beyond the control of the person on a scooter or bike.

People driving thousands of pounds of steel down the road need to take responsibility for their actions. That is what personal responsibility is.

michael gill wrote:Helmets are common sense.

And I know I am speaking to the choir.

I have often said that you can tell what a person thinks of themself by the helmet they wear.

While the law for all of this asks for helmets, they vary greatly from worthless to excellent.

The reason for the helmet was the amount of people dying from brain injuries, and or being in vegetated states.

The next most vulnerable area of the human body is the neck and spine. In racing they use Hans Device to protect neck. Should be incorporated into other helmets.

When it comes to accidents, weight and physics rule.

.

Beep...Beep...Beep...

Let's back-up a minute... and ask this question...

Why are we making this public safety experiment at all?

Why do we have to participate in a regional experiment for scooters....

In passing, please note that Lakewood has had three DUI fatalities in less than a year. Three dead, families in grief, and drivers prosecuted....various lives terminated and others ruined.

I drive at a crawl on Lake Avenue since it has been turned into a public "park" of some kind.

Yes, I am an old guy...

What is to keep a kid from getting a scooter, maybe for the first time, without any guidance or supervision, go cruising down the street or sidewalk, and crash and fall, hit their head, and injure themselves for life - or worse?

What could go wrong? If it could happen, it will happen, and someone will be hit with a very expensive lawsuit.

Requiring protective gear for these things is not just being a Nanny city, it's taking a defensive posture and maybe saving a young person from themselves.

Dan Alaimo wrote:What is to keep a kid from getting a scooter, maybe for the first time, without any guidance or supervision, go cruising down the street or sidewalk, and crash and fall, hit their head, and injure themselves for life - or worse?

What could go wrong? If it could happen, it will happen, and someone will be hit with a very expensive lawsuit.

Requiring protective gear for these things is not just being a Nanny city, it's taking a defensive posture and maybe saving a young person from themselves.

Dan

First off you need access to both a smart phone and a credit card to use one. They are not cheap.

I can see where people using them for regular transport, work, school, bars, might bring a helmet. But there is also a serendipitous side to scooters. I was on Jury duty and used one to get to Slyman's and back for lunch. I had no helmet, and felt pretty safe. Much easier than a Segway.

In my opinion the scooters and bikes serve two purposes. People sightseeing, and parking/crowd control. Example park downtown at a lot for $5 and take a scooter to the game, instead of paying $25 next to the stadium.

It will be interesting how this experiment ends up. My suriosty takes me to how much are they paying for access to our spaces? AT&T pay nothing for their Uverse Boxes, and together they take up a nice chunk of public owned spaces.

For profit companies should pay.

FWIW

It appears, there are no motorcycle riders in this discussion. I gear up when I ride my dual sport bike, helmet jacket, gloves, pants, boots, etc. Many don't, they wear wife beater cut off t-shirts, shorts and sandals, but that is their choice. Why do I ride will all the gear; because careless vehicle drivers run stop signs and stop lights, back out the driveway without looking, don't see you or don't recognize your traveling at the same speed as the traffic. They are the single most danger to motorcyclist. A person on a shooter will be in the same peril if they are ridden on the streets or more so because they are harder to see.

Jim is correct, there are different levels of helmets, I wear a dual sport full face helmet, DOT and ECE approved. DOT is not as stringent as ECE.

At eighteen you can vote, your can own a car, or motorcycle, you can own a rifle, you can fight and die in combat for your country. What you don't need is a parental government or a bunch of wanna control people legislating what you need wear to protect yourself.

It appears by state law it is illegal to ride scooters on public streets unless there is a bike lane or crossing in pedestrian walks. The scooters will be ridden on the sidewalks, so the likely hood of them being hit by a vehicle is remote.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:

Dan Alaimo wrote:What is to keep a kid from getting a scooter, maybe for the first time, without any guidance or supervision, go cruising down the street or sidewalk, and crash and fall, hit their head, and injure themselves for life - or worse?

What could go wrong? If it could happen, it will happen, and someone will be hit with a very expensive lawsuit.

Requiring protective gear for these things is not just being a Nanny city, it's taking a defensive posture and maybe saving a young person from themselves.

Dan

First off you need access to both a smart phone and a credit card to use one. They are not cheap.

I can see where people using them for regular transport, work, school, bars, might bring a helmet. But there is also a serendipitous side to scooters. I was on Jury duty and used one to get to Slyman's and back for lunch. I had no helmet, and felt pretty safe. Much easier than a Segway.

In my opinion the scooters and bikes serve two purposes. People sightseeing, and parking/crowd control. Example park downtown at a lot for $5 and take a scooter to the game, instead of paying $25 next to the stadium.

It will be interesting how this experiment ends up. My suriosty takes me to how much are they paying for access to our spaces? AT&T pay nothing for their Uverse Boxes, and together they take up a nice chunk of public owned spaces.

For profit companies should pay.

FWIW

Kids are getting cel phones at younger and younger ages. I suspect the credit card you mention is a credit card number saved to an app. In that case, not much would prevent a kid from obtaining one of their parents, especially for a one-time use.