In Fort Lauderdale, it is the law that bicyclists ages sixteen and under must wear protective headgear.  Is this a good law?  Being a complex subject, many people express different opinions.  What do you think? 

Our group agrees that bicycle safety is an important issue in our country today. Some people think that it is “uncool” to wear a bike helmet.  However, it doesn’t occur to them that such a precaution might eventually save their life.  We

think that it is more “uncool” to be six feet under or to be lying in a hospital bed than to wear that unfashionable helmet!  It has been proven by many organnizations that helmets can prevent serious or fatal accidents.  Though helmets are not the latest fad, many lives have been saved when they have been worn properly.  On the other hand, many 

lives have been lost when they were not worn correctly or not worn at all.  People have cracked their skulls or gotten paralyzed from bicycle accidents that occurred while they were not wearing helmets.  Why not just wear the helmet

with friends and save everyone the trouble? 
     We think that it is a good idea for the government to create and enforce laws about the safety of American children.  An advantage of the helmet law is that it teaches responsibility to children and young adults.  We believe this is true because many regular laws do not apply to this age group.  Through all of this, however, please remember that no matter what safety equipment is worn, it is always imperative to follow bicycle safety rules.  Wear a helmet and stay safe, but most of all, enjoy the ride!