Legislation that would make California the first state requiring adult bicyclists to wear helmets has some biking advocates worried the mandate would discourage people from becoming bike commuters.
A bill introduced last week by state Sen. Carol Liu (D-La Cañada Flintridge) would extend California’s youth helmet requirement to adults, mandate reflective clothing while biking at night and fine cyclists $25 for not complying.
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Balmer pointed to famously bike-friendly cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen, where helmets are neither required nor common. One study found that The Netherlands experienced a 45 percent increase in bicycling from 1980 to 2005, and a 58 percent decrease in bike-related fatalities.
