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While recovering in Denver Health Medical Center from injuries sustained during a serious bicycle accident, Gov. Bill Ritter yesterday implied that his personal experience has reinforced his support for a bill that would require children riding on bicycles to wear helmets.

“As this week’s event has shown, wearing a helmet can prevent more serious injuries and save lives,” he said in a statement. “If any lesson is to be learned from this, all children and adults should wear a helmet every time they ride a bike.”

Ritter is expected to be in the hospital for several more days as he recovers from the “multiple rib fractures” he suffered during Tuesday’s bike crash. His comment yesterday came after the Colorado House narrowly passed House Bill 1147, which would require minors to wear helmets while riding their bikes. Under the bill, law enforcement officers could issue an “informational traffic citation” to minors aged 2-18 who are riding bikes on public streets without a helmet.  

Studies have shown that children aged 5-14 have the highest rate of bicycle-related hospital admissions, with nearly a third of the children suffering from brain injuries, according to a press release from Colorado Democrats. Bill sponsor Rep. John Kefalas, D-Fort Collins, believes HB 1147 would significantly decrease the number of those serious bike injuries.

“This bill represents a meaningful way we can help increase the safety of kids,” he said in a statement. “Teaching children about bicycle and pedestrian safety will empower them to make informed decisions about their safety and well-being.” 

However, Republicans have blasted the helmet bill as unnecessary.

“This is pure nannyism Ń the government stepping in, in the role parent,” said Rep. Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, as reported by the Colorado News Agency in a story that ran earlier this week in the Denver Daily News. “The officer will approach the parent, hand them a pamphlet on the safety of their children, creating an adversarial type relationship, and that’s not the kind of law that we should be passing.”

HB 1147 now moves to the Senate. 

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