King County's Bike Helmet Law Repealed By Board Of Health

SEATTLE — King County's bicycle helmet law is on its way out after the Board of Health voted Thursday to repeal the 1993 rule, pointing to mounting evidence that it was enforced disproportionately against Black and homeless cyclists.

According to Public Health - Seattle & King County, an analysis of Seattle Police Department data found citations were given out most often to cyclists who were Black, Indigenous and other people of color, with Black riders four times as likely to be ticketed than white riders. As a Crosscut analysis found in 2020, nearly half of the citations issued in Seattle were given to people experiencing homelessness.

"I think what we all agree on is that this helmet repeal is about addressing racist enforcement of the law," said Seattle City Councilmember Tammy Morales, the board's vice-chair. "I think we all agree that helmets are important and that there's a lot more work to do to make sure that people who bike to navigate their way around the city deserve protection."

With that in mind, a majority of the board voted to repeal the law, with only King County Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles voting against the measure. As The Seattle Times reports, others who spoke in opposition of the repeal included Harborview's emergency department director, who said he was concerned rolling back the law could lead to more serious injuries.

The repeal passed with a companion resolution that underlined the importance of helmet use for bikes, scooters, and similar methods of travel and renewed a commitment to increase access to cheap and free helmets for people in need.

"As a cyclist, I know the many social and environmental benefits of biking. As a former ER doctor who has treated people with preventable head injuries, I also know the importance of wearing a bike helmet. And as Health Officer, I appreciate that community partners have highlighted the negative impacts of discriminatory enforcement of the helmet law. The bottom line is that Public Health continues to strongly recommend and encourage helmet use, especially by children."

The helmet law repeal will take effect after a month. More information is available on the Public Health Insider blog, and a list of helmet resources is posted on the King County website.