Pacific Northwest - helmets in seattle??

oh yeah, i've been meaning to ask, are helmets required in seattle? i mean are they really required? here in tampa, kids are supposed to wear them or their parents get a ticket, but the only thing rarer than a ticket is to actually see a kid wearing one. the law is pretty much unenforced.

Yes. It's the law here, but usually not enforced.

On the other hand, I don't see many people without one, except those very casual riders...It's the law in Seattle, but not in unincorporated King County.

East Hill

Helmets are the law in Pierce county also but alas I see many riders with out them, lots of kids

King County Board of Health Code Title 9

9.10.010 (A) Any person operating or riding on a bicycle not powered by motor on a public roadway, bicycle path or on any right-of-way or publicly owned facilities located in King County including Seattle, shall wear a protective helmet designed for bicycle safety. Such helmet shall meet or exceed the safety standards adopted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) 15 USCS 6004, or Z-90.4 set by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the Snell Foundation, the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials), or such subsequent nationally recognized standard for bicycle helmet performance as the county may adopt. The helmet must be equipped with either a neck or chinstrap that shall be fastened securely while the bicycle is in motion.

Thanks for correcting me!

East Hill

cool. thanks for the info. i just cracked my knog the other day in the rain (i thought if the puddle's flat- the road must be also). lucky for me i'm hard headed. i suppose i'll get myself a jack nicholson/easy rider helmet. see you all next month!