During the March Community Mobility Committee (CMC) meeting, Erin Hutcheson, Senior Governmental Relations Specialist at the Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT), shared with attendees that MODOT was considering recommending a bicycle helmet mandate during the upcoming 2024 legislative session. While the CMC appreciates MODOT prioritizing safety through legislative changes, the CMC urges MODOT to reconsider the mandate. Kea Wilson, CMC Member and writer for Streetsblog USA, has detailed in her writing (here and here) multiple reasons why a helmet mandate does not contribute to a safer cycling environment including but not limited to that research has been unable to link these types of mandates to a reduction of traffic violence while Black and indigenous riders are more likely to be cited for not wearing helmets.
To create a safe travel environment for all road users, changes must come in the form of physical improvements, legislation, enforcement, and education. The CMC thanks its partners like MODOT for their continued efforts to make Missouri roads safer but urges that these efforts are informed through research and equitable in their implementation.
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