Skateboarders under age 16 may need to wear a helmet while riding on public property.
Current state law prohibits young bike riders from riding without a helmet, but House Bill 706 would expand the rule to skaters.
The bill gained a lot of support due to its effort to protect youth skaters, but how this could be safely implemented seems to cross over into shaky territory.
Chuck Mitsui is the owner of 808 Skate in Kailua and the founder of the Association of Skaters in Hawaiʻi. His hesitation with the bill is how it could disproportionately impact those who may not be able to afford the necessary safety precautions.
“There are a demographic of skateboarders who are younger, who come from a place where they're not able to afford helmets,” Mitsui said. “And if you were to make this a law, you would potentially be putting these kids at risk for having them be listed as a juvenile with a record from not wearing a helmet or not being able to afford a helmet, and that shouldn't be a barrier towards getting physical exercise.”
He noted that in an ideal world, kids would be provided helmets so that they could be safe without the risk of obtaining a juvenile record as a result of their financial instability.
Alissa Lo, the trauma program manager at Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women & Children, explained the types of injuries that could result from skateboard incidents, emphasizing that they're severely worse without helmets.
“Brain injuries range from minor concussions to severe subdural and epidural brain bleeds,” Lo said. “Brain bleeds require immediate lifesaving surgery to relieve the pressure in the brain. If the pressure is not relieved in time, it could lead to lifetime disabilities or even death.”
A study by the National Library of Medicine found that helmets can reduce the risk of head and brain injuries by 65% to 88%.
“A helmet, when worn correctly, can provide protection and decrease the risk of more severe types of brain injuries, like brain bleeds,” Lo said. “While there are no concussion-proof helmets, they can still protect you from serious injury because, in the case of a crash, much of the energy on impact is absorbed by the helmet.”
Lo added that youth riders have the potential to face more severe brain injuries due to their weaker neck muscles.
Mitsui clarified that he’s in full support of the bill’s intention and that safety is always his priority. He noted that his children skate, and he requires them to wear helmets until they are 16 years old for their protection.
“As a parent, I’m all for protecting kids and making sure we’re doing what we can for their safety,” Mitsui said. “But handing out tickets and time in juvie is where I don’t support it.”
Disclosure: Chuck Mitsui is an HPR board member.
