States and localities have begun adopting mandatory usage laws, however. New Jersey now requires helmets for anyone under 16, as does Pennsylvania. Three Maryland counties have similar laws, as does Beechwood, Ohio. Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York and California require helmets for toddlers in the one to five year range if carried on a bicycle. Additional helmet law bills are under study in other state legislatures and cities.
Many bicycle clubs require helmets on their organized rides.
The United States Cycling Federation and the Triathlon Federation require helmets for all riders in their events. Safe Kids national headquarters is still updating the status sheet you received with one of our 1991 issues. They can provide single copies or updates on a subscription basis. Meanwhile, down in Australia bicycle helmets have been mandatory for some time in all states. One recent article suggested that there were fewer riders on the road, but definitive evaluations are not yet available.