Article: Helmet Laws Gain A Track Record; More Areas Considering Safety Headgear

Shaul Yecheskel never expected to be stopped by the police. Not at the tender age of 9. Not while riding a bike in a park.

But that's just what happened when an alert officer with the Maryland National Capital Park Police spotted the curly haired Montgomery boy riding without a safety helmet in September. County law requires bicyclists under 18 to wear protective headgear.

"He said `Stop. Where's your helmet?' " Shaul recalled shyly, "and I said, `Oops. I guess I forgot.' "

The officer let Shaul off with a written warning, but the experience - and threat of a $50 fine - made a lasting impression. "It encouraged him in a way I could not," said Shaul's mother, Karen.

Mandatory helmet ...

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