A draft law forbidding children from bicycling without helmets is under discussion by Grand Forks city leaders.
The City Council's Safety Committee talked about the draft Tuesday and asked proponents at the Safe Kids Coalition to work with city staff to refine the draft, which doesn't yet say what age groups it would affect or what the penalties would be.
Committee Chairman Curt Kreun said he personally would prefer no penalties. Police officers now give out gift certificates if they see children wearing helmets, he said.
Carma Hanson, with the coalition, said rewards are important as is educating parents and children, and those things are being done. But enforcement is needed, too, she said, because it's sometimes hard for parents to force kids, especially teens, to wear helmets and being able to say "it's the law" helps.
She said penalties wouldn't automatically apply because police officers use discretion. It's illegal for kids to ride motorized scooters without helmets, she said, but officers usually just give offenders a ride home where their parents will be told about the law.
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The coalition, she said, wants the age limit to be 14 because those slightly younger are tougher for parents to convince while those older can get drivers' licenses and might not ride bikes as much.
