California to become first state in US to make ski helmets compulsory

California may be the first US state to introduce a law requiring children to wear helmets on the ski slopes next winter. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is currently considering whether to make a bill in favour of such a helmet wearing requirement in to law, the bill passed through California’s senate with a two thirds majority this week.

If made law as currently worded, children aged under 18 will be required to wear helmets and face a $25 fine if they fail to do so. This is four years older than the laws in Europe, led by Italy, which requires children up to age 14 top wear helmets. The same rile applies to children skiing in the provinces of Upper and Lower Austria in Austria. However in Europe the fines are higher for not wearing a helmet.

Other US states have their own helmet law bills at a less advanced stage than California, where Governor Schwarzenneger, a keen skier, is reported to not yet have taken a pro or anti position. He is required to make a decision by September 30th.

A Safety Commission in California has estimated that 7,700 accidents on the states slopes could be less serious or not happen at all if all skiers and boarders wore helmets. Among the list of advantages of helmet wearing the Commission said that helmets would prevent scalp skin cancer. Public opinion is divided, some teens said that they would like to wear a helmet but peer pressure prevented then doing so and that a law would therefore be a good thing, while others say it should remain a matter of personal and parental choice.