The board began to scrutinize the helmet rule after local news site, Crosscut, released an analysis that showed the rule was rarely enforced, and enforced disproportionately when it was. The Times pointed to other incidents in which the helmet law was discriminatory toward people of color. In 2020, King County made racial justice reform a priority and declared racism a public health crisisThe repeal affects most of King County, including Seattle. 'The question before us was whether a helmet law that's enforced by police on balance produces results that outweigh the harm that that law creates.' According to the National Transportation Safety Board, helmets reduce the likelihood of serious head injury by 60 percent.

Source: The Times February 20, 2022 23:10 UTC