Legislation recently introduced in California could compel all children to wear a helmet while skiing or snowboarding in the Golden State.
Sponsored by state Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco), SB 880 (.pdf file) requires all children younger than 18 to wear a helmet on the slopes. Parents of children who fail to comply with the law would be assessed a $25 fine.
Yee cited statistics from the Consumer Product Safety Commission indicating that 7,000 annual head injuries caused from skiing or snowboarding could have been prevented or reduced in severity by the use of a helmet. CPSC also found that 53 percent of head injuries suffered by children younger than 15 could have been avoided through helmet use.
