Dallas bike helmet law and selective enforcement

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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

By Yokota Fritz

Sergio Portillo, 33, was stopped July 11, 2008, as he rode his bicycle while not wearing a helmet near downtown. He was then searched and charged with drug possession after police said they found that he was carrying crack cocaine.

Abuse of power is one of [Attorney David] Pire's concerns. Complaints from clients about the helmet law "popped up periodically and it's always a minority" who has been stopped by police, he said. "I started looking at it and I thought this law can't be valid."

And then the Dallas police claim (falsely) "...hospitals are filled with patients from those injuries who were not wearing helmets." What a bunch of hokum.

Via Streetsblog.

Labels: helmet

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Comments:

Pretty transparent - they aren't really cracking down on those idiot cyclists who don't wear helmets, it's an easy pretext to stop someone they suspect of something "more sinister"

# posted by

murphstahoe : 10/13/2009 01:49:00 PM

I live in Dallas, I commute by bike, I ride a bike for fitness and fun. I was all in favor of the helmet laws then it became a "cause celeb" for those who resist any laws such as red lights, stop signs,etc. this is the same group that wants the city to fund a private playground of bikeways on public streets so they can continue to flaunt safe traffic laws with impunity and protection of the city.

I can not tell you how many drug deal I have witnessed on the MUT in town. I am all for continued enforcement of the helmet laws.

# posted by

Cliff : 10/14/2009 06:02:00 AM

Helmet laws are the result of fear mongering by the paranoid, and meme infected soccer moms in bike clubs. They are totally unwarranted, unnecessary, and as this story illustrates, used by police to violate our constitutional right against unwarranted searches.

# posted by

Rapid Robert : 10/15/2009 09:20:00 AM