Council Member Felder questions DOT on bicycle helmet requirements

And the second question is.

About helmets.

I don't understand it.

You do not have a program, when I say you, DOT.

I mean, I remember distinctly when they started obligating drivers to use seatbelts.

Because of safety.

I'm very familiar with, for whatever reason, with the

accidents or whatever that occur with bicyclists or, you know, that do not wear helmets.

To the bicyclists and to the people that, unfortunately, if they bump into them, you know, that's that.

So I don't get the whole thing.

I want to understand.

And this is not to you.

You can send this to your friends there as well.

I do not understand how the city functions without having a, I don't know what you want to call it, one street, one rule about safety.

You know, I don't know.

I know that my kids, I'm not the disciplinarian, never was.

I always used to say, the kids asked me, I said, I used to say, it's okay with me, but ask mommy.

And then she'd kill me.

But a helmet, you could not get on a bike, you know, without the helmet.

You know, my wife.

And you train the kids from an early time.

And then they...

Get older, and instead of it continuing, you say, okay, now it's okay, you know.

And the city has no program of obligating people who are using city streets.

You know, I understand if the guy wants to drive around his alley, you know, in circles without a helmet.

But they're using city streets without helmets, and that's been going on for years.

And to top it all off, your city, you know, the program that you have, the bicycle program in the city, I'm almost done.

Yeah, I did not.

I had a fight with my wife this morning.

Yeah.

There is no program to ensure the safety of the bicyclists by obligating anyone using a city street, whether it's on a bicycle

or anything else, certainly.

If you're using a city street, just like you buckle up, you have to have a helmet.

I don't understand it.

So you can have your friends at DOT get back to me on that as well if I'd appreciate it.

Yeah, absolutely.

And DOT cares incredibly deeply about safety.

And we do have a lot of amazing teams that are partnering with elected officials to hand out free helmets to people all across New York City.

So we'd be happy to connect you with them.

I don't want a free helmet.

I want everyone to have to wear one.