October 1, 1996, Page 5 |
Previous | 5 of 156 | Next |
|
|
This page
All
|
Loading content ...
News THE DAILY COLLEGIAN ff Tuesday, October 1,1996 £) Bicycle helmet law showing results By Glenda Hubner Capital Campus News SACRAMENTO— A 1994 California law — requiring every¬ one under the age of 18 to wear an approved helmet while riding a bi¬ cycle on public streets — has re¬ sulted in a drop, of more than 50 percent in bicycle-related injury deaths, safety experts say. These safety experts, police and bike shop owners are all crediting mostly voluntary compliance with the law for making the difference. Mike Giomi, a six-year employee of City Bicycle Works in Sacra¬ mento says most of their custom¬ ers wear bicycle helmets all the time because they are "serious bikers." But when under-18-year-old pur¬ chasers come into his shop, Giomi said he always talks to the parents. "Do you have a helmet?" is the first question he asks. In Davis, a city which prides it¬ self on catering to bicyclists, bi¬ cycle shops encourage helmets and helmet use also. Lisa Gibson of Wheelworks says most children are wearing helmets but usually, "non¬ chalantly, not buckled. They act de¬ fiant of the law." • But Gibson said her company stresses the law to anyone coming into the shop. "You can talk to kids all day about safety but they're not going to listen. It's the law." That law has resulted in Davis Police issuing nearly 500 citations since last September to persons under the age of 18 riding without helmets. State law prohibits persons un¬ der 18 years of age from operating, or riding on a bicycle as a passen¬ ger, on a street, bikeway, or other public bicycle paths or trails unless the person is wearing a helmet meeting specific safety standards. The law also provides for a $25 fine, which stays the same for re¬ peat offenders. -The specific standards for hel¬ mets are approved by the American National Standards Institute or the Snell Memorial Foundation, a non¬ profit organization located in Sac¬ ramento that has been setting bi¬ cycle helmet standards for more than 10 years. Their performance standard criteria tests helmets for the amount of energy the helmets can absorb on contact. "Large retailers are coming to us requesting their product to be tested by our high standards," said Steve Johnson of the foundation. Most approved bicycle helmets are made from a polystyrofoam material surrounded by a molded hard plastic. Approved helmets are available for $10, Every dollar spent on bicycle helmets potentially saves $28 in medical costs, accord¬ ing to experts from the Safe Kids Campaign, a research project re¬ viewing the relationship between helmet use and lowered medical costs. Police officers admit they can't cite everyone disobeying the law but say they are active in education efforts about the importance of hel¬ mets. In Sacramento, city police officers escort young children home so both the parent and child can understand the potential legal pun¬ ishments, but especially why hel¬ met protection is so important, says Lt. Jeff Gibson. The Sacramento Police and the Safety Center, a training facilities for safety procedures, have worked together to create a program where bicycle retailers are posting tags on bicycles providing information on the importance of helmets and the bike helmet law. The National Safe Kids Cam¬ paign, an organization whose goal is to help protect children from in¬ juries, says its statistics show hel¬ mets are saving medical costs. The group, chaired by C Everett Koop, . former U.S. Surgeon General says bicycle helmets are preventing 1200-1700 permanently disabling injuries na¬ tionally per year. Sacramento Valley has until 2000 to burn rice straw By Colin Grinnell Capital Campus News SACRAMENTO— The Sacra¬ mento Valley has until the year 2000 to sit through the annual smoke of burning rice straw from recently harvested rice fields. After that, rice burning will no longer teaUuw.ed — except in rare cases wntre^Wps are diseased and simply plowing them under is not an option. And in each of next few years, air quality officials expect less and less smoke, as farmers pare down the amount of acreage they are al¬ lowed to burn under terms of the state Rice Straw Burning Act of 1991 which says only a diminish¬ ing percentage of the total amount of rice straw in the valley can be torched in the next five years. But if farmers opted to increase production — or decided to burn all the acreage allowed under current law — the rice smoke even this year could nearly triple. Last year, when farmers could have burned off as much as 60 per¬ cent of the harvested crop, rice farmers burned approximately 16 percent of the 450.000 eligible acres. This year about 500.000 acres of rice have been cultivated, of which state officials say 50 percent could be burned off and still be within legal guidelines — but only if the weather cooperates. Last fall, a series of thermal in¬ version layers kept the state Air Resources Board and its subsidiary air quality control agencies from approving any where near the legal limits of rice burning. And this season, ARB officials say. even if weather permits and the farmers do request to burn all 250,000 acres,' the Air Resources Board would be carefully control¬ ling and monitoring all requests for burn permits to ensure air quality standards aren't violated. Susan Inkstrom of the Sacra¬ mento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District says weather conditions are too unpredictable to make a definite judgment as to whether things, will be better or worse this year with the current crops eligible for burning, which include rice straw, safflower stalks and other straw-like crops. Farmers are allowed by law to burn only on ARB-approved days. The air in the region must have suf¬ ficient buoyancy in order to dis¬ perse the smoke adequately, she said. But even on the best days, wind shifts, as in 1994. and other condi¬ tions, can cause major public health concerns by exposing populated areas to the dangerous smoke. "Ninety-nine percent of the time, we don't have a problem." Inkstrom said. "But when it goes wrong it be¬ comes very noticeable. Art Lorenzen, a state Air Re¬ sources Board meteorologist says inversion layers can limit air mo¬ bility, causing difficulty in the dis¬ sipation of the smoke. This oc¬ curred in 1995, as rice smoke lin¬ gered in the Sacramento Valley, worsening already poor air condi¬ tions. Inkstrom says the dangerous ingredient in rice smoke is silica, tiny particles that bypass the body's filtration system on the way to em- be'dding themselves in lung tissue. Silica can cause respiratory in¬ fections, a implications' in heart dis¬ ease and lung patients, and even death, according to a December 1995 ARB report. The ARB report says regions with rice burning practices had in¬ creased mortality rates due to res piratory infections. i^mg^ FUytaaai Upstairs Cafeteria, Fresno State Wednesday..October 2 7:00 p.m. 4 9:30 p.m. isf^Mf^ PmirPC604/U2W'J 16MB RAM PtmrrPC601/!20 MH-J16MB RW PmrrPC60j&W0MHvlM1BiHM iSffi-ii'Vi ixamcDimm-Wa soawetaHmsifdipt*, Visit your campus computer store for the best%deals on a Mac* Visit our new location! Keats Building Room 103 just south 01 the fountain & just opposite oi' the University Restaurant or call 278-2116 Free one-year Apple warranty. |prafire CUotar //. 1996 CmW*Oxfrnkr. I c.tfr^«^*4^.*r.^/^<W*Gw*a»Hrt^ Wta l*w^ l^mrrPC • a tndrmmt of hum-Bom* A
Object Description
Title | 1996_10 The Daily Collegian October 1996 |
Alternative Title | Daily Collegian (California State University, Fresno) |
Publisher | Associated Students of Fresno State, Fresno, Calif. |
Publication Date | 1996 |
Description | Daily (except weedends) during the school year. Microfilm. Palo Alto, Calif.: BMI Library Microfilms, 1986- microfilm reels; 35 mm. Vol.1, no.1 (Feb 8, 1922)- |
Subject | California State University, Fresno -- Periodicals. |
Contributors | Associated Students of Fresno State. |
Coverage | Vol.1 no.1 (Feb 8, 1922)- to present |
Format | Microfilm reels, 35 mm. |
Technical Information | Scanned at 600 dpi; TIFF; Microfilm ScanPro 2000 "E-image data" |
Language | eng |
Description
Title | October 1, 1996, Page 5 |
Alternative Title | Daily Collegian (California State University, Fresno) |
Publisher | Associated Students of Fresno State, Fresno, Calif. |
Publication Date | 1996 |
Description | Daily (except weedends) during the school year. Microfilm. Palo Alto, Calif.: BMI Library Microfilms, 1986- microfilm reels; 35 mm. Vol.1, no.1 (Feb 8, 1922)- |
Subject | California State University, Fresno -- Periodicals. |
Contributors | Associated Students of Fresno State. |
Coverage | Vol.1 no.1 (Feb 8, 1922)- to present |
Format | Microfilm reels, 35 mm. |
Technical Information | Scanned at 600 dpi; TIFF; Microfilm ScanPro 2000 "E-image data" |
Language | eng |
Full-Text-Search |
News
THE DAILY
COLLEGIAN ff
Tuesday, October 1,1996 £)
Bicycle helmet law showing results
By Glenda Hubner
Capital Campus News
SACRAMENTO— A 1994
California law — requiring every¬
one under the age of 18 to wear an
approved helmet while riding a bi¬
cycle on public streets — has re¬
sulted in a drop, of more than 50
percent in bicycle-related injury
deaths, safety experts say.
These safety experts, police and
bike shop owners are all crediting
mostly voluntary compliance with
the law for making the difference.
Mike Giomi, a six-year employee
of City Bicycle Works in Sacra¬
mento says most of their custom¬
ers wear bicycle helmets all the time
because they are "serious bikers."
But when under-18-year-old pur¬
chasers come into his shop, Giomi
said he always talks to the parents.
"Do you have a helmet?" is the first
question he asks.
In Davis, a city which prides it¬
self on catering to bicyclists, bi¬
cycle shops encourage helmets and
helmet use also. Lisa Gibson of
Wheelworks says most children are
wearing helmets but usually, "non¬
chalantly, not buckled. They act de¬
fiant of the law." •
But Gibson said her company
stresses the law to anyone coming
into the shop. "You can talk to kids
all day about safety but they're not
going to listen. It's the law."
That law has resulted in Davis
Police issuing nearly 500 citations
since last September to persons
under the age of 18 riding without
helmets.
State law prohibits persons un¬
der 18 years of age from operating,
or riding on a bicycle as a passen¬
ger, on a street, bikeway, or other
public bicycle paths or trails unless
the person is wearing a helmet
meeting specific safety standards.
The law also provides for a $25
fine, which stays the same for re¬
peat offenders.
-The specific standards for hel¬
mets are approved by the American
National Standards Institute or the
Snell Memorial Foundation, a non¬
profit organization located in Sac¬
ramento that has been setting bi¬
cycle helmet standards for more
than 10 years. Their performance
standard criteria tests helmets for
the amount of energy the helmets
can absorb on contact.
"Large retailers are coming to us
requesting their product to be tested
by our high standards," said Steve
Johnson of the foundation.
Most approved bicycle helmets
are made from a polystyrofoam
material surrounded by a molded
hard plastic. Approved helmets are
available for $10, Every dollar
spent on bicycle helmets potentially
saves $28 in medical costs, accord¬
ing to experts from the Safe Kids
Campaign, a research project re¬
viewing the relationship between
helmet use and lowered medical
costs.
Police officers admit they can't
cite everyone disobeying the law
but say they are active in education
efforts about the importance of hel¬
mets. In Sacramento, city police
officers escort young children home
so both the parent and child can
understand the potential legal pun¬
ishments, but especially why hel¬
met protection is so important, says
Lt. Jeff Gibson.
The Sacramento Police and the
Safety Center, a training facilities
for safety procedures, have worked
together to create a program where
bicycle retailers are posting tags on
bicycles providing information on
the importance of helmets and the
bike helmet law.
The National Safe Kids Cam¬
paign, an organization whose goal
is to help protect children from in¬
juries, says its statistics show hel¬
mets are saving medical costs. The
group, chaired by C Everett Koop,
. former U.S.
Surgeon General says bicycle
helmets are preventing 1200-1700
permanently disabling injuries na¬
tionally per year.
Sacramento Valley has until 2000 to burn rice straw
By Colin Grinnell
Capital Campus News
SACRAMENTO— The Sacra¬
mento Valley has until the year
2000 to sit through the annual
smoke of burning rice straw from
recently harvested rice fields.
After that, rice burning will no
longer teaUuw.ed — except in rare
cases wntre^Wps are diseased and
simply plowing them under is not
an option.
And in each of next few years,
air quality officials expect less and
less smoke, as farmers pare down
the amount of acreage they are al¬
lowed to burn under terms of the
state Rice Straw Burning Act of
1991 which says only a diminish¬
ing percentage of the total amount
of rice straw in the valley can be
torched in the next five years.
But if farmers opted to increase
production — or decided to burn all
the acreage allowed under current
law — the rice smoke even this year
could nearly triple.
Last year, when farmers could
have burned off as much as 60 per¬
cent of the harvested crop, rice
farmers burned approximately 16
percent of the 450.000 eligible
acres.
This year about 500.000 acres of
rice have been cultivated, of which
state officials say 50 percent could
be burned off and still be within
legal guidelines — but only if the
weather cooperates.
Last fall, a series of thermal in¬
version layers kept the state Air
Resources Board and its subsidiary
air quality control agencies from
approving any where near the legal
limits of rice burning.
And this season, ARB officials
say. even if weather permits and the
farmers do request to burn all
250,000 acres,' the Air Resources
Board would be carefully control¬
ling and monitoring all requests for
burn permits to ensure air quality
standards aren't violated.
Susan Inkstrom of the Sacra¬
mento Metropolitan Air Quality
Management District says weather
conditions are too unpredictable to
make a definite judgment as to
whether things, will be better or
worse this year with the current
crops eligible for burning, which
include rice straw, safflower stalks
and other straw-like crops.
Farmers are allowed by law to
burn only on ARB-approved days.
The air in the region must have suf¬
ficient buoyancy in order to dis¬
perse the smoke adequately, she
said.
But even on the best days, wind
shifts, as in 1994. and other condi¬
tions, can cause major public health
concerns by exposing populated
areas to the dangerous smoke.
"Ninety-nine percent of the time,
we don't have a problem." Inkstrom
said. "But when it goes wrong it be¬
comes very noticeable.
Art Lorenzen, a state Air Re¬
sources Board meteorologist says
inversion layers can limit air mo¬
bility, causing difficulty in the dis¬
sipation of the smoke. This oc¬
curred in 1995, as rice smoke lin¬
gered in the Sacramento Valley,
worsening already poor air condi¬
tions. Inkstrom says the dangerous
ingredient in rice smoke is silica,
tiny particles that bypass the body's
filtration system on the way to em-
be'dding themselves in lung tissue.
Silica can cause respiratory in¬
fections, a implications' in heart dis¬
ease and lung patients, and even
death, according to a December
1995 ARB report.
The ARB report says regions
with rice burning practices had in¬
creased mortality rates due to res
piratory infections.
i^mg^
FUytaaai
Upstairs Cafeteria, Fresno State
Wednesday..October 2
7:00 p.m. 4 9:30 p.m.
isf^Mf^
PmirPC604/U2W'J 16MB RAM PtmrrPC601/!20 MH-J16MB RW PmrrPC60j&W0MHvlM1BiHM
iSffi-ii'Vi ixamcDimm-Wa soawetaHmsifdipt*,
Visit your campus computer store for
the best%deals on a Mac*
Visit our new location!
Keats Building Room 103
just south 01 the fountain &
just opposite oi' the University Restaurant
or call 278-2116
Free one-year Apple warranty.
|prafire CUotar //. 1996 CmW*Oxfrnkr. I
c.tfr^«^*4^.*r.^/^ |