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Thursday, 20 September 2007 |
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Page 7 of 21
Helmets And Pads
Even states that do not require helmets or pads while skateboarding sometimes have skateparks that enforce rules for personal protection. Of those parks that require protection, the vast majority require only that helmets be worn. Although this is generally justified as being for “their own good,” the end result is that many of those skaters who either don’t own or do not wish to wear protection simply don’t use the park.
Having a helmet policy and people actually wearing helmets are two different worlds. Consistent enforcement coupled with positive reinforcement is the only method for achieving
an acceptable level of compliance.
A skateboarder is many times more likely to be seriously injured while skateboarding outside of a skatepark. The Journal Of Trauma-Injury Infection & Critical Care reports, “The more serious [skateboarding] injuries resulting in hospitalization typically involve a crash with a motor vehicle.” Those skaters displaced by helmet rules are essentially compounding their risk by returning to the streets. In an ironic twist, those administrators looking out for the welfare of the kids are often unwittingly putting them more at risk by creating an environment that the skater does not wish to visit.
Many experienced skateboarders are committed to personal protection, especially helmets. If the skatepark has not been designed, it may be valuable to include those types of skatepark attractions that draw a helmet-wearing crowd. Deep, challenging bowls and snake runs are high-speed structures that challenge even the most experienced skateboarders. Whether it’s acceptable fashion or personal responsibility, this discipline of skating has a higher percentage of participants who will wear helmets and pads. By including these elements in the new skatepark, these types of users will visit the facility and demonstrate helmet usage as respected peers rather than the message coming from some “non-skating administrator.”
Helmet and pad policies can increase the Parks Department’s liability. While each state has its own policies regarding recreational space, helmet and/or pad policies can create a degree of administrative responsibility on behalf of the managing organization. If helmets and/or pads are to be required, these rules must be strictly enforced or else the policy will simply be ignored (helmet and pad usage is not widely popular among skateboarders for a variety of reasons, ranging from comfort and physical mobility to personal expense).
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 10 February 2008 )
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