Skateboarding Without a Helmet in Hawaii Could Be a Crime

Skateboarding without a helmet could become a crime under a bill moving through the Hawaii legislature.

The House Health Committee on Friday approved a bill that would require children under 16 to wear properly fitted helmets while skateboarding, or risk a fine from $50 to $250.

Parents and guardians would be held liable for payment.

The Injury Prevention Advisory Committee endorsed the bill, which Chairman Bruce McEwan says would reduce traumatic brain injuries among skateboarders in Hawaii. According to McEwan, 450 children under 16 are taken to the hospital for skateboarding injuries each year.

The Queen’s Trauma Registry admitted 119 patients injured on skateboards between 2006 and 2010. Only 9 percent were wearing a helmet. Nearly three-quarters of the patients under 16 were treated for a traumatic brain injury.