BUCKLEY, Wash. — In a vote of 3 to 2, Buckley City Council passed a helmet ordinance, and now it is required that kids 18 and younger must wear a helmet – whether that's on a skateboard or bike, in the park or on the street.
In the Tuesday meeting, the council and police chief discussed ways to make this about positive reinforcement – like handing out tickets for free ice cream for wearing a helmet properly.
"We want them to know that it is ok to wear a helmet," said Larae Crossley, who is the mother of 13-year-old Berrett, who died earlier this month, because he fell skateboarding. "It's cool to wear a helmet and it's safe to wear a helmet, and hopefully the older kids will do it, and the younger ones will follow suit."
Crossley is hopeful that this law will save lives.
She had a message for kids who may be hesitant to put on a helmet.
"I just want you to go home to your parents at night," said Crossley. "I just want you to live your dreams out, and I want you to be an adult and do those things you always dreamed of doing. That's all I want from them – that Berrett didn't get."
Berrett is the reason for the ordinance. He was a teen who loved skateboarding and wanted to be a skateboarder when he grew up. Earlier this month, he fell while skating at the Buckley Skatepark and severely injured his head. He died four days later.
His mom is now on a mission to make sure no other kid suffers a head injury.
The issue of equity and how some parents may not be able to afford helmets for their kids did come up. The council says that's where community partnerships come in.
Buckley's youth center has a stockpile of helmets ready to go for kids, and the goal is to keep raising money for more helmets so no kid in town goes without the crucial piece of safety equipment.