As deputies describe it, the 6-year-old boy hit by a truck in Newman Lake on July 28 bounced between the Dodge’s undercarriage and the asphalt like a pinball. The boy’s bicycle helmet, which cracked in two places, may have saved his life. According the Sheriff’s Office, the boy is at home recovering from his injuries. If not for the helmet, the injuries could have been fatal, said Detective Dave Thornburg with the Sheriff’s Office traffic unit. “I’ve been investigating crashes for 20 years, and usually the impact with the vehicle isn’t what kills,” Thornburg said of crashes involving bicycles or pedestrians and cars. “It’s usually when the occupant comes off the vehicle and their head hits the pavement.” It’s one of many statistics that county commissioners will think about this month as they consider an ordinance for mandatory helmet use within unincorporated Spokane County/Sara Leaming & Scott Maben, SR. More here.

Question: Would you like to see Kootenai County and its major cities require helmets to be worn by bicyclists?