The Starkville city Board of Alderman voted Tuesday to pass the safety helmet ordinance for the city of Starkville. The ordinance will require all persons riding bicycles, skates, skateboards, motorcycles or ATVs to wear a helmet while riding in Starkville city limits.
The ordinance passed 4-3, with Ward 4 Alderman Richard Corey, Ward 5 Alderman Jeremiah Dumas, Ward 6 Alderman Roy Perkins and Ward 7 Alderman Henry Vaughn Sr. voting in favor of the ordinance.
Lynn Spruill, Starkville city chief administrative officer, said the ordinance will go into effect May 20, but there will be a short grace period for Starkville residents to be able to purchase helmets.
“The first two citations will be warnings,” Spruill said. “So there will be the opportunity to purchase a helmet and prove the helmet has been purchased instead of being issued a citation.”
Spruill said she thinks the helmet ordinance will encourage biking and safety through the city.
“In essence, [the ordinance] is an acknowledgement that we are encouraging biking in Starkville,” she said. “If we are going to encourage biking in Starkville, we need to encourage safe biking.”
Spruill said when someone is issued a citation for not wearing a helmet, he or she will be issued a fine.
“Right now, there is not a helmet ordinance in Starkville,” she said. “So this will require anyone on public roadways, sidewalks or any other public areas to wear a helmet while operating the vehicles specified in the ordinance.”
The ordinance will not require persons to wear a helmet in Oktibbeha County or on Mississippi State University’s campus.
The amount of the fine will be determined on a person to person basis based on the situation.