FRANKFORT, KY (March 11, 2019) – On April 20, 2010, TJ Floyd was riding his bicycle when he crashed into the back of his older brother’s bike, flipped over his handlebars and hit his head on the concrete.
Rep. Regina Huff, R-Williamsburg, speaking on House Bill 280,
a measure she sponsors to require children under 12 to wear helmets when riding bikes.
He wasn’t wearing a helmet and suffered an acute subdural hematoma.
“Frankly, they brought the chaplain in because he was in the stages of dying,” said his mother, Heather Floyd, while testifying in support of a proposed bicycle helmet law before today’s Senate Health and Welfare Committee.
The legislation, known as House Bill 280, would require the use of bicycle helmets for operators and passengers under the age of 12. Violators, their parents or guardians would be given a courtesy warning, under language in the bill.
Rep. Regina Huff, R-Williamsburg, said she introduced the legislation because, “I saw a traumatic brain injury take one of the strongest people I know ... and render him helpless, so we want to ensure we are protecting the brains of our children.”
Huff said it was also the right thing to do economically because just one brain injury can cost $5 million to $7 million over one’s lifetime.
Sitting alongside Heather Floyd and Huff was TJ, who is now 16.
"His independent future was taken from him, and he's probably never going to live on his own again,” Heather Floyd said. “No matter how good he's doing there are just certain limitations and certain things that you can't overcome because you can't fix it.
“My blessing in this is he's happy and he laughs."
She added that HB 280 would be a teaching tool to prevent another Kentucky kid from experiencing this kind of traumatic brain injury.
HB 280 advanced out of committee and now goes to the full Senate for further consideration.
